August 21st, 2011 - Good Day Sunshine

It rained every day this weekend. The sun would pop out now and then bringing relief from the rains. That is how nature works. Cycles.

Sunday is our pickup day at the Honey Brook Organic Farm. I arrived early just after the morning rain. I love the smell of the air after heavy rain. The fields were wet and muddy, but I decided to enter anyway.

I found that the sun and the clouds had conspired all week to produce a bountiful harvest of fruit (ground cherries, tomatoes, squash), vegetables and flowers. While the sun was overhead, it managed to plant and grow itself.

Strawberry picking at the Honey Brook Organic Farm

Honey Brook Organic Farm is one of the oldest operating organic farms in New Jersey and the most senior certified organic Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program in the Garden State. Today we went to the farm to pick up our produce and pick fresh strawberries. We have been members since 2006.

The strawberry fields are at the other end of the farm from the farm stand. There is a grass trail that leads from the farm stand to the farm fields. It also winds around behind the farm into the Stoney Brook Watershed.

Because the farm is organic, we don't worry about pesticides and other toxins. The strawberries often don't make it back to the house. You've not tasted good strawberries until you've had them picked fresh from the field.

The sky was overcast with dark grey clouds threatening to open up and wash us away, but a cool, calm wind blew across the fields of lettuce. I like how the way the barn's red stood out next to the grey of the old grain silos.

Despite the grey sky, I found little pockets of colour around the farm.

The lack of a clear, bright sky meant that my subjects were illuminated with a soft light. Once I got home, I weeded out the photos I did not want. Anything that did not keep my interest was deleted.

Sunday 23 May, 2010 | Nikon D40 | 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 44 mm | 1500 sec at f/5.3 | ISO 200
Sunday 23 May, 2010 | Nikon D40 | 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 55 mm | 1500 sec at f/5.6 | ISO 200
Sunday 23 May, 2010 | Nikon D40 | 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 55 mm | 1400 sec at f/5.6 | ISO 200
Sunday 23 May, 2010 | Nikon D40 | 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 55 mm | 1160 sec at f/5.6 | ISO 200
Sunday 23 May, 2010 | Nikon D40 | 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 55 mm | 1800 sec at f/5.6 | ISO 200
Sunday 23 May, 2010 | Nikon D40 | 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 55 mm | 1/1000 sec at f/5.6 | ISO 200
Sunday 23 May, 2010 | Nikon D40 | 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 55 mm | 1/1250 sec at f/5.6 | ISO 200
Sunday 23 May, 2010 | Nikon D40 | 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 55 mm | 1/1250 sec at f/5.6 | ISO 200
Sunday 23 May, 2010 | Nikon D40 | 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 55 mm | 1800 sec at f/5.6 | ISO 200
Sunday 23 May, 2010 | Nikon D40 | 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 55 mm | 1500 sec at f/5.6 | ISO 200
Sunday 23 May, 2010 | Nikon D40 | 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 55 mm | 1125 sec at f/5.6 | ISO 280
Sunday 23 May, 2010 | Nikon D40 | 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 55 mm | 1320 sec at f/5.6 | ISO 200
Sunday 23 May, 2010 | Nikon D40 | 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 55 mm | 1/2000 sec at f/5.6 | ISO 200
Sunday 23 May, 2010 | Nikon D40 | 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 55 mm | 1125 sec at f/11 | ISO 640
Sunday 23 May, 2010 | Nikon D40 | 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 55 mm | 1125 sec at f/11 | ISO 280
Sunday 23 May, 2010 | Nikon D40 | 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 55 mm | 1125 sec at f/11 | ISO 220
Sunday 23 May, 2010 | Nikon D40 | 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 55 mm | 1500 sec at f/11 | ISO 200

Honey Brook Organic Farm

Shaan and Kiran are enjoying going to the Honey Brook organic farm each week to pick up our produce. The highlight for us is picking our own. The last few weeks we have been fortunate to pick strawberries and snow peas. Shaan's favourites (surprisingly) are the snow peas. He devoured a quart of them before we even left the farm.

Honey Brook Organic Farm—Sony CYBERSHOT + Sony @ 9.3 mm, f/4.0, ISO100