Since we started living in the country we’ve explored the area surrounding our house and have been blown away by all the farms still in business, and in a big way. In the city we heard the term ‘farm to table’ at fashionable restaurants so many times, but we’ve never seen the farms. When we were poking around the areas around our house we drove through the ‘black dirt’ region of Pine Island, Orange County. Let’s just say it was stunning. I was shocked at how black the dirt actually is, and vast the landscapes. If you follow us on Instagram, I’m sure I’ve posted some landscapes from the area.

One of the first places we visited was the Rogowski Farm, in the middle of the stark winter. I mean everything was dead, dead, dead. Cheryl has a restaurant inside the market serving weekend breakfast, from 9 a.m. till 2 p.m. Plus hosts an indoor, year round farm market and a supper club. I’m really impressed with how connected Cheryl is with the farming community and us foodies who love what she does. They have an amazing kitchen at the farm and I can only imagine spreading hours and canning a ga-zillion jars of just about anything.

We wanted to pay a return visit to the farm in warmer weather and share some images. It’s really quite beautiful and serene. Before visiting the farm I had no idea how much went into farming. Keep in mind I can barely keep my house plants alive, and we haven’t ventured into garden territory. So anytime I see someone operate a large scale planting operation, I have much respect. We arrived around 6 am and saw the team gather and get their ‘pick list’ then hop on the tractor and get to the correct fields. We did get to ride the tractor (with all our photo gear!). The dirt in the region is the darkest black and powder like, reminding me of powdered sugar. It’s something to see, I’ve never see dirt like it. We spent the morning with the team picking from different fields and observing how everything was planted. I can’t even imagine the work that is planting season.

As the summer wraps up and we enter fall, continue making trips to the farmers market and support this community. It’s so critical to have a connection to where our food comes from. Check back next week for a few recipes made using ingredients from the farm. In the mean time, have a look at the farm website, and if you’re in the area, make plans to stop by. Follow Cheryl on Instagram @yesifarm for some amazing imagery.

Thank you to Cheryl and her team for allowing us to photograph!