Knead to Know with Hollis – August 4, 2021
It’s been a hot minute since I last sat down to write. And by hot minute, I mean cold. The last few weeks with the evenings plummeting to near single digits have been chilly! It’s hard to believe it’s just early August! And I say ‘just early August’ because I am framing it in my mind as though there’s still lots of time to do all the fun summer things and not the beginning of the end for summer. Agreed!?
I don’t think you would be surprised to hear me say that I define months by what is in season at the Farm. In my mind, it’s all about the food. I feel that way about basically everything. Food is life right!? When we go on vacations (fingers crossed we can do those again soon!), I’m researching bakeries and markets to visit on day trips, I’m packing picnic supplies and finding the nearest source of fresh bread or cheese curds. Life just tastes better that way. I have a lifetime of memories both from childhood and adulthood of taking the “long way” or a detour to pop by somewhere delicious.
So, to me, August is prime time for deliciousness. Sweet corn, new potatoes, peaches, blueberries, ripe tomatoes. Gah. It’s just the best. August also means to me our annual family camping trip. We enjoy fresh corn on the cob, boiled new potatoes, home fries for breakfast, muffins baked on the BBQ with fresh blueberries and peach crisp for dessert. We always say we eat better camping than at home.
With the fields bursting with freshness at the Farm in August, it’s also a time of long harvest lists for our incredible Field Team. They have spent every single day all spring and summer out in the field, tending to our crops, harvesting, weeding, pruning, irrigating and ensuring that the Farm Market is chock-full of the best that we grow. Our Field Team is super supportive of one another and work as a team so well. The day isn’t done until everything is harvested and that often means long days. It’s amazing to hear their stories of teamwork and how they will all descend on the last blueberry or sweet corn row to work together and get it picked as a team. Leaving no one behind!
One of the best things about this part of summer is the variety of what is growing, not only for offering so many delicious options to eat, but also to switch up what our Field Team is working at throughout the day. The early days of the season with asparagus and strawberries means long days of picking one thing. But this time of year, you can see the Field Team bouncing between digging potatoes, picking blueberries and then heading out to the sweet corn field. All in a day’s work!
We are grateful every day (and every meal!) for our wonderful Field Team members who work so incredibly hard, in all kinds of weather, to bring us the best of the best from our fields. Next time you’re enjoying a delightful bite of Murphy’s fresh produce, you know that there are people behind the food, and if you see them across the field, be sure to wave to the team who brings the best summer flavours to our plates!
xo
