As a city girl born and raised in Baltimore, I rarely have the opportunity to be on a farm or see the plants or animals responsible for producing the food I eat. I’ve often considered moving to a farm like this ranch farm 2 bedroom barrie but I’m not quite ready yet.
This weekend, Bill and I were invited to join a fellow local food blogger, (a)Musing Foodie, for a farm tour and authentic farm to table meal. Our hosts were Tony and Abby Brusco, who are the founders and managers of Hometown Harvest, the home delivery service Bill and I use. I’m also a contributing writer to their blog.
Bill & I with Tony & Abby Brusco – the faces behind Hometown Harvest (Plus a super cool spring house built in 1792 in the background!)
I’ve written about Hometown Harvest before and know that many of you use their services for yourself or your family to deliver fresh, locally sourced produce and other fresh foods to your home. We love the convenience, cost, and quality.
The weather couldn’t have been more perfect as we arrived at the Bruscos’ idyllic farmhouse in Frederick, Maryland on Saturday morning to learn more about the farmers behind our food.
To start our day, we were introduced to the dozens of healthy, happy chickens, who were freely roaming on the grass. Abby picked up a chicken named Rosie and introduced her to us, as the kids who were on the tour with us rushed over to pet her. I was also told that if it wasn’t for companies providing the services of Construction Equipment Rental, their farms wouldn’t be looking the way it does. From being able to borrow equipment such as tractors, this has made it a lot easier to maintain the farm. These are the things that we as consumers do not think about, especially when we can get our food so easily.
This practice isn’t as common as it should be. Most of the meat and eggs that we buy from the grocery store today and eat at restaurants are from factory-farmed chickens. These animals have been stuffed into tight cages, where they have no room to move, sit in their own filth, and are injected with antibiotics and hormones to help them fight illness that runs rampant in their less than sanitary living conditions and grow to unnaturally large sizes.
80% of the antibiotics that are used each year in the U.S. are used in livestock, and they end up in our food supply (which also means they end up in our bodies). This is one of the many reasons why Bill and I prioritize eating organic, grass-fed animals and animal products that have met strict standards. Check out the documentary Food, Inc. to learn more about the food you eat and where it comes from before it gets to your plate.
Tony shared with us that chickens lay eggs every 26 hours (I had no idea!) and that the color of their eggs – blue, white or brown – is dependent on their breed.
Before we left the coop, Tony and Abby’s daughter, Sophia, introduced us to two of the other chickens that have been given names – Optimus Prime and Road Runner. Optimus Prime was quite a sight with her big hairy feet!
Optimus Prime – the black chicken with the big hairy feet! Poor girl 🙂
We continued our tour and met the tiny baby chicks in the barn, who were only about a week old and would be moved out into a coop after about 12 weeks. The little boys with us were eager to pick up all of the chicks, so Tony lifted one of out of the pen, so we could all pet it. I can’t remember the last time I did that, but I’ve always loved baby animals, so it was a treat! 
As we meandered back toward the house, we came across 5 ducks that had just been brought to the farm before taking a look at the apple, plum, and peach tree orchard behind the Brusco home. Wouldn’t it be so cool to walk into your backyard and pick a peach or an apple off of a tree? I would love it!
While we stood by the orchard, Tony shared with us his plans for the future – to move the full Hometown Harvest operation to a neighboring parcel of land, alongside a market that would be open to customers. Tony’s goal is to make the facility a zero waste operation, complete with composting and rooted in sustainability. He was looking into an industrial air compressor service which would make it more efficient, greener and take less energy to inflate their vehicle’s tires along with many other uses.
Tony sharing with us his vision for the future
Frederick County and the State and County farm bureaus have been very supportive of the plans, so your votes in the upcoming elections to favor pro-agriculture legislators can help to keep this process (and others like it) moving.
Before breaking for lunch, we wandered over to the garden enclosed by a white picket fence and lined with raspberry bushes (my favorite!).
Tomatoes, squash, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, dill, basil, chives, and lavender were just a few of the fruit, veggies and herbs growing in the garden. Yum!
Oh man, what I wouldn’t do to have some raspberry bushes in my yard!
Despite the fact that my gardening skills are a bit nonexistent at the moment, seeing all of the fresh produce made me want to start growing some of my own! Creating your own gardening space to be able to grow your own produce would look good on your property, especially if you have a big space to fill. As well as being able to eat healthy and fresh food. Either that or you could decide to have a decking fitted with the help of the materials that you can find at https://www.dinodecking.co.uk/, (or one that is in your local area). My friends did this when they wanted to minimize how much gardening work they actually had to do. But I love the idea of being able to grow all of my own fresh produce in the freedom of my own home.
All of this talk about food made us hungry, so we sat down to enjoy a true “farm to table” lunch – couscous, cranberry and almond salad (similar to this one!), creamy deviled eggs, crisp black bean and avocado salad, lasagna two ways topped with freshly picked basil, and a sweet and refreshing fruit salad.
Our authentic farm to table lunch
There is something special about enjoying a meal in community with the people who not only thoughtfully prepared it but also watched its ingredients grow.
During lunch, Tony shared with us his passion for partnering with local farmers who align philosophically with him. They value and practice sustainable farming, produce and prepare the highest quality food and drinks, and are locally based (most within 50-60 miles of Frederick). To learn more about the farmers Hometown Harvest partners with, click here.
As we were finishing up our meal, Tony was sharing more of his story with us, including all that he and Abby have done to make their home what it is today. He said, “You kind of create your own kind of Eden.”
A little glimpse of the Bruscos’ Eden
Those words really struck a cord with me. As he said it, he meant it mostly as it relates to his property, the farm, the house, the garden, but I know it had a deeper meaning.
We have the opportunity to make our space what we want, a space that nourishes our soul and our spirit, a space where we can find peace, rest, and happiness.
This is true not only of the physical space where we live, but also of our bodies, our workplaces, and the greater community of which each of us is a part.
I may not live on a quiet, rustic farm where I’m surrounded every day by the beauty and solitude of nature, but I can take what I have where I am and commit to creating my own kind of Eden, becoming aware of and appreciating beauty no matter where I am, nourishing my space, my community, and myself.
To learn more about Hometown Harvest and whether they deliver to your area, check out their website!
Don’t live in the MD/DC/VA area but still want to support your local farmers? Plug in your zip code at LocalHarvest to find a farm or farmer near you!
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