We recently went to the strawberry patch with several of our kids. It’s so fun. If you’ve never taken your kids or grandkids (or yourself!) to a local u-pick farm, put it on your summer bucket list. It makes for amazing memories and you walk away with fresh, local produce!

Here were a few highlights of the day:

1) Linger.

This is my word in this season. I’ve felt so inspired to take things slower and linger with people. Less of “one thing to the next” and more of “nowhere else to go, so let’s talk…” or for my kids, “sure, I can watch you dance… we’ve got time!” and “let’s stay a little longer and get the strawberry slushee too”…

Linger, friend. The days are long but the years are short. I am intentionally lingering with people. Life is too short to always be in a hurry.

2) Fresh produce always tastes better!

I was reminded, yet again, of the importance of buying local produce. It’s healthier for our unique regions (often the pollination of the bees of local produce – and raw, local honey – can help develop immunity to local allergens)

It is literally so fresh – right off the vine! All the nutrients are still packed in the fruit and so it tastes so amazing and is healthier than store bought varieties of the same produce!

3) Don’t be afraid to get way more than you could eat in a few days.

Eat the produce early and preserve the rest! We like to wash, chop and freeze strawberries for smoothies.

Preservation tip:

• When you chop any produce, do not immediately put in a freezer container and freeze or it will be frozen like a solid brick.
• Rather, spread on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and throw in the freezer for 30 minutes to let the strawberries begin to freeze.

Remove the tray and add the produce to your freezer container. This allows the chopped fruit or veggies to be easy to scoop out time and time again without any hassle.

I hope you’ll be able to visit a local u-pick farm near you, soon! So much good + sweat (which is always a good thing!) packed into one morning!

XO,

J