Perhaps one of my favorite memories from my early years in DC was when a culinary friend came to visit. We met up at a farmer’s market, bought some delicious, fresh ingredients and went home to prepare a delectable dinner on my crummy coil-electric stove. Years later, that memory has stuck with me as perhaps the biggest pivot in my eating habits.
Ever since then, I have grown to appreciate my roots in America’s heartland. While there’s certainly plenty of fresh meats, vegetables, eggs and cheeses to go around in the DC area, there’s something charming and special about produce grown right here in Ohio.
I heard about Farmer Jones Farm through Facebook and finally made the 20 minute “trek” (people here are very wimpy about driving “long distances”) to the farm and I am confident in saying that I’ll likely be going back on a weekly basis while I’m in town. It’s a farm store in Huron, OH that is frequented by many celebrity chefs! In fact, Rachel Ray was there the same day I was (an hour earlier.. of course…)
While only a stone’s throw from the hustle and bustle of Sandusky, Farmer Jones Farm feels like you’re in the middle of the quaint countryside. It’s so charming and gorgeous and certainly worth spending a good deal of time at. I stocked up on green beans, onions, peppers, herbs, corn and peaches. There were SO many seasonal goodies!
Another, super cool touch is that free, chef-curated recipe cards available! What’s better than inspiration RIGHT where you can buy the ingredients to make the dishes? Yum.
Even though I did not take any recipe cards, I was very inspired when I was at Farmer Jones Farm. I had a friend visiting that afternoon and made a spicy Mexican street corn salsa and a tomato bruschetta. More on those recipes later!
One thing I will note, though, is that produce at the farm is not cheap and you do pay for the careful and ethical farming practices (more about that in THIS video). Personally, I almost prefer to spend a bit more on produce. Why? It makes it much less appealing to waste it! While I might be alright with tossing a bag of $2 carrots, I WILL find a way to use an almost-rotting $6 bunch of carrots.
Another fun aspect of the farm is that they do “pick your own” flowers! I saw several people out there creating gorgeous bouquets and think it would be a fun little way to cap off a lake weekend.
Finally, I would be remiss to not mention this candle available at the farm. Oh. My. Gosh. It smells absolutely, positively heavenly.
While Lake Erie Vacationland must be full of tchotchkes (not a typo–look it up) to bring back home, I personally find it way more impactful to bring back some of nature’s bounty.
Stop by the farm the next time you’re up here! I’m confident you’ll love it as much as I do! I’m sure I’ll be subscribing to some of their veggie boxes when I’m back in DC. Yum.
