Signs of Spring

Spring is here, both on the calendar and on the ranch. The snow is starting to melt and our new calves will soon be born. This past week we moved our cows closer to home where they will calf.

As the calves are born and begin to romp, we will also be watching the spring birds return, the trees bud, and the new green grass sprout. We know this is a busy season, but we joyfully anticipate all the new life that spring brings.

From the Farm to My Table

While sipping my coffee and thumbing through a cookbook the other day, I came across a new recipe that sounded good, Chicken Spinach Lasagna. It had a lot of good ingredients. I quickly got my grocery list and started writing down what I would need on my next trip to the store.

With my shopping bags in hand, I headed for the grocery store. In my cart I had chicken breasts, chopped spinach, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, onions, mushrooms, soy sauce, corn starch, cream of mushroom soup, lasagna noodles, parmesan cheese, and pecans. The shelves in the grocery store were full of choices and options, and I found all of my recipe ingredients easily. Now I was set to fix my family this new dish.

Indeed, the Chicken Spinach Lasagna was delicious. But the most amazing part of this dish was the fact that so many farmers had a hand in making my dinner so good. From the chicken producer, to the dairyman, to the vegetable and wheat farmers, it took a lot of man hours to bring my meal to the table. I, also think of those in the process that shredded the cheese, chopped the spinach, shelled the pecans, and packaged the noodles that made my time in the kitchen fun and convenient. This dinner was truly a labor of love.

So next time you try a new recipe or fix an old favorite, take time to be amazed at the abundance and variety of foods that are produced and available to us.