It's no secret that I'm not much of a gardener. I posted that we had what appeared to be mutant "peppermatoes" at one time only to find they were wonderful polish "Opalka" tomatoes. Oops. And my beloved butternut, well, it took over the garden and produced all of two squash. One look at the photo will tell you we threw caution to the wind and just hoped we'd end up with something. Luckily, we did get something. I'm actually burned out on cherry tomatoes for the year.

And that's why I'm sticking to herbs. They're a bit more forgiving.

It's also the reason I finally joined a CSA (community supported agriculture). It took me a while, but it turns out the perfect choice was right in front of my nose, as the best things usually are. I have been visiting Earthkeeper Farm's booth at both the Rockford and Ada farmer's markets all summer. We've had juicy heirloom tomatoes, fresh kale (I make oven-roasted chips out of it with sea salt for the kids) and sweet red peppers, but it never occurred to me to find out if they had a CSA. So, starting next June, I can look forward to a weekly supply of pesticide-free, locally grown produce. I may not be able to grow my own food, but at least I know where it's coming from.

Now if I could just get the school lunch menu to include kale chips. Ava in the garden before it went wild.