I am inspired to write. I visited the farmer’s market this morning at Heritage Farms in Peninsula, Ohio. I grabbed a large coffee from Crooked River Coffee Company, bought cherry orange scones from Great Lakes Bakery, and prepared for a lovely morning. The market was bustling as this is the last day of the year it will be hosted at Heritage. The same farmer’s market is held at Stan Hywet Hall on Thursday evenings, and that will end October 9. They return twice in November at Happy Days Visitor Center, but otherwise this is it for the season! I suppose fall has arrived. I’m not ready for summer to leave yet. But if all fall days are as glorious as this, I will allow it. :) There’s something about… a sunny day still warm enough for the convertible (with a sweatshirt), a perfect cup of coffee, my fellow shoppers milling about all the wonderful organic foods and treats, an abundance of pumpkins and mums surrounding us, and an Irish duo (Lawson) playing a sampling of their music… that just lifts my spirits. It’s my kind of “soul food”. These are also the moments that make me glad I live in the Cuyahoga Valley. And for all the traveling I love to do, I am also thankful for home and the comforts and joys of nesting. With our economy struggling, an unclear election looming, and stressful jobs, a trip to the farmer’s market centers it all and brings one back to the ultimate connection with our planet. What will I find and what can I make from my purchases to nourish our bodies and minds? Today the scones were unbelievably moist (not a typical scone), the tomatoes still abundant (heirloom, pear, etc.), and I found every color of pepper in the rainbow. Lake Erie Creamery makes the best goat cheese. A perfect lunch comes to mind – fresh tomatoes and basil sliced and layered on to a baguette spread with fresh goat cheese…mmmm.
The Heritage farmer’s market is sponsored by the Cuyahoga Valley Countryside Conservancy. Do what you can to get out and experience the transition to fall, the bounty of the harvest, and focusing on what really matters in your life. Enjoy!
“Nature always wears the colors of the spirit.”
RALPH WALDO EMERSON
