The Big Red Barn

Over the weekend we decided to take a trip to Southridge Farm, not too far from our home. It is something we have always wanted to do, but for some reason we have never made the trek before. On this particular day we were lured in by the ice cream. You see, the Rowleys-- who own the family farm-- are also alumni of Utah State, where Bryson & I graduated. Utah State is located in the middle of dairy country, and as such, produces some of the best ice cream you have ever tasted. The Rowleys sell this "Aggie Ice Cream" at their farm. The fact that you can also pick a pumpkin from their pumpkin patch, enjoy the local apple harvest, and go on a hayride... Well, on this day it was all just an additional perk. :)
But enjoy it we did! After some fantastic rocky road ice cream we let Taylor grab a wagon and discovered the offerings to be had on the farm! (Taylor believes fun is exponentially increased if a wagon is involved.) Reilly enjoyed being transported around like a princess along with the goodies we found along the way. We picked out the perfect pumpkin for Reilly's replacement jack-o-lantern (more on that story in a following post). We sampled & purchased to-die-for apple cider that is made fresh on site. (Which, coincidentally is transported throughout Utah, and my parents purchase up in Cache Valley, where Utah State is located. Ah, trade. :) ) Then we found the motherlode.

In the gigantic crisper we found boxes upon boxes of apples for sale. One of the perks of living in a semi-rural area is that we are surrounded by local orchards. Typically we get apples from Bryson's parents, but this year a cold snap devastated the apple harvest. Luckily for us Southridge Farms is doing just fine. Bryson is a huge fan of the Jonathan apple. Not the Jonagold. (Believe me, I've made that mistake previously.) Jonathans are the key to this man's heart. Unfortunately, they are difficult to find at market-- they aren't particularly good storage apples and possess other quirks that make merchants overlook them, or charge an arm & a leg per pound when they are to be found. But in the Rowley crisper...

JONATHANS! Beautiful, red, sweet-tart Jonathans. Honestly, these are some truly yummy apples. We bought a 38 lb. box for $22. Like I said, the man likes his Jonathans. ;)

Overall, it was just a fantastic way to spend the early evening hours on a seasonally Autumnal Saturday. To support the local farmers and enjoy time-honored tradition... it just doesn't get much better than this.