I'd been seeing Honeycrisps at the farmer's market, but felt this must be some sort of a joke. It was the third week of August, and suddenly the only apples worth eating were showing up. Were these really ready for eating? I mean the tomatoes are in full blossoms, so I'm a little confused here. Thankfully, my farmer put my fears to rest.

What a pleasure to read: the photos are terrific, the text rich with detail. I wanted you all to have a chance to read about the gigantic chocolate moose (not mousse), the 600 pound statue of a cow made in butter...ever wonder why Iowa matters? Well, wonder no longer.

What is it about how local farmers are growing tomatoes better than homegrown? I think they have access to organic fertilizers that we just cannot get in Home Depot. I can only get fish emulsion and a kelp-based emulsion, but there just aren't better products on the market. Is there anyone out there using a foolproof fertilizer that can make home grown toms taste as good as farmers market heirlooms?

Osteria Baciafemmine, Scheggino, Italy, delivers outstanding value for the Euro. Hemingway's mountain trout fishing comes to the table fully realized.

Kansas farm boys sing about their own demise in this prescient YouTube sensation. Times are good for Kansas farmers...for now. You're rolling in high grain prices now, boys. So save your winnings in this odd lottery. You'll need the profits for the very grim times to come.

Kitchen accidents: we all have them. Just not always with giant chef's knives. I had a run-in with a head of parsley earlier in the year.