Everything Tastes Better on the Farm

 The task this afternoon – to fix a wiring problem with our International 444 tractor – went smoothly. I had her repaired with time left over, so I did what any good farm boy would do – I foraged for snacks as I went to seek the next task. No, I didn’t raid Josh’s garden. I started with some wild cherries. A cherry tree blew over last week, and it was loaded with ripe cherries. Mind you, we are talking about a black cherry tree. These cherries are small, about the size of a modest pea. The pit is almost as large, so its hard to fill up on them. They are tasty and just a bit tart. It always gives me pleasure to eat a handful.

Walking down the lane, I was still enjoying the taste of black cherries when I caught a wonderful aroma. It was familiar, but I didn't immediately place it until I looked up. On my left, clusters of wonderfully ripe muscadines hung from a healthy vine, just begging me to take a taste. Of course I obliged. I hadn’t had a muscadine in quite a while, and they were every bit as good as I remembered from my childhood. Tough skins and lots of seeds, but oh! They are tasty. Of course, I had to compare them to the concord grapes we grow there, so I sampled a few of them as well. They were good too.

And I grabbed a freshly fallen apple for good measure. Our summer apples are gone, and it is just a tad early for these fall apples. The one I ate was quite good, with a nice flavor that you won’t find in any grocery store. Give them another week or two and they will be perfect. Maybe it is the flavor of heirloom and wild plants, or maybe it is the pleasure of sampling the delightful fare as you walk down the lane. Or maybe some of both, but it just seems to me that everything tastes better on the farm.

I would be remiss if I didn’t remind you about the upcoming reenactment of the Battle of Marion. It will be at the museum on September 10-11, 2022. Come on out and watch the excitement! I understand we will have soldiers, cannon, and cavalry. It should be very interesting to see. Come join us!

---