carrot picking

This past weekend Scott and I spent our days off at an organic farm outside of Joensuu. Twice a year the owners of the farm have a volunteer weekend where people can come help harvest vegetables from their garden. In return they provide a place to sleep and lots and lots of good, fresh food. It was quite an experience. Neither of us had ever done anything like it before. We had so much fun (despite the fact that I couldn’t feel my hands half of the time), we will definitely be back again. Our hosts, Niina and Pjotr, were such sweet people and taught us some quite interesting tidbits about farming.

We also had severals “firsts” over the weekend. Our first time harvesting any kind of food, our first Finnish sauna, and Scott’s first, but surely not last, time sporting overalls. He really rocked those overalls all weekend. I think overalls automatically make you better at anything farming. If nothing else, they sure make you look like you know what you’re doing. We were such naturals at this whole harvesting thing that we plowed right on through the carrots and on to the beet roots and parsnips (with the help of about 25 other people). I did have to stop for a couple dance breaks though. That’s when you have to stand up and wiggle your fingers and toes to make sure that they’re all still there. Being outside in 40 degree weather all day will make you question their existence. But it was all worth it when we got to thaw out inside and inhale the delicious pumpkin-carrot soup and mounds of bread.

I’m pretty excited to try out some new soups with our bag of veggies that made it home with us.