Windflower Returns

Just got back from a four-day trip to New York City. Seven of the crew filed into a bus early Thursday morning and braved Manhattan to meet some of you folks on the other side. It was worth it! Many thanks to Johanna who helped me coordinate the entire trips events, found us places to stay, and made us feel like family. Our hosts were equally wonderful at making us feel at home. Thanks so much. It was good to see familiar faces and new ones, too.

The consensus was that each of got only one night's worth of sleep over the entire weekend. there was so much to do and not enough time. Thursday's highlights included unloading the truck that we work hard to pack, then sharing some country food and pictures with the shareholders as they picked up their vegetables. (Kudos to all who were brave enough to eat squirrel!) Then we had a great potluck with all our hosts.

Friday started with exploring Brooklyn and a breakfast spot. Penny House Cafe gets my vote. Really good, dark roast coffee. The guys liked Tom's just down the street. Next, we toured the Botanic Gardens where the irony of country visitors fell in the form of a giant tree branch. If not for Jake the Elder, it might have meant a broken collarbone. he yelled just in time to make Jeremy and I freeze. Otherwise, the gardens were beautiful.

Now, Brooklyn is similar to the Albany area up north, but Manhattan has NO comparison. Regardless of the fact that I, myself, had never set foot in that city, everyone followed my lead. It was a trip to Strand and The City Bakery which was rumored to have good hot cocoa. (very true by the way)

The night left Bar Sepia hopping with crew and shareholder alike. Jake, Jeremy, and Aaron entertained with guitars and song, then we made friends and toasted the trip.

Saturday was filled with canning workshops, making raspberry jam and some tomato sauce for our kitchen host, Jeff. We learned all the needed tips and tricks to craft your own canned goods, then sampled some jam on homemade bread. I loved the groups I had and would be thrilled to offer another workshop sometime over the winter season.

Finally, a fortitude testing walk from Brooklyn to China Town left us hungry and ready to sit when we got to Joe's restaurant, famous for it's soup dumplings. Best Chinese food I've ever had, seriously.

Thank you all! And please bug Daren about posting on the blog. He's about to pay for his laziness . . .