A Trip to the Farm

For the last month things have been pretty chaotic in my little apartment complex - multiple visits from fire-rescue due to the failing health of a neighbor to our own fire in the garage.  Last week was no different.  I posted last week about our fire right?  Things happen in threes and that was number 6 or 7.  Either way, things were to start looking up...

The very next day we had a field trip to Bedner's Farm in Boynton Beach.  It was advertised by our homeschool group as a "working farm."  Now I am from the Midwest and I am thinking large farm with barn(s) full of animals, tractors, combines, fields full of corn and soybeans.  Now remember we are in Florida...a swamp.  You know as in Shrek?  Anyway, we are in southern Florida and I couldn't for the life of me, figure out where in the world they were going to have a farm of any real size unless it was in northern Florida.  Prior to our visit I had learned that we grow a lot of oranges (duh) and sugar cane (and mosquitoes!)


The munchkin and I drive over an hour to get to this beautiful little area that reminded me of home.  Houses weren't on top of each other, there wasn't miles and miles of concrete, instead, there were canals and lots and lots of tree farms and smaller U-Pick farms.  It is actually Bedner's Farm Fresh Market.  This property butts right up against a portion of the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge.  Pretty cool if I do say so myself.

We had a wonderful tour guide who let us pick strawberries at the U-Pick section and then showed us where they grow all the other crops that are available in their Farmer's Market area.  There were strawberries, sweet corn, beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, sunflowers, and a number of other crops on a small scale.  Our guide let the children (and adults) have samples of the fresh fruits and veggies, explained the differences, and told more about crops they grow and what is grown in the great state of Florida.  The kids really enjoyed it and kept asking for sweet corn.  I think it was probably the best sweet corn I have had in years!

 When we were done with our little tour, they took us for a wagon ride to a boardwalk area in the wildlife refuge.  It was about 2 miles to the boardwalk and we saw a number of alligators and wild birds.  Once we got to the boardwalk they cautioned everyone that when we saw a gator not to lean against the railings but to stand back.  I thought it was strange until they informed us that alligators can jump 6-8 feet out of the water.  I haven't been able to confirm this but no matter what, I'm not going to take my chances!

As we pulled up I noticed a little stream of smoke coming from the north that was gradually growing larger.  I know that they burn off land just like we do back home and I am also aware that there had been some fires due to lightning recently so I really didn't think much of it until...we saw a fire-rescue dive team pull up.  Followed by a fire-rescue unit, and a pumper, and another rescue, and...the list went on and on.  Lights, sirens, people hustling and bustling.  It was quite chaotic.  Exciting for me (and the kids).

Second unit on scene.  If you look real close on the far 

right you can see smoke.

Our driver decided it was time to head out so we weren't in the way, which was a good decision on his part because as we were headed back to the farm, they closed the road.  What we later discovered was that a small plane crashed.  Sad to hear but it definitely made for a field trip to remember.

Thank you Bedner's Farm for a terrific visit!