My grandparents had 50 acres in southwestern Ohio.  My Grandfather and Mother were born on that farm.  He raised chickens (rhode island reds), Charolette cattle, and sheep. He had a small apple orchard and boysenberries grew wild along the fences.  Every year he had a huge (about a half acre) garden and grew all kinds of vegetables.  My brother, cousins and I spent our summers there.  We milked cows, put up hay, gathered eggs. tended the garden and canned vegetables. 
I learned to drive the tractor in the hay fields at age 7.  I wasn’t strong enough to shift but I could steer and brake.  Grandpa would jump up on the tractor and turn it at the end of each row.  When I was was 10 I was big enough and strong enough to drive the whole load on the hard roads back to the barn. In August we set up a road side vegetable stand  The money we made paid our way to the county fair.  My grandfather had 3 garden sites on the property and he rotated sites every year.  He would muck the barn and kitchen scraps to one site, plow under and rest the site he mucked to the previous year, and plant the third site.   As you can imagine, he was known for his productive crop!  We were green and organic long before it was fashionable!
We lived in Dayton when I was a teenager, about an hour from my grandparents.  By then my parents were divorced and my Mom was working.  I can remember coming home and there would be bushel baskets of vegetables left by my Grandfather at the front door.  Back then I was ashamed of our neediness and resentful that I had to eat zucchini yet one more time.  Now I know that my Grandfather’s deliveries was an expression of his love for us and I miss him dearly.  Getting my deliveries from Swallowtail reminds me of those days, yet this time they bring me joy and send me off on veggie id adventures!
I am glad to see a new generation of young farmers such as yourself, taking responsibility for sustaining the land and sharing the crops. 
Thanks for letting me share my story.

Debi Vance Skaff
Swallowtail Farm CSA Member

Recipes:

Curried Sprouts

1 cup Lentil Sprouts or mung bean sprouts
1/2 cup chopped parsley
finely diced cilantro
finely diced rosemary
1/4 cup mayonnaise or vegannaise
2 Tbs. ketchup or rice vinegar
2 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 tsp. dill
1/2 smallish red onion, diced
1/2 – 1 Tbs. curry powder
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients together. For a warm dish mix together in wok or sauce pan and lightly cook in olive or sesame oil.

Couscous Carrots

1/4 cup butter
6 carrots, diced
1 onion, bunch scallions or green garlic chopped
1/2 cup chicken or veggie broth
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups dry couscous
1/4 cup raisins

Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. cook and stir the carrots and onion until the carrots begin to soften and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth and water, and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir in the couscous, mixing well to avoid lumps, cover, and remove from the heat. Let the couscous stand covered until the water is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Stir in the raisins, and serve hot.