Down on the Farm: Exploring Diselrath Farms

Co-op farms in Indianapolis: I had no idea these were actively being done. But I was pleasantly surprised to learn about Diselrath Farms on the Indianapolis south side.

Tucked inside the 465 loop, Diselrath offers both co-op farming and a farm store open on Saturdays. Members pay a small fee (about $5 per week) and work three hours a week for a share of produce or discount on meats such as chicken or pork.

On this Saturday morning, the Diselraths opened their farm to several local bloggers and "Future Farmers."

The children - from toddlers through pre-teens - loved the opportunity to learn about what goes into the farm, from a simple lesson on crop rotation to what it takes to raise chickens and harvest eggs.

Sarah Diselrath showed the Future Farmers about how they rotate crops each year. If you look closely, these are all the rows of tomatoes, but those furthest to the left were the rows that weren't quite in last year's pig pen! (Hence the power of compost.)

Checking out the baby animals was a highlight for the kids, though this little goat didn't get nearly as much love as the baby chicks.

The kids went to hunt for eggs as well. I think the biggest excitement of the morning was the children stumbling on a hen trying to lay an egg - though I think their shouts of surprise stopped her in action.

There is something to be said about growing your own food. Too many kids are complacent and think their green beans come from a can you get from a store; munching on a green bean freshly picked (as in seconds) is an entirely different experience. Future farmers feeding the future bacon really helps kids connect the dots about where our food comes from.