Happy last Friday of Spring!

I can feel the summer solstice approaching. After June 21, our day-lengths will gradually get shorter. But for now, at least, it's almost summer!

Happy Girl Kitchen
If you are local, then you might be interested in knowing about Happy Girl Kitchen Co. They are an organic food-preserving, workshop-teaching, bulk produce selling company of sorts. I heard about their food preservation workshops about a year or so ago, but decided that I already knew how to preserve the food I had grown. (Plus they are a little bit expensive for me...$125.) Anyway, I just re-discovered them today. As it turns out, every so often they send out a newsletter and offer produce in bulk. And I just signed up to purchase local, organically grown cherries in bulk - 18 lbs for $65. (Yes, I know that's a LOT of cherries, and, no, I've never preserved cherries before. What have I gotten myself into?) But cherries are awesome. If anybody has preserved cherries before, please let me know your recipe. Otherwise, I'll let you know how it goes.

Wal-Mart
Well, well, well. Maybe Wal-Mart isn't so bad after all. According to a recent story on NPR, they are trying to get local produce into local stores. Good job. Maybe. I've heard of some Wal-Mart deals going sour when the big company tries to control the whole situation and, eventually, the local producer. But maybe there will be more good than bad come out of this.

As a side note on the above-mentioned story:
NPR, what's up with this sentence: "A shotgun rides in the truck beside him." It was randomly placed in the story, off topic, and it makes it seems like you've never even been to the rural South. Maybe you haven't? If so, you would know that every country farmer carries around his shotgun in his truck. It's not newsworthy.

Sorry for the little rant above. That part of the story just seemed elitist and didn't sit well with me.

Wishing everyone a Happy Friday!