WELCOME TO THE FARM . . . .

It was a Village Gardener event.  I was the co-chair of this event and we chose to have our first meeting of the year at the farm.  Trudi Temple's farm, Cherry Lane Farm to be exact.

It was a beautiful sunny day with not a cloud in the sky when Maria (my

co-chair) and I arrived before the members to make sure all was in place

and ready for our garden club's planned activities of the day.

Trudi greeted us with smiles and bouquets just picked from

her gardens as she helped create the fresh ambiance to her main

barn where we would have lunch.

What is it about a farm that is so nurturing to the soul?  It was quiet,

beautiful, simple and soul filled to be on this land again.  There was

something magical about this quiet venue.

Wide open spaces, gazebos, many, many gardens of various

proportions and ingredients, many barn buildings, stone benches,

picnic tables and places to sit, lounge and contemplate all that

is so comforting.  I must say, I am ready to be a farmer!!!

This is the most recently completed building and just like Trudi and what she

represents, all the building materials that were gathered were reclaimed.  All

of the windows are different and sometimes picked up curbside and stored

until there were enough windows to create this "workshop" for gardeners and

creative learning events.  Trudi calls this classroom Salvage Hall.

She learned about a log cabin that had been taken down and the owner

was going to chop up these logs for firewood.  HALT!  Could she have

them?  Sure, take them away!  That she did and had them installed

as her ceiling in Salvage Hall.  She then had them painted. . . .and the

look is GRAND!

This shiny copper pot held dried Annabelles that she had

recently arranged.

Collected quilts line the walls of Salvage Hall.

Lunchtime in the barn. . . . .

Antique armoires adorned with clippings from gardens

with a slight hint that Fall would not be far behind.

Trudi's main barn built in the 1800's

Jacquilan, our bread specialist for the day. . . . using only

organic wheat from a local farmer which results in a very

dense bread.  She provided the bread that was served

with lunch.

Amy Cox of the Urban Homestead provided a very tasty

lunch of fresh tomatoes, green beans from Trudi's farm, fresh herbs and greens,

sauteed yellow and red peppers which had been prepared with

a special vinaigrette made by Amy.  Organic and antibiotic free

chicken was an option with the salad.  Lunch began with cold gazpacho

that was to die for!!!  Dessert by Jacquilan, Carrot Cake that was all organic

made with applesauce and lots of carrots, very little sugar and topped off

with a warm organic honey mixture. 

SCENES IN AND AROUND THE BARN

A vintage wheel barrel

A symbol of the old schoolhouse.  As so many know, Trudi is the inventor

of Market Day in the schools.  She took her dream across the USA so she

could help schools make extra money.  The story goes.  .  .that one day her

daughter came home from school and said she needed to have her mother bake

for a school faire.  Trudi said, "I don't bake"  She eventually gave fresh vegetables

from her garden that were so well received,  they wanted more.  Frankly,

this is how Market Day actually began . . . . . and she began buying from farmers

directly and took her well received (on a small scale) vegetables and fruits to greater

heights.

Trudi provides so much aesthetically to so many.  A huge fire

pit with seating on all sides.  This would be an evening of

big skies, big stars and quiet soul searching to be sure.

A kind of "listen to the quiet" kind of night.

Trudi's gazebo . . . . looking up.

In the gazebo . . .a new find, the first MacDonald's furniture to

be used.

The Council Ring. . . the site for our wine box herbal plantings following

lunch in the barn.

 A true European glass dome just outside of Trudi's home.

All that is natural just outside her back door.

Two poured cement ends with natural beams at front and back

and voila . . . . . a great herbal  container garden!!

Our big hands on project of the day. . . . these wine crates were

filled with mushroom compost and rich black dirt.  We then planted

parsley, rosemary, garlic chives and sage.  Great herbs for Fall

food recipes.

Fresh basil in old zinc containers, , , just outside

Trudi's back door.

Part of Trudi's extensive birdhouse collection

Book signing with Trudi

A planted wine box ready to take home

As we pulled away from this magical day I was reminded that

tomorrow (today) was the anniversary of 9/11.  God bless the

families of those who lost their lives.

AND

God bless Trudi for sharing her sustainable farm in rural Morengo.  She is

as unique as the farmland she lives on.   A very special and lady that I am

comforted to call my friend.