The Cleveland area is amazing. No matter what part you are from there are always things to do, places to go, and stuff to be a part of. My boyfriend and I try to make the most of it as often as we can. There are too many things, so we often try to pick things around seasons, holidays, or what we are most interested in. Fall makes that so much easier as the Cleveland area seems to ramp up in fall.
This past weekend, we continued a tradition we started about six years ago where we visit local farms in the Lake and Geauga county areas. There is something about Fall and Pick Your Own farms that is magical for us. For me, it takes me back to my youth and the large gardens we used to have, making apple butter in Boy Scouts, and visiting farmlands that other family members had.
This week, I would like to share our favorite place we go in a something I’d like to call, Harvesting Memories: Our Annual Fall Tradition in Cleveland
A shameless plug
First, I would like to apologize to each of you for being so off schedule, lately. The last month and a half has been challenging for me. I started running four years ago as one part of a measure to start getting more healthy and keep Cirrhosis in check. This year, my arthritic knees have not been as accommodative as they have been in the past. I have spent more time in recovery waiting for swelling to go down and pain to subside. Because of that, I really haven’t been in the mindset to write. Losing the ability to run has been super frustrating.
But, it hasn’t all been bad.
Two years ago, my sister, her husband, Karl, and I did a birthday trip for Karl. We went to Pennsylvania for a couple of Christmas markets and shopping. On the way back, I got inspired to write a story about Christmas, A horror themed Christmas folk story. I wrote the whole thing on the drive back from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. In a short twenty-four hours later, I had written three more stories. Karl was moved by the stories so much that he decided to work on getting them bound together in a book and work on the possibility of getting them published. He gave the book to me as a Christmas gift that same year. We have been working on getting it ready to be sold and all that work has finally paid off. My book will be coming out in the very near future (stay tuned for that announcement). That has been a labor of love and I cannot express how much it means to me that he has put this much work into something I have created and never expected to do anything with.
So, that is why I have been more quiet recently and for that I apologize.
A needle in a haystack
Each year, Karl and I head out to Geauga County for what has become one of our favorite spots, Ransom Sage Farms. To be fair, we started going to Ransom Sage about three years ago. We were looking for places that offered more in the way of Pick-Your-Own than just apples. Patterson was our go to, as we were able to get lots of apples to prepare dishes for Thanksgiving dinners and such. The part that was lacking was me wanting farm grown vegetables instead of just buying from the grocery store. We love this area so much, so helping out local farmers/businesses is part of how we give back and show our appreciation.
During fall, there are always a few small farms that do roadside selling fo their crops and I had been to some of them with my friends, Brian and Tammy, So I had a little experience in where to go, but it was still lacking in what we wanted. We decided to do a little more research and we found Sage Ransom Farms and decided to go. If you have not been out to their farm, what are you waiting for?
So what makes Ransom Sage Farms so amazing? Let’s dive in.
Ransom Sage Farms
From the road, a large red barn peeks delicately above the hillside, beckoning travelers to come for a visit. A lazy, winding drive carries you into the farm as if welcoming in a long lost friend. The atmosphere is inviting and reminds you of a slower way of living.
Immediately, your eyes wash over the barn before the fields surrounding come into view. There is enough parking to handle even the largest of turn outs and the entire place has this “grandma’s house” type feel to it. Once you park, you head inside the barn where you are welcomed by staff who truly are passionate about the services they provide. They take their time to explain how the farm works, what’s currently available for picking, and what purchasing options you have, ½ peck basket, a peck basket, and a ½ bushel basket. It is like walking into a local General Store from the 1800s, just with modern conveniences. They provide maps for you to plan your visit based on what needs you have.
After you exit the barn, your eyes immediately snap to where there are tractors and wagons lined up to take you to the furthest reaches of the farm or just down the path, all your choice. Not to worry, after you have picked your hearts content, those same tractors will speed your way back to your car with your bountiful harvest.
As you take a leisurely ride down the path, hill after hill of grape vines, garden plots, and apple orchards wash over you. Your nose catches the smell of various flowers, apples, and grapes that are in bloom, it all feels natural and familiar. The tractor lets you off where you want and then you get to pick until your basket is overflowing. From there, you wait fo the tractor to return and take you back to the parking lot. What could be more simple and yet, totally amazing.?
A trip for two
Going to Ransom Sage Farms is our get-a-way, a place for us to do something as a couple. We get to unplug from all technology for a couple of hours, head out to beautiful country farms, and spend time with each other. It is our time to just casually chat and forget about the stressors of the week and we get to pick vegetables that we can incorporate into our meal prep and other feasting times.
As mentioned above, Karl and I do this every fall. It is one of our many beloved traditions. I get to pick farm grown apples and various vegetables that I love to eat, he gets to get enough apples to put up a year’s worth of apple sauce for holidays and various meal prep ideas. This year, we aren’t hosting anyone for Thanksgiving, as we will, hopefully, be out of the country. This meant our needs weren’t as big but still various things we can use. I eat so much fruit that this is a no-brainer for us, better options, locally grown, low chemical usages on them, great pricing, and helping out local farmers. It’s a winning excursion.
We got two peck baskets, only because they were out of ½ bushel baskets and off we went. I had shared our favorite place with a colleague and wondering if he would show up, this thought crossed my mind again, as we were on the wagon heading to where we wanted to start. Sure enough, we passed them as they were heading back to the barn area. It was his and his friend’s first time at a U-Pick place and they were blown away by the farm. I was extremely happy that they enjoyed it.
We focused heavily on apples, for the reasons stated earlier, but, how can I resist getting fresh beets and sweet corn. Karl can attest to how much I love corn. I may have burned him out on it as often as we had it this summer. The corn was set to be the accompaniment of our Saturday night dinner and the beets factored into our meal prep for the week. Talk about an amazing win. The only slight down side was the apple choices we had, Johnamac and Topaz. By themselves, these apples are great. Both can be used in cooking in so many ways.
If you aren’t familiar, a Johnamac apple is a hybrid of a Jonathan and a McIntosh apple. Both have similar skin types and flavors with the Jonathan apple being a bit sweeter. This creates a great combination and is perfect in applesauce. The Topaz was new to both of us and apparently is a hybrid type from the Czech Republic. It is known to have a sweet-tart flavor to it and the mouth feel, many say, is a bright and fizzy like feel. I definitely picked up on the tart flavor. This would make an amazing dessert apple.
Be local, support local
The world we live in is inundated with mass produced everything from feelings to foodstuffs, sometimes it’s nice to buy from a local vendor who has worked to hone their craft. Even better is when you can eat locally grown food. It is surprising that there are people who do not know where the food they eat comes from. On the same token, those of us who grew up on farms and raised our own food have taken it for granted. We have opted for ease of access over hours of labor. But, it is nice to shed those thoughts, even if for an hour, and pick out the food we choose to eat and understand where it came from.
There is no better way to do this than by supporting local farmers and merchants. By going to Ransom Sage Farms each year, everyone wins. We get higher quality food for our cooking and consumption needs and they get people who support them by buying their produce. It is truly being a part of the community and a great way to experience some lesser known things to do in the Cleveland area. So, this year, instead of heading to Walmart or the grocery store to get your Halloween pumpkins, head out to some of these farms in the surrounding areas and pick your own and support those people who need our money more than the corporate-run grocery stores.
One last thing, stay tuned for when my book hits the shelves. It is a great read and one to get you in the mood for the coming holiday seasons. Thanks to each and everyone of you for making GayintheCLE what it is.
Gay in the CLE 