4 Family Lessons from Fresh, Local Eats

There’s something about spring that makes everything seem just a little more joyful and bright. After all, what’s not to love about seeing all the flowers in bloom, enjoying sunny days at the park and exploring nature and all it has to offer?

As the mama of a little one who loves to stay busy, I find such joy in watching her sweet little 2-year-old mind explore the world around her. Toddlers have an adorable (and sometimes exhausting :D) way of noticing everything, and it absolutely amazes me! From the plane flying high overhead to the lone ant making its trek home on the sidewalk, I’m learning that even the smallest things can be teaching moments for our little ones with growing minds.

With this in mind, we decided to take an afternoon trip to Buffalo Creek Berry Farm, and this was (by far!) one of our family’s favorite activities to do right here in the metro. 

Here are four takeaways and some fun ideas to implement with your kiddos next time you go on an adventure to one of central Oklahoma’s many berry farms!

1. Talk About Where Food Comes From. One of the most adorable conversations we had with our daughter at the berry farm was discussing where all the fruits and vegetables came from! Her little eyes had never seen a strawberry or blackberry still on its vine and waiting for the perfect moment to be picked. We had so much fun learning about “ripe” versus “unripe,” (or red vs green in toddler lingo), and I completely underestimated how fun it would be for her to run up and down the rows looking for the perfect red strawberry. She did all the heavy lifting while Michael and I followed close behind as her personal basket carriers. It was a win-win for everyone and such a fun way to shop for our produce!
2. Learn How To Prepare & Grow Your Own Food. For the following week or so after our trip to the farm, Camden would ask to go back to the farm to pick strawberries. Instead of making multiple trips, we decided to plant our own fruit and vegetable garden and turn it into a teaching moment! We planted our own strawberries, bell peppers, tomatoes and herbs, and you’d think I had just bought the coolest and most fascinating toy for her by the amount of time she spent tending to the garden. She loved helping prepare our raised planter beds by adding in the soil, digging holes for the plants, helping us lay the plants in the dirt and gently replacing the soil until they were snug in their new environment. We even labeled some fun-colored popsicle sticks to keep track of what we planted! And although I am not sure which pepper is which now (mixing them up and planting the sticks in the dirt was a game in itself), it was yet another opportunity for her little brain to explore and grow. Now we get to sit back, watch them grow, and pick our own fruits and veggies when the time is just right!
3. Model Healthy Eating For The Little Ones. If you’ve ever had a 2 year old, you know the saying “monkey see, monkey do” rings true. We’re officially in the phase where we have to spell things out and be especially mindful of the words we use around her because her little brain is soaking in everything! Fortunately, we can use that to our advantage, too, by modeling healthy eating habits for her. Any time we go to the grocery store, without fail, Camden will grab a head of broccoli and munch on it while we collect all the items on our list. And while Michael and I don’t necessarily eat raw broccoli right off the head, we do incorporate it into many of our meals each week, making it a staple in our family’s diet. Because incorporating fruits and veggies into meals is such a regular part of our family’s routine, Camden doesn’t know anything different. That girl will top off two to three servings of vegetables any time she gets the chance, and I truly believe it’s because she watches mama and daddy eating and enjoying those very same foods.
4. Supporting Local. Although 2 year olds don’t quite grasp the concept and importance of supporting our local farmers and businesses, this is one of those decisions we’ve made as a family, and it’s important for us to model that for our daughter. Now more than ever, it’s so incredibly important to shop local when we can, and it’s a lot more fun than just running to the grocery store.We’ve met so many amazing people at local farmer’s markets and other small farms, and as we become more regular customers, we’ve built friendships with these incredible community members of ours who have dedicated their lives to their small businesses. Seeing familiar faces and catching up where we left off with the owners of local businesses just makes our experiences as a family that much sweeter.

Enjoy a Pick-Your-Own Farm or local Farmers Market near you! 

Tara is an Oklahoma native married to her best friend, Michael. Together, they have one daughter and enjoy anything that gets them outdoors and active. In her spare time, Tara enjoys waking up entirely too early to run or work out, napping, playing with her Goldendoodle Milo and spending quality time with family and friends. Connect with her on Instagram at @tara_kcarr.