Eastern Triangle Farm Tour

This weekend my parents and I visited several local farms as part of the Fifth Annual Eastern Triangle Farm Tour, put together by the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association. It was quite fun! The hours are 1pm-5pm, and there were 24 farms participating, spread out far and wide. We had to pick just a few to visit. It was a tough decision. Hopefully this will help any future participants choose.

Saturday

1. We started out at Turtle Mist Farm in Franklinton. It was easy enough to find (we used the Garmin) and were greeted by two volunteers who gave us our "Support Local Farms" button that would serve as our ticket for all the visits (I'd prepaid for the tour online--only $25 per car load for all farms, both days). We were warned that the fences were electric, but that they weren't lethal; just a mild shock. Of course that meant I had to touch to see what it felt like! Not painful, but definitely not comfortable! The first thing we saw was a beekeeper selling honey. We bought a glass of "honeyade," which was delicious. We walked over to the chicken coops where they had several different breeds. They were allowed to just roam around wherever they pleased. Then we went down to the pens where they keep turkeys, ducks, and geese. We spoke with someone who I believe works on the farm. She gave us info about raising the birds and showed us the incubator where she was keeping turkey eggs warm until they hatch. We strolled around the garden area a bit, then wandered over to the pasture where the pigs are kept. There were four big brown ones, and a box of past-their-prime vegetables to feed to them.


They were in a mud hole and splashed around trying to get around each other to get the food I was holding out. We saw a cow, but it was behind fencing so we couldn't get close. We walked back up to the front and bought a cup of lemonade (it was a HOT day) and then it was off to the next farm.

2. Next was Homestead Harvest Farm in Wake Forest. I enjoyed this one more because we had a guide the whole time who answered all our questions and provided lots of information. We had to put little surgical booties on to prevent contamination of the farm. Here we got to hold a baby chicken.


If I remember correctly, this one was 4 weeks old. He (she?) was very warm! He was molting so wasn't fully covered with feathers, and his skin was against my hand. We walked around to several of the "chicken tractors," which are coops that you can move around to different parts of pasture so they always have fresh grass, and they fertilize as they go along! These were meat chickens. The laying hens were in a different type of portable coop, one with boxes where they could lay their eggs. My dad is interested in building a coop and having laying hens so he had lots of questions. We also saw a couple of pigs. They were young, but not babies. I got to go inside the pen and pet the girl.


She was very sweet. The boy was not as friendly. Next we walked down to see the turkeys. They have a ton of them and they are so vocal! It goes in waves. If one starts off, the rest chime in. I was squatting down to get some photos and one came up to me, very curious. Then she suddenly reached out and bit me! It wasn't a big deal, but it was funny. It's also funny to see the males, who can turn their faces blue to impress the ladies.


We went inside the processing house, where the chickens are defeathered, dressed, etc. We bought more lemonade (!) and then headed back to the car.

3. The final farm for Saturday was Meadow Lane Farm in Louisburg. This was also enjoyable because the owner, Martha, gave us a tour and filled us in on all the history. The farm has been in her family for almost a hundred years, and the farm house was originally built in the early 1800's. They are in the process of restoring it, which is quite an undertaking. We met Lily, their sweet Australian Shepherd working dog, and stood in the shade of an absolutely enormous pecan tree. We saw the goats that they show at the State Fair,


and as we were driving in we saw lots of their cattle. They raise them as nature intended--open pasture, lots of sun, etc. They are even certified humane. Mom and Dad bought a pound of ground beef and I said I'd eat a hamburger made from it...since I know it came from a cow that lived a happy life. It will be interesting to see what it tastes like. I don't know if I'll even like it! They were giving out samples of their bratwurst, but I didn't have a piece. One thing I was shocked to learn from Steve, Martha's husband, was that only about 10% of what's sold at the Raleigh State Farmers' Market is actually grown in NC!! He said the Durham Farmers' Market is much stricter about who they let sell there. I will definitely have to check that out soon.

