This morning, while feeding Cruz berries, I thought to myself “I want Cruz to know where his food comes from”. I figure this could be a great opportunity to have fun while exploring food with your toddler! I then I hopped on my computer and quickly typed in ‘berry picking’. Lo and behold- the first farm that popped up is the same farm we go to every year to get our pumpkins! I was so excited to find out they have TONS of *pick your own* fields. From berries to veggies, citrus, and greens they have it all. Harvest just depends on the season, of course. Oh and this farm is only 20 minutes away from our house- so off we went on a tomato and pepper picking adventure!
Grasp on to moments that fuel your soul
I’ve been trying my absolute hardest to be present in all my moments throughout the day. I can honestly say- it is not easy, takes a lot of practice, and I fall off course many times a day..but there is beauty in the recognition and redirecting of the mind. So I had my thought, acted on it, and let the present literally and physically guide the course of my day.
When I found Underwood Family Farms had the *pick your own* fields I felt this tickled sensation throughout my entire body..I clicked play on their little video and basically cried through the whole thing because I felt so aligned. LOL. We finished breakfast, got ready, packed up the car, and were out the door in 30 minutes. That never happens!
Arriving At The Farm
When I plugged the address into google maps I got an ETA of 10:21am, my favorite number and one that I’ve been seeing in different areas of my day forever. I took this as a sign that I was on the right path doing exactly what I was supposed to be doing! About 1 minute into our journey my gas light came on and then my low tire pressure light..I disregarded it so we could actually arrive at 10:21. 🙂
We arrived at the farm and I did my best to follow the signs for *pick your own* but somehow, some way I missed the entrance. We ended up taking a driving tour of a different farm with a beautiful event venue. As we were leaving that farm we witnessed a mom, in a minivan, get stuck in a watermelon patch. This was a major highlight of our day (haha)!
I finally thought we were back on track to our destination.. but nope! I took a wrong turn, going the wrong direction, on a one way, tractors only, dirt road. Can you imagine my surprise when our game of chicken began with a massive tractor? I rolled down my window and yelled “EXCUSE ME, I’M TRYING TO FIND THE PICK YOUR OWN FIELDS..”. The tractor driver was not impressed with me. But I remained positive, took her direction, and backed out the entirety of the dirt road.
We finally made it!
Did Someone Say Tractor Ride?
This little dude was pleased as punch to be on his first tractor ride! The picking fields are a bit of a distance from the entrance of the farm, so you get the choice of riding the tractor or walking there. We could not pass up a tractor ride, especially on a 90 degree day! Naturally, our tractor driver was the same one who yelled at me for being on the ‘tractors only’ road..She was much sweeter this time around. 🙂
Exploring where tomatoes & peppers come from
Because it was super hot we only took time to pick tomatoes and peppers. It was very therapeutic and satisfying looking to pick the perfect ones..exploring food with your toddler really can be fun! The colorful food popping out from the bushels of green leaves probably seemed like magic to Cruz! It was so fun to watch his eyes light up as he exclaimed “more, more”. His little hands quickly grabbed any tomato or pepper they could..and he held on to those things for dear life/until he found a new one he liked more.
We have the power
We had a lovely day at the farm. I, personally, am eager to get back! I feel an overwhelming sense of joy knowing I have the power to teach Cruz about food and eating from the earth. How cool is mother nature!? I truly believe this is a great way to feed your soul while exploring food with your toddler.
Love this!