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What do you like best about summer?
If you'd have asked me that question a number of years ago, my answer may have been "not much."
I'm not a fan of the heat. Or the humidity. Or the mosquitoes. I have a tendency to be light sensitive, so exposure to too much sun generally results in a monster of a headache. And the notion of running around in a bikini (or being scantily clad in any way) is as scary for me as it would be for everyone else if I actually made a habit of it.
Nah... I live for the crisp autumn days when I can throw on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. I long for deceptively sunny days. And chilly nights. For crisp leaves and apple pie. It's the one time of the year when yard work doesn't make me sweat. And…
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%20is%20as%20scary%20for%20me%20as%20it%20would%20be%20for%20everyone%20else%20if%20I%20actually%20made%20a%20habit%20of%20it.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ENah...%20I%20live%20for%20the%20crisp%20autumn%20days%20when%20I%20can%20throw%20on%20a%20pair%20of%20jeans%20and%20a%20sweatshirt.%20I%20long%20for%20deceptively%20sunny%20days.%20And%20chilly%20nights.%20For%20crisp%20leaves%20and%20apple%20pie.%20%20It's%20the%20one%20time%20of%20the%20year%20when%20yard%20work%20doesn't%20make%20me%20sweat.%20And%20I%20can%20think%20of%20nothing%20more%20exciting%20than%20putting%20something%20into%20the%20oven%20for%20a%20nice%20slow%20braise%20while%20I%20sit%20with%20a%20cup%20of%20tea%20and%20catch%20up%20on%20my%20reading.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThat%20said,%20I%20will%20concede%20that%20I've%20grown%20increasingly%20fond%20of%20summer%20as%20I%20grow%20older%20--%20in%20part%20because%20I've%20grown%20to%20more%20closely%20appreciate%20my%20food%20and%20where%20it%20comes%20from.%20%20Eating%20more%20locally%20has%20given%20me%20an%20uncanny%20affection%20for%20blisteringly%20hot%20summer%20days%20and%20humid%20evenings%20because%20I%20know%20that%20they%20will%20beget%20me%20plenty%20of%20delicious%20produce%20to%20get%20me%20through%20the%20long,%20cold%20Wisconsin%20winter.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EOf%20course,%20it%20helps%20that%20I%20also%20get%20to%20look%20forward%20to%20events%20like%20the%20Braise%20on%20the%20Go%20annual%20pig%20roast%20(see%20footage%20from%20past%20roasts%20in%202008%20and%202009).%20%20This%20year,%20the%20event%20was%20held%20at%20LOTFOTL,%20a%20certified%20organic%20community%20farm%20in%20East%20Troy,%20WI.%20%20We've%20gotten%20to%20know%20Farmer%20Tim%20Huth%20over%20the%20years%20(in%20fact,%20he's%20the%20one%20who%20generously%20bestowed%20us%20with%20those%20fantastic%20rat%20tail%20radishes%20--%20and%20seeds%20to%20grow%20our%20own%20--%20two%20years%20ago%20when%20we%20belonged%20to%20his%20CSA),%20and%20he's%20a%20great%20guy.%20%20In%20his%20own%20words,%20the%20philosophy%20on%20his%20farm%20can%20be%20summed%20up%20this%20way:%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ETo%20%E2%80%9Clive%20off%20the%20fat%20of%20the%20land%E2%80%9D%20[...]%20is%20to%20bask%20in%20your%20role%20in%20a%20system%20which%20feeds%20you%20so%20long%20as%20you%20feed%20it.%20It%20is%20the%20celebration,%20and%20the%20recognition%20that%20you%20cannot%20be%20you%20without%20these%20systems,%20without%20other%20beings,%20sentient%20and%20otherwise.