I come from a family whose approach to vegetables can be summarized as "Boil it for an hour, until you're sure it's dead and won't jump up and bother you." This works well with potatoes, but considerably less so with other veggies.
Several years ago, I saw a flyer for the Parker Farm share at the Harvest Co-op Supermarket. I decided to take out a share, and it was one of the smartest decisions I have ever made.
Stephen's farm share is one of the best values for money I can think of, if you live near one of his drop-off points (or even if you don't). Even with a small share, you will spend your summer trying to figure out what to do with all the fresh, locally grown produce that the share provides. I solved my "I have too many vegetables" problem by sharing my share with friends.
Getting a farm share with Parker Farm is like getting lots of birthday presents every week, except they are all vegetables. Thanks to being one of his farm share customers, I have tried out many vegetables that I would not otherwise have tried, and have discovered that I actually like some of them (beet greens), as well as discovering that some vegetables are beyond redemption as far as I am concerned (collard greens, I'm looking at you.) Fortunately I have been able to pass along what I can't/won't eat to friends in the area.
If you take out a farm share, you will also be learning a great deal about what it's like to try to farm here in New England. One year, a series of torrential rains washed out all the sprouting corn in Stephen's fields. Another year, Stephen had to let go many of his workers, and one week, we all showed up for our farm share, but no Stephen. (He made it up later, in case you're worried.)
By the way, his Facebook page, which you can view by Googling "Parker Farm, Lunenburg," is a total hoot. And if those photographs of Stephen with mud on his jeans up to his knees do not convince you that farming is damn hard work, nothing will. read more