From the berry patch

Strawberry season has come and gone in our little patch. We picked for 3 solid weeks, averaging 2-4 quarts every other day.

There is nothing like a fresh grown strawberry, still warm from the sun, plucked carefully from its vine, and popped directly into one's mouth.

Our across-the-alley neighbors are from Mexico. One afternoon, the husband saw my boys picking and came over to visit. It turns out, his wife is from the prime strawberry growing region in Mexico and he had questions about growing strawberries in Iowa. We plan to give him some of our plants this fall when we do some dividing.

He has 3 or 4 little boys who had never before tasted a real strawberry.

We figured, in honor of their mother, we should remedy that situation.

They had never tasted anything quite as luscious, and the looks on their faces were pure delight. One little boy exclaimed, "I never knew they tasted this good!"

Makes me think of all the other children - and adults - who have no idea what real food tastes like. If they only knew, maybe more local farmers could make a living growing seasonal crops.

I buy grocery store fruit, but I know it is but a pale substitute for the real thing.

If only everyone could experience the explosion of flavor straight from the berry patch, they'd be like those little boys, who always seemed to show up right at picking time.