CSA's

A couple of weeks ago I noticed a flyer in an elevator at work that featured a few pictures of vegetables, a website and the words "Community Support Agriculture." I was instantly intrigued and jotted down the website. I am now completely enthralled by this idea.

To begin let me explain a little bit more of what community supported agriculture (CSA) is. CSA is basically a bringing together of the farmer and the consumer. A consumer (for example, you) is basically given an opportunity to invest in the farm. You purchase a share of the crops up front (around March-April) and then pick up a lovely share of the harvest each week for several weeks once crops are ready.

For example, Aaron and I recently purchased a share from Tagge's Famous Fruit. After I had researched many CSA farms in Utah, specifically ones that have pick-up points in the Salt Lake Valley we decided on Tagge's. I contacted Thayne who was very helpful and excited to inform me that they were still accepting CSA customers for a couple more weeks. I then went online and paid our $275 up front. Now I am anxiously awaiting our first pick-up on July 8th and the subsequent 14 weeks when I will go to the pick-up spot conveniently located at 10600 So and 1300 East in Sandy and pick up my fresh produce at no additional cost! YUM!

I think it is such a fun idea with so many benefits for both the farmer and the consumer. Many of the farms I looked into had a desire and excitement to create relationships with their CSA customers. Some even offer canning classes and other suggestions on how to use or store extra produce. One CSA I saw had a pumpkin patch and as part of your share you can bring your family down to the farm and pick your pumpkins in October. I was also assured by some of the people I talked with that they treat their CSA's as their best customers! They want to you to invest again next year. :)

I love that this is a way to support local farmers! It helps the farmers especially during the pre-harvest period when they are pouring in a lot of money into the farm to prepare the crops for harvest, but not receiving any income. It also helps them a little bit in planning how much to plant, etc. as they have a guaranteed market.

I could just go on and on, but if you are interested a really great website I found for Utah CSAs is csautah.org. If you live elsewhere I'm sure you can google it. If you'd like my notes for a variety of farms I looked into feel free to shoot me an e-mail or leave a comment and I'd be happy to send them to you! Also, here is a link to a post about CSA's on the Hopkins CLF blog. Enjoy!

PS - We have been quite busy the last few weeks and have lots to blog about... paintballing, Harpers Ferry, Preston & Emily's wedding, family visits, Aaron's graduation (this Friday!), etc. So stay posted, one day I'll get to it all! And yes, it will be me. Aaron still refuses to actually contribute to the blog. :(

Graduation!

Two weeks ago Aaron and I made a quick trip back to Utah so we could attend my graduation festivities. It was so fun to see our family and to reunite with the cohort. We had a blast! We ate way too much, played a lot of games and pretty much got way too excited to move back to Utah. For all of you we weren't able to see (and who live in Utah) we're excited to be back to play in t-minus two months and counting.

Don't get me wrong we are loving our time together here in Baltimore, but there's just so much we're excited for back in Utah we're getting a little anxious. The time is sure to go quickly though. Aaron graduates in 2 weeks and we'll have lots of family in town to celebrate. This Saturday we're going paint balling - thank you Marilyn and Michael for planning that adventure. Tomorrow we're going to the dental school picnic. We're still planning a few more "East Coast Adventures," and we're counting down to Jamaica! So pretty much the next couple of months are going to be crazy, but so much fun!

Here are a few pictures from graduation. I stole some from Lauren (thanks!). Enjoy!

Down on the floor before the college convocation with Dr. Cole!
And YES, that is SALMON! You know you're jealous.

It IS a hood! Go Hogwarts! I miss you guys!

MPH Cohort 7! The best cohort ever!!
My support crew! Thank you for everything!

My parents.

That's my man!

The Book of Mormon

To see the video on YouTube and to "like" it click this link. Unfortunately I haven't figured out how to make it small enough to fit the video in the window, but the testimony of Elder Holland is powerful and worth 4 minutes and 40 seconds to watch. I know The Book of Mormon is the word of God. I am so thankful to Joseph and Hyrum and all those who were willing to sacrifice even their lives for the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Gettysburg

A few weeks ago (April 17) we took a day trip up to Gettysburg, PA. Site of one of the most famous battles and a major turning point of the American Civil War. We had both been to Gettysburg before on various family vacations, but I didn't remember much at all. It is such a fun experience to drive all around the area and view the different vantage points and learn the strategies and events related to the battle.

Posing with Honest Abe outside of the new Visitors' Center.

Peering down from Little Round Top.

Some period cannon and monuments along the drive.
The Pennsylvania Memorial
We lucked out and got to see a little reenactment!
Aaron at "the clump of trees."
It is fun to see the landmarks from across the battlefield and then close up.

The Angle

Within the Soldiers National Cemetery.

A view of a couple of different types of markers...
In memorial of the Gettysburg Address. President Lincoln actually stood a little bit further into the cemetery, but this was dedicated to the remembering of that simple, exquisite address.In his address President Lincoln stated, "The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here."

