I’m a farm girl at heart. No, I didn’t grow up on a farm per se, but my uncle had one. With cows and pigs and corn. Lots of corn. The town I grew up in had quite a few farms. And rumor has it, my biological mother grew up on a dairy farm. So, I guess you could say that the farm life is in my blood.

I miss the farms of Upstate New York. Sure, Rhode Island has some more rural communities, but not many. And the town we live in is a far cry from the rural wonderland I grew up in. My heart hurts that Avery doesn’t get to experience some of the things I did as a kid. Catching tadpoles in the pond. Climbing on hay bails in the barn. Picking fresh corn. Feeding the cows and pigs. Playing outside in the woods behind the house. Catching fireflies. Picking wildflowers. Growing up slow….like American honey….

This week we had the amazing opportunity to visit Sakonnet Farm in Tiverton Rhode Island. Driving in to Tiverton I immediately felt like I was “Home” Big old houses with tons of character instead of cookie-cutter housing developments. Stone walls surrounding houses instead of pre-fab fencing. You could hear the birds and crickets chirping. Not sirens and big trucks. I bet at night they can see the stars. Stars are another thing I miss. Living near a big city, the stars often get blocked out by city lights. I know there are many people who prefer city and suburban living, but I am not one of those people.

The farm was amazing. Avery got to see chickens, ducks, geese, goats and giant rabbits. She got to gaze into a stream and see crayfish and water boatmen bugs skimming the surface. She got to walk on a trail in the woods, see ferns, and smell the lilac. For a few hours, she got to be a country girl.

These ducklings were hatched by a chicken, who now takes care of them as if they were her own (Hooray for adoption!)

I’m so grateful that we were invited to visit the farm.  I hope to return, maybe when Avery is a bit older and can experience more. It is my biggest fear that Avery, growing up in a city/suburb will be like some of the kids we see at the park; a squirrel hops by and they freak out screaming “RAT!! RAT!!”  Or asking “Mom, what is THAT?”  when they see a chipmunk.  I want her to know the difference between a turtle and a tortoise.  I want her to be able to identify birds by their song. I want her to be excited when we see a snake on a hike, instead of running in pure terror. I want her to enjoy spending time outside.  I want to live in a place where she CAN enjoy spending time outside. I want her to grow up surrounded by cornstalks, not concrete.  I hope we can give her that opportunity.