%20Farming%20practices%20that%20are%20land%20abusive%20will%20inevitably%20lead%20to%20land%20that%20is%20lifeless,%20just%20as%20a%20household%20filled%20with%20anger%20and%20violence%20will%20cease%20to%20feel%20like%20a%20home.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWe%20strive%20to%20apply%20systematic%20thinking%20to%20the%20farm,%20treating%20the%20land%20like%20the%20vast%20and%20complex%20space%20that%20it%20is.%20In%20building%20our%20relationship%20to%20the%20soil%20%20we%20are%20placing%20our%20bets%20that%20if%20we%20fulfill%20the%20role%20of%20stewards%20and%20caretakers%20of%20this%20supercomplex%20set%20of%20interactions,%20this%20system%20will%20reciprocate%20and%20care%20for%20us.%20But%20even%20if%20it%20doesn't,%20even%20if%20waves%20someday%20wash%20over%20our%20fields,%20or%20the%20sun%20bakes%20Earth's%20flesh%20to%20a%20crusty%20and%20crumbly%20and%20lifeless%20space,%20we%20will%20have%20acted%20from%20this%20place%20of%20intention,%20and%20will%20be%20better%20for%20it.%20To%20Live%20off%20the%20fat%20of%20the%20land,%20then,%20is%20simply%20to%20live.%20%20--%20LOTFOTL%20Community%20Farm%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EUnlike%20years%20past,%20the%20weather%20this%20year%20was%20pretty%20sticky.%20Rain%20was%20in%20the%20forecast,%20but%20the%20humidity%20hadn't%20quite%20broken.%20%20So,%20we%20were%20relieved%20to%20see%20that%20our%20dinner%20this%20year%20would%20sheltered%20from%20both%20the%20heat%20of%20the%20sun%20and%20the%20threat%20of%20rain.%20The%20mosquitoes%20were%20also%20pretty%20nasty,%20thanks%20to%20all%20that%20rain%20we%20got%20in%20July;%20but%20the%20Braise%20folks%20managed%20to%20cover%20that%20base%20as%20well,%20passing%20out%20bug%20spray%20to%20anyone%20who%20needed%20it.%20%20They%20also%20set%20a%20mighty%20pretty%20table.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EBefore%20they%20seated%20us,%20we%20were%20encouraged%20to%20take%20a%20trek%20around%20the%20farm.%20To%20sustain%20us,%20they%20supplied%20us%20with%20a%20bit%20of%20wine%20(there%20was%20also%20the%20option%20of%20chocolate%20milk%20from%20Sassy%20Cow%20Creamery%20for%20anyone%20who%20felt%20the%20desire%20to%20turn%20down%20a%20bit%20of%20locally%20produced%20wine%20from%20Stone's%20Throw%20Winery)%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAnd%20delicious%20bite%20of%20pork%20confit%20on%20a%20whole%20grain%20cracker%20with%20Wisconsin%20cherry%20(Many%20thanks%20to%20Adam%20Lucks).%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAnd%20before%20we%20knew%20it,%20it%20was%20time%20for%20dinner.%20%20There%20were%20four%20delectable%20courses%20in%20store%20for%20us%20--%20each%20one%20containing%20some%20form%20of%20pork%20(including%20dessert).%20%20The%20porky%20bits%20were%20all%20derived%20from%20a%20200lb%20Berkshire%20pig%20from%20Golden%20Bear%20Farm,%20an%20organic%20farm%20in%20Kiel,%20WI%20owned%20and%20operated%20by%20by%20Steve%20and%20Marie%20Deibele.%20%20We%20couldn't%20wait%20to%20dig%20in!%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EBy%20this%20point,%20we%20couldn't%20wait%20to%20see%20what%20we%20were%20having%20for%20dessert.%20Fortunately,%20the%20chefs%20were%20kind%20enough%20to%20let%20us%20take%20a%20peek%20at%20the%20delicious%20things%20they%20were%20prepping.%20%20And%20once%20we%20found%20out%20there%20would%20be%20PIG%20FAT%20CARAMEL%20involved,%20we%20became%20seriously%20drool-laden.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EMosquitoes?%20%20Humidity?%20Bah!%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E%C2%A9BURP!%20Where%20Food%20Happens%3C/p%3E){kind=link}