Growing up on a farm, I learned to love, respect, and immensely enjoy nature and all of her gifts to the world. As a child, I loved to run through the fields of wild flowers filling my senses with visual pleasure, memorable fragrances that today bring me home to the coolness I felt on my feet as I waded through the streams, the songs of the birds that always lifted my spirits, and the taste of the unmatchable flavor-rich foods that grew in our garden each spring.

One of nature’s greatest gifts is the garden, the farm fresh, delectable, flavor-rich foods that donned our table each day. Grown in nutrient rich soil, our food was always an anticipated delight three times a day!

I was raised by my grandparents with old school standards who were self-sustainable due to the rich earth we gardened each spring and summer and continued to enrich each season. In addition, there was a well that provided clean drinking water, a cool spring that bubbled in the field, animals that provided organic milk, eggs, and fertilizer for our garden and a creek that ran through the farm providing the needed water so our vegetables could thrive.

To add to the multitude of richness and pleasure, there were wild strawberries, blackberries, and dew berries that adorned our hillside and pleased the palate with a delicious snack anytime I wanted to climb the hill. We even had chinquapins! Ever heard of that one? Delicious!