Meet Kevin and Jennifer and family! This is our third interview in a series on how different Eighth Day Farm CSA members use their shares. Check out the first two interviews here and here.
Tell us a bit about your family.
We are a family of almost 6. Our kids are 10, 8, 5, and baby #4 due mid-June. Kevin works in IT services, and Jennifer stays home and homeschools our brood. We all love books and getting outside. At some point during every weekend we usually head to one of our great city/county/state parks for a hike and hopefully find something interesting (like flowers, turtles, or salamanders). We’ve enjoyed entering into some more adventurous outdoor activities as our kids have gotten a bit older.
How did you decide to become CSA members?
About 10 years ago, Kevin and I read the book Affluenza with a group and decided to make some changes to our lifestyle. Participating in a CSA was one of the things we decided to try. Back then there weren’t very many farms to choose from. The nearest farm offering CSAs was in Bangor, but they delivered to our Holland Farmers’ Market, so that was a great fit. The first year was a challenge, trying new things and figuring out how to cook veggies I couldn’t name, but every year it has gotten easier. We’ve got a good stock of favorite recipes, and we love the mentality of eating the food we’re given when it’s in season.
Tell us about your experience with Eighth Day Farm and how you’ve used your CSA share.
We were so excited when Jeff and Melissa decided to start Eighth Day Farm. We love knowing our farmer and visiting the farm every week to pick up our veggies. You just can’t beat the fresh, local, organic produce. At pickups my kids can’t wait to see if there is a upick item on the board, so they can get into the rows and help pick. We’re a growing family and we want our summer meals to be veggie-centric, so we purchase two shares. Sometimes it seems like a lot, and I have no idea how I’ll fit it all in the fridge, but it always works. I spend the evening of pickup day washing and prepping most of the veggies which makes it easier and quicker to use stuff later in the week. Having a bounty has also helped my kids learn to like new things. At the beginning of last summer, none of them would eat cucumbers (crazy, right?!). We had weeks where I was picking up 16-20 cucumbers, so I just kept slicing them up and serving them and making them eat a few every time. By the end of cucumber season, all the kids loved cucumbers, and I felt like a warrior-conqueror.
What vegetable are you most excited about for this year, and how do you like to prepare it?
Kevin– Zucchini for making zucchini pie.
Jennifer– Garlic scapes. I usually end up buying more than I get, so I can make and freeze pesto from them. One of my kids has nut allergies, so I sub in raw pepitas for the pine nuts. It is amazing on homemade pizza.
Elinore (10)– Tomatoes. She can’t wait to eat tomato pie.
Toby (8)– Broccoli. He likes it raw with hummus.
Blaise (5)– Peppers. He likes them sliced raw.
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