Today I picked up our weekly farm share box (it’s week #2). The kids came into the community pickup site, a neighborhood garage, to help me transfer the bounty to bags. Upon seeing the succulent strawberries at the bottom of the box, they grabbed the carton and headed back for the car. “Hey, don’t you want to help?” I asked. The door had already closed, I was talking to myself.

By the time we were home the strawberries had vanished. I unloaded the other goods and sat them on the kitchen counter. My son picked up a carrot, dirty with greens attached, and started munching away. My daughter started shelling peas, popping them in her mouth. The fragrant produce on the counter reminded me of the fact that while I may think I’m buying fresh produce from the supermarket, it just doesn’t have the same taste as when the goods come direct from the farm. The smell of the cilantro was captivating, the radishes were powerful, the lettuce full of life, and the fennel was…really good. Ah, this is summer. Ah, this is farm fresh.

Salmonberries recommendations: Over the years, we’ve purchased farm shares from a handful of different farms and have always been pleased. We’ve had great experience with Rising River, Kirsop, and Helsing Junction.

By Googling “farm share Olympia Wa,” loads of options come up, and I’d recommend perusing several of them and seeing what’s the right match for your family. Some have a wider variety of produce than others, some come with flowers, some come with fruit, and some help support worthy local organizations.