He was right about the world not forgetting what happened on those fields that President Lincoln "dedicated" that day and that the soldiers consecrated with their lives, but he was very wrong about the impression his address would have on history. Thank you President Lincoln for your words of wisdom, and for letting the world (and future speech writers) know that it's not the length of the speech that determines the impact it will have. Hooray for history!

Birthday, Baseball & Sakura Matsuri

One of the fun things about living out here in Baltimore is all the fun that surrounds us. This weekend the National Cherry Blossom Festival wrapped up down in DC with the annual parade followed by the Sakura Matsuri, or Japanese Street Festival. Monday was also Aaron's birthday! We celebrated by going to the O's game with some friends.

We caught quite a bit of the parade, and even got to see Miss America sing!

Here's a video of a bit of the street festival and some of the yummy food we ate. I'm not sure it was completely authentic Japanese, but it was good.

Aaron eating some of the "chicken on a stick" as the sign read. Others called it "chicken teriyaki." Whatever it was it was delicious!

We got to see Ryan & Laura while they were here visiting! We only got to see them for a few minutes on Saturday before they were off seeing the rest of the DC sites, but we got to have dinner with them Sunday down in Virginia. Thanks Shanna for hosting all of us!

Some of the Taiko Drummers performing for the crowds.
They were pretty awesome!

The Cherry Blossoms had pretty much all fallen from the rain a couple of days earlier, but the tulips were blooming beautifully!

The Tidal Basin... hooray for Spring!

Monday, April 12th! Aaron's Birthday at the Orioles game.
Justin, me, Aaron, Marilyn, Michael
Thanks for celebrating with us!

Me and the old man. Happy Birthday Aaron!

Unfortunately Aaron ate all of his surprise birthday eclair from Vaccaro's before I could take a picture. It must have been good though. :) Happy Spring!

Blossoms, Basketball & Easter Eggs

Last week the National Cherry Blossom Festival kicked off down in DC, so we ventured down to DC a little early to enjoy the blossoms before we met the Hunters for the Wizards v. Jazz game.

Some gorgeous non-cherry blossoms

The Waterfront with some beautiful blossoms & the Jefferson

I love how the colorful blossoms pop out from the winter barren trees!

Wizards v. Jazz. . . go Jazz!

Easter Egg Hunt up in Owings Mills with Aaron some dental school friends and their families. It was so fun to watch all the kids search for the eggs!

Dying Easter Eggs!

My pride and joy - the rainbow egg!

The dashing egg model... so hot right now

With spring literally blooming and Easter and General Conference drawing our attention to our Savior and His miraculous resurrection I am so grateful for the hope that comes only through Jesus Christ. I love the constant reminders of miracles and rebirth that surround us this beautiful season. After a cold, dark, snowy winter, the hope of warmth, color and life is finally realized once again! Happy Spring!

Spring Break!

For Aaron's Spring Break a couple of weeks ago we decided to take advantage of our proximity to family and church history sites via a rockin' road trip. Here are a few highlights (and by a few I mean a whole ton of pictures - brace yourself).

1st Stop: Madsen Family of PA

My aunt and uncle and their family live just a few short hours north of us, and we have been wanting to visit again since we have settled in Baltimore. We decided they would make an awesome first stop on our road trip. Thank you Madsen's! We'll be back!

Spencer & Aaron zoned into the wii.

Caitlin watching her dad bowl!

The best group shot of our bowling adventures, and yes that is saying something.

2nd Stop: Palmyra

Christus at the VC. Notice the Sacred Grove as the background.

More of the inside at the Visitors' Center. Beautiful "stained glass" depiction of Joseph receiving the plates from Moroni.

Hill Cumorah monument.

Aaron "searching for the plates" on the back of the hill.

At the Smith Farm. The attic of the log home (right) where Moroni appeared to 17-year old Joseph Smith, and the frame home (left).

The Sacred Grove. We were hoping to catch "early Spring" like Joseph Smith recorded, but I think we were a little too early. The Spirit there was amazing though, and it was so nice to have the whole grove to ourselves!

Grandin Building, the location of the first printing of the Book of Mormon, 1830.

The site of the Martin Harris Farm, just out of town.

Stop 3: Fayette, NY

The Peter Whitmer Home & Visitors' Center in Fayette, NY

Stop 4: Seneca Falls, NY

Fayette was so close to Seneca Falls I couldn't resist. We stopped in at the Women's Rights National Park and learned more about the fight for women's rights in America.

(Notice that Aaron wouldn't be in any of the pictures...)

Stop 5: Mendon, NY

Tomlinson Inn where the Young family was introduced to the gospel. Samuel Smith presented Phineas Young with a copy of the Book of Mormon.

Tomlinson Corners Cemetary
The grave marker of Miriam Works Young, Brigham Young's first wife.

Solomon Kimball's (Heber C. Kimball's father) restored headstone.

Half of the original John Young home (Brigham's father). The other half has been moved across the street. The senior missionary couple who are living here saw us taking pictures and invited us in. They were so sweet, and told us more about the home and the area! Thank you!

Searching for the site of Brigham Young's home and saw mill. We're not sure if we really ever found it, but it was a fun adventure!

This could maybe be it... maybe...