Sunday

1. I ventured out on my own to visit Prodigal Farm in Rougemont. They raise goats and have a dairy that was just certified two weeks ago. I was escorted to where the next tour would begin, and while I waited with some others, we sampled different cheeses. I tried the marinated feta (delicious!) and the "Bollywood" which had curry and pear. I also had a sample of the "goat cheesecake." It was chocolate flavored and tasted just like regular cheesecake until the end, when you got that little punch of goat cheese flavor. Dave, the owner, brought the goats up to the dairy


so the visitors could pet them. They were very friendly and liked to rub up against you. I caught one little goat drinking from what I would assume was his mom, but who knows. He wasn't a baby, but must have been young enough. I went over to get a picture but then he stopped. I pet him, and when I stopped, he took his hoof and pawed against my leg, which I interpreted as, "Don't stop!" I love the shape of their pupils.



We got to see where the goats are milked, but they didn't do a demo--the goats are only milked in the morning and evening, and put out a half gallon each time. We were told that other breeds produce much more. Then we went into the room where they put the curds and whey into molds and let the whey drain out. Then, depending on what kind of cheese they're making, it either goes into one fridge to age, or it goes into a colder one until it's time to be sold. They did have a few things for sale but apparently Saturday's crowd pretty much cleaned them out. That's a good thing!

2. Next I went to Son Rise Farm, which was the tiniest farm I stopped at, and was the shortest visit at only about 10 minutes. I saw sheep and chickens,



but they supposedly have rabbits too. They spin the wool into yarn,


and make soap out of the goat milk. There were signs up around the different pens, explaining the different breeds, but most of the animals were out of sight, likely due to the heat.

3. The last farm I visited was Brinkley Farms in Creedmoor. It was the biggest operation that I could tell, at least in terms of produce. We got to go on a hayride


around to the different fields (they're currently growing different kinds of beans and arugula as well as late-season corn)


and see the pastures (again, all the animals were out of sight in the shade). They had a big barn where they were selling pumpkins and other squash. I got one to put on my porch. I heard another tour participant saying that they really enjoyed Vollmer Farm, so I'll have to remember that for next year.

Tips for future participants: Bring lots of water! Wear closed-toe shoes. A hat might be helpful to keep the sun out of your eyes. Bring cash to purchase drinks or the items the farmers are selling. There was no pressure to buy though. All of the farmers I met were very friendly and eager to share about their lives, the land, and what they grow and raise.

There is another tour in the Spring--the Piedmont Farm Tour in April. Here's an article about last year's tour.

Piedmont Wildlife Festival

A couple weekends ago I was the "official photographer" for the Piedmont Wildlife Festival in Durham, NC. I volunteered for the role, and was pleased as punch to be taking pix of animals all day. Here are a few of my favorites:






I came to know the Piedmont Wildlife Center when a coworker tried to trap a mouse in my office and it went terribly awry. Only the poor little guy's leg was caught. I tried to release him into the woods behind our building, but he didn't want to leave the box we'd put him in. So we took him to the wildlife center, where they accepted him with no hesitation, with as much care as they would a grander animal. Alas, he didn't make it, but I was so grateful to be able to take him somewhere that would give him a chance.

