Since our last post, our trip has come to a close and we are comfortably nested back in Sheldon. To say the least, our vacation was not at all what we expected but we're definitely glad we went. We drove out of Jackson in a Dodge Durango, without plates, that belonged to a fellow who several years ago drove it to Horace Slay Auto Sales where he proceeded to steal a Corvette out of the lot. Not my dream truck but a funny story nonetheless.
From there we breezed through the south (the adjustment of moving 50 miles a day to 50 miles an hour was a bit weird) with brief stops in Tuscaloosa AL and Athens GA. Then we spent a few nights in Greensboro NC with my oldest and dearest friends Marissa and Leah. A night in Asheville drinking the local brew and biking without our travel weight was followed by a tour of Western NC by Sam's friend Becky who recently acquired land in the hills there. It's mystical and eerie and beautiful, and Becky has plans to transform her hillside into an Appalachian herb garden and community. We also visited the property of her friends who are practicing homesteading as young adults and seem to be having a blast living the rural life that many of us were taught to work away from, with a yurt, a cabin, an outdoor kitchen, tiered gardens...
Our next stop was Radford VA to visit Sam's oldest friend Anthony and his girlfriend Brittany where we unwound, got some great thrift shop finds, played with their dogs and goats (but not their cat... he was mean), drank mojitos, and ATE. On our way from there to DC we stopped at Polyface Farm, famous as the home and workplace of Joel Salatin, a farmer who has written several books on the radical nature of responsible sustainable farming. We were excited to be there but not much was to be seen as their visiting season had just commenced, so many of the animals were not roaming free as we had expected and hoped. Seeing the pigs got us giddy to pick up our own, which we'll be doing in just a few weeks!
We spent a night with my friend Rebecca in DC, a night in NJ with my grandparents, and a night in Newton MA with my mom before heading up to Vermont.
And what a joyful return it was... There's nothing quite like this green mountain state. The next few days we stocked up on bulk grains and cooking oils at City Market, got my car registered, visited our friends, and made a giant to-do list for the upcoming season. Seeds are ordered, materials and young poultry priced out at the local farm supply store. We are excited to say that we will be building a house (and likely other structures... chicken coop, garden shed, etc) using pallet construction methods! As pallets are sturdy, free, and easy to come by, this seems like a no-brainer to us.
Although contemplating participating in the Winooski farmer's market, we don't think we'll be doing that and are waiting to hear back from St. Albans. Our friend/former roommate/fellow farmer Blake has also offered us a few weeks of the season at his spot in the Shelburne farmer's market for days he can't make it, but we'll see how that goes.
New favorite breakfast for both Sam and I (we had this two days in a row and regretted not having it a third): Fried egg sandwiches on Sourdough toast with cheddar, sauteed red onion and shredded brussel sprouts. Add condiments as desired (Sam: BBQ sauce, Cayla: mayo and/or salsa). Can't wait to make this with our own everything-but-the-cheese... and you can too if you sign up for a CSA share!
Thanks for reading, and we hope to hear from you soon with any questions/comments/interest in a share. Check us out on Facebook, too! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fat-Rabbit-Farm/122483537871847
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