The Stanley Farm

A good friend of mine, Dave, owns a small farm outside of Olympia, WA. I have visited the farm a few times over the past several years. My boyfriend and I drove down and spent a weekend on the farm helping Dave out with some chores. Dave decided to buy this farmhouse and land several years ago. During that time he has purchased some animals for the farm. He currently has chickens, turkeys, ducks, pheasants, cows, sheep and pigs.

Dave's good friend Steve helps him out quite a bit on the farm. Steve is an excellent cook. For Friday night's dinner we had Lamb, turnips and sweet potatoes, and salad. We also had some homemade bread with goat cheese. All of this, of course, came from the farm. All of the food was delicious! It was definitely nice to have some fresh food from the farm.

Steve and Dave even brew their own beer! Friday night we enjoyed a dark Porter they brewed. The beer was very tasty!

Saturday morning Steve made a delicious French Toast Casserole with Plum preserves. The eggs and plums are from the farm, and the bread that was used is from the homemade loaf. This casserole was so tasty. It always feels good to eat a good meal with fresh ingredients straight from the farm.

One of my New Year's resolutions is to try and eat more fresh, organic foods. I'm going to visit more local farmer's markets and purchase my fruits, vegetables and anything else they have to offer that I can use in my meals. I want to support local businesses and farms.

Saturday night, my boyfriend made us dinner. It was just as delicious as the other meals. We had breaded pork chops and mashed potatoes with carrots. The pork, potatoes and carrots are of course from the farm.

After reading the book "Fast Food Nation" by Eric Schlosser, and watching the documentary "Super Size Me", I made it a point to eat healthier. I'm currently reading two books, "Plenty - Eating Locally on the 100 Mile Diet" by Alisa Smith & J.B. Mackinnon; and "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan. I'm only half way through both of these books, but I already want to switch all of my food purchases to local farmer's markets. Both of these books are further encouraging my New Year's resolution. I'm going to even start to grow some of my own herbs to use in my cooking. When eating food straight from the farm, you can definitely taste the difference from the store bought food. Farm food is fresh and you know that none of it contains any hormones or pesticides. Plus you know that the animals that are providing the food are fed properly and are treated well. You can feel a more direct connection with the food, and that is something I want to experience with every meal.

I can't thank Dave and Steve enough for allowing us to spend a weekend at the farm and enjoy spending time with them and the animals. Not to mention to be able to enjoy delicious food and beer! I can't wait for our next visit!