Lately

• I am set to end the week having answered the most tech support calls in the department. Go me!
• Comet was up at 3:30 hurling...but not just his usual one time. There was nothing for him to bring up. Poor baby. I think he might be working on a hairball. I hadn't been sleeping well anyway so I just got up and went online. Yay for buying memory cards on New Egg at 4 in the morning!
• I am not bringing my laptop to Australia so I want to make sure I don't run out of space on my camera. I should be set for 5,000 photos with 2 8GB cards. The one I bought this morning was actually a micro SD and included an adapter AND a USB reader for about 20 bucks. This is in stark contrast to the memory stick duo I was forced to purchase in Florence, Italy in 2004...128 MB for over $100. We have come so far.
• I have been listening to the audio book In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson on my drive to and from work lately. It is so enlightening and funny! I am beside myself with anticipation and excitement for my upcoming trip. It is going to be too fabulous for words. That I get to spend a few days in L.A. before and after is serious icing on the cake. I cannot wait for the Dario's buffet brunch...here I come, cheese enchiladas! And that I will have 3 solid weeks with my BFF Nicole is like a giant scoop of ice cream on top of that piece of iced cake!
• On Wednesday, I went to a "mixer" for the newly formed UCSD alumni chapter of the Triangle. We all unanimously agreed that there is NO good Mexican food to be found here.
• It is going to be in the 90's here this weekend. Yikes. I'm hoping to see the new Disney movie Earth. It should be quite the spectacle.
• At work, my manager is making having us read Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People. I find the book to be, for the most part, repugnant. It is an easy read and has many illustrative anecdotes, but it is basically a user manual for manipulating people. The author is always reinforcing that you must be genuine about this or that. If you genuinely cared about other people, you would not need a book to tell you how to get friends. And you certainly would not actively be seeking to influence them. My rancor towards this book has brought out a negative tone in me that I don't like. I've tried to just stay mum but now I am in charge of leading the (online) discussion. Hmph.
• Oh, I never did write about Easter, did I? I was originally going to be in Washington, DC but that fell through, so I ended up picking up Cassidy and having her Thursday and Friday night. Friday we went to Pullen Park here in Raleigh and she had so much fun riding the train, the boats, and the carousel.

Friday evening we decorated Easter eggs.


Sunday was the Easter egg hunt...of the plastic, candy-filled variety, not the chicken embryo variety. I still get a rush when I see an egg peeking out from its hiding spot, even though I helped fill and hide them. That girl ended up with enough candy for 20 kids. We helped her eat it though. :)

Rent at DPAC

This afternoon my parents and I went to the first show in our four-season package at the Durham Performing Arts Center: Rent. First of all, the theater is lovely. It is far from ornate but its brand new-ness makes it seem nicer. The lobbies are lovely, full of natural light. The seats are wide for a theater and are quite comfortable. Our seats were dead center, at the back of the orchestra level. The rows are tiered just enough so we had a perfect view with no obstructions.

Now, despite Rent being a long running hit on Broadway as well as a major motion picture, I had never seen it nor was even familiar with the plot. I knew it took place in New York City and had something to do with AIDS. This morning I read the synopsis on the official website, so I would be better able to follow along (musicals I'm unfamiliar with lose me easily since I miss half the words in the songs). I found that helpful, because I knew what was happening in each scene. Of course, that meant I was not surprised by any of the events, but seriously, in a play where half the characters are sick, someone's gotta die.

The actors all had great voices. According to the program (which we did not get a copy of until after the show--they ran out! How is that even possible?) three of the actors were part of the original Broadway cast, so that was cool. I think my favorite was the woman who played Mimi (not an original cast member). Her voice was strong and beautiful.

Since we did not have a program until on the way out, I was unaware that photography was prohibited in the theater. Oops. I didn't get any good shots of the play itself, but here's the stage before the show started:


Here's the lobby of the second floor:


Here's the view from the lobby:


And here's the outside, on the way from the parking lot to the theater:


I must say, whoever designed the parking structure with a single small elevator ought to be drawn and quartered. How truly idiotic. And the signage to get to our seats was lacking as well. We had C Orchestra, but there are only doors for A, B, D, and E.

For dinner we went to Thai Cafe on University Drive. It was delicious! I had the Massaman curry, my mom had "Drunken Noodles," and my dad had a veggie medley. We all shared, but each of our favorites were the ones we ordered for ourselves!

Jelly Belly Warehouse

In Kenosha, Wisconsin there is a Jelly Belly warehouse, and they give free tours. You're supposed to get to ride on this cute little Jelly Belly train, but the day I went it was in for repairs. So we walked. They wouldn't allow photos on the tour, but suffice it to say there were boxes and boxes of Jelly Bellys (Bellies?) as far as the eye could see, stacked up to the very, very tall ceiling. They had some cool Jelly Belly mosaics we could take pictures of. The tour guide said they can take up to several weeks to complete! I uploaded them full size so if you click on the photo you can see close up.




