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Clayton: Osage Farms

I first discovered Osage Farms at the beginning of the summer. It's located on the north side of Clayton. This is a real farm stand: it's in the middle of a field; most of the produce comes from the local area. You can tell that the people there take pride in what they do.

On my first visit, I bought a basket of strawberries. I was surprised that they were ripe so early in the summer. They didn't disappoint---they were some of the most flavorful strawberries I've ever had. I bought them to make strawberry preserves. I asked the gal at the cashier if she knew how many pints of preserves I should be able to make from my basket. She said she didn't know but she would ask someone. A minute later she came back and said that she asked a gal who used to make jam for a living, who said I could get 10 jars. That advice impressed me as much as the strawberries---these gals clearly know their stuff.

On this visit, I concentrated on apples. As Hyesoon pointed out, the bins and bins of different varieties don't have the same cosmetic properties as the apples in the grocery store---they vary in size and a few have blemishes. But they are all extremely flavorful. I was particularly impressed by the Arkansas Black, a variety I'd never seen before. I has a dark skin and very rich, sweet flavor. I made a pie using a mixture of apple varieties. It was the best apple pie I've made in a long time.

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