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Little hands, BIG pumpkins 🎃
There’s something magical about autumn on the farm. Everything feels slower. Softer. It’s the season for muddy boots on crunchy leaves, fresh, crisp air and hearty food after chilly working days. Simple joys that become treasured moments – and our pumpkin harvest was just that!
Bundled up in warm coats and wellies, the four kids and I trudged down the slope to Gu Gu’s (Shann) garden, where the promise of big pumpkins awaited us all.
Macsen dashed off to fetch a wheelbarrow while the little ones clustered around the patch, chattering and excitedly pointing out which pumpkins they wanted to claim for carving. Gu Gu arrived with her trusty secateurs, snipping one for each grandkid – Macsen, Isabella, Elis and a baby one for baby Harper. The biggest of the lot was saved for Benj, because even at 19, he still wanted to carve his own.
With the wheelbarrow now brimming with pumpkins, it fell to Cu (Rich) to push the load back up the slope towards the farmhouse. Meanwhile, Gu Gu and the kids headed to the glass domes in search of smaller gourds – the kind I love for my autumn doorstep display. I can’t resist the charm of a pile of miniature pumpkins!
Once every hand – small and large – was full of what we called our “baby pumpkins”, we made our way back up the slope, loaded the boot of the car, and tumbled into the warmth of the farmhouse kitchen for fresh bread and butter. To no one’s surprise, this turned out to be the children’s favourite part of the morning. They crowned Gu Gu’s homemade bread “the best in the World” and somehow managed to get through half a loaf before we’d even poured the tea.
It was decided – we need a proper bread machine at home, just like Gu Gu’s. Fresh, crusty loaves every day? Yes, please! I’m all for it. It’ll be healthier for us all, too, since you know exactly what’s going in – no preservatives, no mystery ingredients, just good, honest bread. I’ll press Shann for her recipe!
And so, it turned out, a simple, inexpensive morning down on the farm became the highlight of half-term. The kids don’t know it yet, but I do — these are the days.
For more from the farm, check out these posts.
Any questions? Contact one of our Nutritional Therapists via live chat, weekdays from 8 am to 8 pm.
