THE LAST DAY OF WINTER I WENT TO THE FARM

Here it is the last day of winter and what is predicted for tomorrow? Snow!  At least the forecast has changed and the 12 or so inches that was predicted earlier has gone down to an inch or less.  The weather forecaster said that it shouldn't even stick on the pavement and street.  That is good news.  A pretty snow that is gone the next day.  I can live with that.

After I got up and going today I went to the farm.  It was a nice day to go.  The theme this week was Italian Dinner.  But they also were focused on spring and colors.  So they had things like golden beets and rainbow carrots.  Being the end of the month I didn't have a lot of money so I didn't get the Smoke Signal cheese for $6 a slice.  Even if I did have the money that's a lot for a small slice of cheese.  I know cheese is expensive but...  I also didn't buy the can of tomatoes for $4.  I did, however, go to Rite Aid afterwards and get a can for $1.49.

Let me show you what I got today:

 Pink lady apples (our favorite), rainbow carrots, and the can of tomatoes from Rite Aid.  Remember I said the farmstand theme was colors.  I can't wait to use those carrots in a nice salad.  It will be so pretty.  

Did you know that originally carrots were purple?  Before the 17th century, almost all cultivated carrots were purple.

The modern day orange carrot wasn’t cultivated until Dutch growers in the late 16th century took mutant strains of the purple carrot and gradually developed them into the sweet, plump, orange variety we have today.  Before this, pretty much all carrots were purple with mutated versions occasionally popping up including yellow and white carrots.  These were rarely cultivated and lacked the purple pigment anthocyanin.

It is thought that the modern day orange carrot was developed by crossing the mutated yellow and white rooted carrots as well as varieties of wild carrots, which are quite distinct from cultivated varieties.

Some think that the reason the orange carrot became so popular in the Netherlands was in tribute to the emblem of the House of Orange and the struggle for Dutch independence.  This could be, but it also might just be that the orange carrots that the Dutch developed were sweeter tasting and more fleshy than their purple counterparts.

Besides the farm stand there were tons of flowers for sale.  Again, I didn't have the money today but when I go back in two weeks I will buy some.  I did get pictures, though.

Gerbera daisies

This is part of the inside of the greenhouse.  Do you see the shamrocks on the bottom shelf of the stand?

There were some awesome orchids.

Primroses.  I love them but they always die on me.

Pansies

So pretty.  I hope to buy some in a couple of weeks.

I love going to the farm.  This is the first time this year the farm stand was outside of the greenhouse.  That is good news!  Summer is coming.

 I had another down day today.  I am very tired all the time and doze off almost as soon as I sit down.  I hope I can get my energy back soon.  There is so much to do.

I have to go now and print out the bulletins for Sunday morning service tomorrow.  Hope you all have a good night.

Kathy