I received an email a few weeks back from Foodbuzz with the opportunity to visit Frog Hollow Farms at their 1st Annual Blossom festival.  I didn’t hesitate for one second before jumping at the opportunity.  Most of my stone fruit and pears come from Frog Hollow and I couldn’t wait to take a tour of the farm. 

The folks at Frog Hollow were awesome!  Even before I got there.  I asked them via twitter if I could bring Lucy (after seeing a kid option available on the website for buying tickets) and they enthusiastically said “YES!”  I invited Auntie Laina along with us as I knew she would enjoy it more than Shaun who would prefer to go mountain bike riding.

The day started with some Fava Bean Bruschetta:

Which they grilled over a wood fire:

 

And I couldn’t enjoy but Elaina said was great!

Shortly after we arrived, the tour started.  We saw tractors:

And the packing shed:

Nectarine blossoms (I think-I had a hard time hearing Farmer Al-I had to stay back because of the toddler on my back):

There was an wrecked car:

With an AWSOME bumper sticker:

More blossoms:

Asian Pear blossoms!

They actually hand prune these puppies.  Every third blossom gets snipped in order for better fruit.

Farmer Al gave us a history lesson-he started on just 10 acres about 25 years ago.

I LOVED his overalls.

He also told us about pheromone cards that they put on the trees:

They let out the scent of a female bug (sorry I don’t remember which one but I do know that it eats branches) and then males get so confused they don’t mate.  Even conventional farmers use this method!  He also told us that while there is fruit on the trees they broadcast the sound of a gun shooting every 10 minutes to keep the birds away.  Crazy cool things that they do at an organic farm!

Lu snacked:

As we headed back for lunch, I caught Elaina looking very motherly:

(She’s going to kill me for posting that).

Then it was time for lunch. OH.MY.GOD.  It was AMAZING.

 

The plate for Lu and me:

 

Clockwise starting with the leafy salad: Little Gem & Chicory Salad with FHF Dried Fruit Vinaigrette, Asparagus-Fennel-Blood Orange Salad, Long Cooked Winter Greens with Spring Onions, Spring Garlic Braised Lamb with Artichoke, and End of Winter Vegetable & Lentil Stew.

That lamb was the best lamb I have ever tasted.  It was delish!  I went back for seconds on the lamb and asparagus.  Lu LOVED the asparagus.

She’s never had it because Daddy really doesn’t like it-he claims that he can smell it on me (like emanating from my skin) when I eat it.  I believe him too because I will have eaten just a quarter of a spear and he’ll know.  I may have to make him suffer though.  I love it and so does Lu! Lu, in fact LOVED all the food (well except the salad-she tried it but spit it out).  The lemonade was a HUGE hit too.  She was a very happy girl.

The day ended with a talk about Bees from Dr. Gordon W Frankie, Alan Hawkins, and crew but we didn’t get to hear much of it since it was already WAY past Lu’s naptime (and I didn’t want her to meltdown) and Elaina had a soccer game.  What I did hear of the talk was pretty fascinating!

It was a sold out crowd and for good reason!

The day was AWESOME!  We did end it by getting stuck in the mud but were saved by the guys from the farm.

Thank you AGAIN Frog Hollow Farms and Foodbuzz-we had SUCH A BLAST!!!

Buy local and organic!