Waiting in Expectation: Henrietta Creek Orchard

When I was little my Grandma and Grandpa Cose used to visit Fredricksburg, Texas every year. While they were there they would always pick up some peaches and bring them back to us. Awhile back I watched a documentary called "Food Inc." It was actually quite disturbing and ever since I watched it I have been buying organic meats and dairy. Sometimes I will buy organic fruits and veggies, but usually I just get them from a farmer's market here in Flower Mound called "Sprouts." I am by no means a big organic fanatic and I rarely buy anything packaged that has the term "organic" written on it. Anyhow, on "Food Inc" they interviewed a few small companies (private farms) that used organic methods...Horizon and Stonyville Farms. Soooo... this led me to the internet where I looked up local farms that owned farmer's markets here in town. I happened upon a website called http://www.pickyourown.org/. This website is awesome. I researched all of the local farms where you could pick your own fruits and veggies or visit their local farmer's market. The farm that appealed to me the most was Fall Creek Farms. However, it was in Granbury, Texas and too far of a drive since we had just gotten back from SA the day before. So, I called up Sara and told her about a farm just minutes from her house. Two Saturdays ago we packed the kids and husbands up and headed off to Henrietta Creek Orchard. It was VERY hot, but it was still lots of fun and quite a learning experience. We met farmer Sue who showed us the orchard grounds, let us feed the chickens, and pick veggies straight from the earth. The peaches we picked were like no other I have ever tasted. She didn't use any type of pesticides...now I know why organic food can be a little pricey! Who knew wasps burrowed in and lived in peaches? We still picked a ton of peaches and it ended up being much cheaper than going to the grocery store. Henrietta Creek Orchard pretty much grows everything that is in season....next up, apples! She grows 8 different types of apples and has over 700 dwarf apple trees. I can't wait until September!! Here are some pictures of our day at the Orchard...note that this activity was perfect for our 8 year old nephew, Corbin. The poor little ones were a little hot and overwhelmed. Mr Reid caught his finger in a beak and a cactus in his leg, but he was still a trooper.