buen provecho: Simmons Family Farm

A couple of months ago some friends and I decided to take a trip about 30 minutes south of Austin to visit a local farm that we've grown to really like for a number reasons. They grow beautiful vegetables, take great care in growing them, and they themselves are lovely people. Simmons Family Farm is located just south of Austin in Niederwald, Texas and sits tucked in just off a dirt road. It's not a big farm, but they have a lot going on for their small acreage. Harry Simmons, along with his wife Maew, his mother Penel and brothers, are the faces behind this great farm.

The weather on the day we visited was perfect, so we were able to see all of the farm and chat with Harry and his mother Penel as he showed us around.

We started off by visiting the baby chicks, which were the newest additions to the family farm. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture because I was to enamored with the chicks! They were so cute and all I wanted to do was pick one up and squeeze it. Gently of course. I did however refrain from freaking out the chicks and let them be, but not before I had ooohed and ahhhed a good bit. After that we moved on to see some full grown chicks, or should I say ladies? I typically buy my eggs from Simmons Family Farm, but this time of year the ladies aren't laying very often so no eggs for me that day.

From the chicken coop we moved on and saw the rest of the farm and learned about some of the organic and sustainable farming practices of the farm. If we didn't know it already, we definitely saw it first hand. Farming is hard work folks! Especially small family farming. It was really great to learn more about the care and hard work that goes into some of the veggies that I enjoy shopping for at my local farmers' market. It made me appreciate them and the people that much more.

One more thing! Harry's wife Maew is Thai, so they grow a variety of Thai veggies, greens, as well as some tropical fruits like papaya. They are experimenting with avocados too!