Farmhouse in a Food Oasis

It took her a long time to admit it, but now Blondie says, “We have a farmhouse in a food oasis.” No, she didn’t always hold that view. After all, from the kitchen window of the house of our dreams in Idaho, we literally could see the local Walmart from our kitchen window. In fact, we could also see Sam’s club, Albertsons, Winco Food, and Fred Meyer. We lived in a sea of nearby grocery stores. – Obtaining fresh food was no problem then.

What’s the Food Problem?

Here in Sperryville, life in the house of our realities is quite a different story. There are no nearby, conveniently located grocery stores. That’s the problem. Let’s talk about how we turned that problem upside down and came up with better ways to obtain, store, and use the food we enjoy here at Serendipity Farmhouse.

This map illustrates our problem. But it doesn’t reveal all the hidden details. For example, even though the Luray Walmart is only 19 miles away, we must negotiate Thornton Gap to get there. In the winter, it’s a treacherous drive.

And so it is with each of our four primary grocery store locations. There’s a long drive, and weather and traffic can make it a dangerous proposition. – Consequently, we can’t go food shopping like we used to in Idaho falls.

The extent of our problem became quite clear during our first winter in Serendipity Farmhouse. The winter of 2013-2014 brutally demonstrated that each of our four major grocery locations were not as accessible as we originally thought.

I tried to downplay the severity of the situation and explained to my dearest Blondie that things weren’t really as bad as she made them out to be. However, in January and February, I had to make multiple trips to Idaho and left her to fend for herself.

Upon my return, I was confronted by an always beautiful but ever so angry Miss Blondie. She had two things to say to me.

First, “Tell me again with a straight face, Fuzzy! Tell me how convenient grocery shopping is here!”

Second, “Fix it!!!!!”

What’s the Food Solution?

As with so many problems we’ve encountered in this, the house of our realties, we had to learn how to adapt to farmhouse living. In the 1920’s, how did the first residents of this house do things? Back then, there were no Walmart stores or big grocery chains. In fact, those folks probably didn’t even own a motor vehicle.

And that was the revelation. Instead of looking to Front Royal, Culpeper, Luray, or Warrenton, the first residents looked right here to Sperryville. How could we have missed the fact that we live in the midst of a wonderful agricultural area. Food of every type is bountiful. All we had to do was learn how to process, store, and use the food that’s all around.

That’s why we’re learning how to make food from scratch and plan meals using basic ingredients. The Serendipity Farmhouse blog is how we share with you what we’ve learned.

Now We Have a Farmhouse in a Food Oasis!

Over the next few weeks, we will introduce you to some of the local farms that provide a good portion of the food that makes it to our table. They provide fresh fruit and vegetables, beef, lamb, and dairy. Please join us and meet some of our neighbors.

The Most Important Food of All

Of course, we always keep in mind, “Man shall not live by bread alone …” And that is how we found that here in Rappahannock County we truly do live in a food oasis. That’s because here we also have the perfect place to be nourished by the Word of God.