The Annual Peach Quest

Every summer I go in search of peaches. Reason being, the things in the produce aisles in supermarkets labeled "peach" are simply not peaches. They are just pulpy, flavorless orbs of disappointment.

Yesterday we went in search of the elusive peach. I ran across a great website where you can find a pick-your-own farm near you. Aha! We went to this farm and they were selling peaches. Always skeptical, we requested a sample and were pleasantly surprised at the sweet, juicy, heavenly taste. We purchased a small basket of peaches and went in search of MORE! That's when things got really strange.

We saw a sign for produce and turned up a gravel road. Turns out, we were heading toward Red Wiggler Community Farm. The Farm is a great community resource and I encourage you to visit their website. Even better, Artfarm was taking place at the Farm yesterday. As we approached, we saw tents set up and fantastic looking cars, sculptures and quilts. There was the sound of someone drumming, a storyteller, and someone playing the didjiridoo. We got out of the car and walked around the property. The didjiridoo player was accompanying a woman dressed in white who was slowly dancing and being wrapped in a white sheet. She eventually emerged and it was somewhat like a graceful birth of sorts. The owner/creator of the amazing cars is a man named Conrad Bladey. He's won prizes in Artcar shows for his work. One of the cars had a sprinkler on top of the hood and it was acting as a tiny fountain. The cars were strangely captivating to look at. At first glance they just look like hippie-mobiles, but the closer I looked, the more details stood out. There were things from buttons, to shoes, to Barbie dolls embedded in the cars. We arrived at the end of the festivities, so we didn't stay too long.

On the way home we stopped by good old reliable, yet frequently overpriced Butler's Orchard and walked away with another small basket of peaches and some tasty blueberries.

Now, after last night's dinner of peaches and a breakfast of peaches this morning, I am temporarily sated. I hope that next weekend we can get some more peaches. I certainly don't want to go another year without a succulent, luscious, sweet peach. Sadly, the season is far too short.