We got to see how Jelly Bellys are made (on a video--the factory is in CA, which you can tour as well, like Nicole did), as well as hear about the most popular flavor (of all time: Very Cherry; of late: Buttered Popcorn--if that doesn't speak to why America has an obesity epidemic, I don't know what does). After the tour we got to go to the store, which sold--wait for it--Jelly Belly products ranging from the beans to t-shirts to dispensers, etc. I contemplated buying a bag of "belly flops," the ones that don't pass inspection because they're too big, too small, stuck together, or what have you. Although it was a good price for Jelly Bellys, it was more than anyone should ever spend on a bag of jelly beans. One of the coolest parts of the store was the Sample Bar, where you can try any one of the 50 flavors for free.


They had the Harry Potter beans, which include such nasty flavors as black pepper and vomit. What I purchased, though, was the "Bean Boozled" box, where they have the icky flavors disguised among exact twins of good flavors--i.e. Booger looks just like Juicy Pear, and Pencil Shavings looks just like Top Banana. I haven't dared to try them yet...Rotten Egg, anyone? They are fun enough in theory.

There's even a Jelly Belly car parked outside, complete with Asian tourists posing in front of it.

Some E-cards

Came across this e-card site last night called someecards.com. It's kind of harsh, but some of them are funny. Their motto is, "When you care enough to hit Send." Ha ha! Categories range from "Birthday," to "Congratulations," to "Holidays." This is one I liked from "Cry for Help:"


Here's one from "Sympathy":


This is so true, from "Work Related":

Elefante gets around...

While I was away, my coworkers took turns having Elefante visit their offices. And they even took pictures to document his journey.

In Susan's office, he enjoyed playing with the world.

In Sy's office, he even had a portrait of his ancestors.

He felt most at home in William's office, with its lush jungle atmosphere.

My favorite: In Erika's office, the little people run screaming in fear. Relax, he's a gentle giant.

And in Laura's office, he chills out with a brisk refreshment.

Blue Planet Run - Mission Accomplished (sort of)

I've been meaning to post this since Sunday, but you know how it goes. The prospect of blogging everything that happened seems overwhelming, even though it was only two days! So I'll just cut to the chase: I "ran" the 5-mile course in 90 minutes exactly. That's only an 18-minute mile, which is barely walking speed. But the hills, my friend, the hills! The biggest one was right at the beginning, and it drained me. And there were like 14 more after that! We're not talking slight inclines, either. They were steep! At one point it was more like climbing than walking. You had to grab on to trees to pull yourself up one of the hills and keep from falling. I did a lot of walking, a little jogging (down the hills!), and took a couple of 30-second breaks to catch my breath. It was quite enjoyable on the flat parts. Very beautiful scenery. I was passed a few times by other participants, but otherwise I had the trail all to myself.

(one of the hills)

(lake along trail)

(starting line)

I really, really intended to do the trail twice, because I met my fundraising goal, but there was just no way. My lungs were screaming, my legs were dysfunctional, and I was wiped. Our whole team was in awe of the people who did the 24-hour relay, and especially the solo runners who ran for 24 hours straight! That is just superhuman.

There was a local Black Mountain restaurant called Green Light Cafe onsite providing food. Their spinach lasagne was delicious, and their fresh squeezed lemonade was fantastic. We were provided tickets when we checked in Friday night, so food was included in our registration price--nice!

It only rained a little bit on Saturday. Certainly not a downpour or thunderstorm. Thankfully the severe weather dissipated and was not an issue.

The cabin we stayed in was super nice. Not luxurious, but more than adequate. Hardwood floors throughout. Comfy (if small) beds. Great water pressure in the shower. The front yard was ginormous, perfect for playing frisbee.








Saturday evening we cooked out, burgers and hot dogs for all. We even made s'mores. Later we played Cranium (more fun when there's not so much arguing about rules) and then Catch Phrase (super fun!!). Sunday we went out to brunch and drove home.

Some in our group are already talking about next year...I have mixed feelings about that. I think once on that trail is probably enough for my lifetime! Now, if they decide to open the waterslide for us, maybe I'll reconsider...