Thursday, July 30, 2015

When the Farmer is Your Neighbor

Eating fruits and vegetables in season is good: Getting them right from your neighbor's farm stand is even better. This summer, we are eating fresh, and we're eating just about as local as we can get. 


Every Wednesday and Saturday morning during the summer, we experience what might be considered a little traffic jam just down the road and around the corner. The cars and trucks line the sides of the road, waiting for 8AM when the family owned and operated Hale Farm's stand opens up. 


While we wait, we admire the rows of vegetables and flowers and the view of Picacho Peak in the distance. 




At opening time, folks grab a little red wagon and fill it with green chiles just brought in from the field, watermelon, garlic, onions, okra, cucumbers, black-eyed peas, tomatoes, cabbage, new potatoes. eggplants, squash of all kinds, green beans, fragrant basil, honey from the hives out back, and cut flowers. Oh, and the best sweet corn on the cob that I've eaten in years--Bill grills it in the husk. Those are just some of the items I've seen so far, and we're still at the beginning of the season. 


The line at the cash registers stretches out to the road, while the neighbors chat and kid each other good-naturedly. The lady at the register says "There's got to be a place where no one's in a rush, and this is it!" We all agree, while reaching over for a few more fresh green beans. 



This is part of our haul from this past Wednesday. Tonight we're having grilled corn on the cob and a salad made of those red new potatoes, green beans, and pesto made from that good-smelling basil. So healthy, and so delicious!

If you want to see what's going on at the farm, you can like them on Facebook at Hale Farm (Las Cruces). 

6 comments:

Sylvia K said...

Ah, my favorite kind of place to shop!! Wish I were there right now -- my fridge is nearly empty!! We're having a "heatwave" in Portland!!! Feels more like Texas than Oregon these days!! Hope you have a great weekend!!

Jean (aka Auntie Bucksnort) said...

This is such a wonderful thing to have right in our own neighborhood - and if we're feeling energetic, it's within walking distance! What is the purple-black vegetable in your last photo? Eggplant? Bell pepper?

clairz said...

Auntie, that's a very dark acorn squash.

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Local farm markets are our favorite way to shop too, but I haven't seen one quite as neighborhood friendly as yours is. (Might be because I've never been there at 8 a.m. ;>)!!

Your pesto sounds so good; I am lazy and buy the pre-made (the produce stands sell one they make -- salsa too.)

Unknown said...

Really interesting blog.

Kate said...

I wasn't going to get dressed and go to our Farmers Mkt this morning 'til I saw this post. Now I KNOW that I need some good fall root veggies for the coming week.