Rabbit Run Farm

A few weeks ago, a woman came into my work and we ended up on the topic of organic foods (you talk about a lot of random stuff in retail!).  She told me about a small farm in north Fort Myers (Buckingham) called Rabbit Run, where all the produce is grown hydroponically and organically.  Think about how great this is for the environment! Less water is used because of the amazing tier structure of the plants, eco-safe pesticides are used therefore the runoff isn't harmful, and let's face it: I was dying to find out what these hydroponic veggies looked and tasted like.

The farm is only open for four hours on Saturdays, and as soon as 11:00 hits, cars pull up and foodies and runners for restaurants rush in.   I went with a friend of mine and sat on a porch swing until the little farm house opened up. The lovebugs were out like crazy and it was hot and humid, but completely worth it!

I bought some beautiful tasty treats: a cucumber, cherry tomatoes, eggplants, long beans, strawberries, and eggs from a chicken farm down the road.  Aren't the colors amazing?

The colors and patterns are artwork themselves.  I'm thinking eggplant parmesan topped with sliced tomatoes, strawberry smoothies, cucumber water, boiled eggs for days (maybe French toast with Udi's? I've never tried it!), and the owner of the farm, Denise, gave me a recipe for garlic ginger longbeans.  The strawberries are sweet and dense, and the tomatoes have that incredible burst of flavor that only a homegrown tomato can have.

Here's the setup.  It really is a wonderful place to visit, and I am thinking about making this a monthly trip (too far to drive each week!).  If you ever have a chance to visit a hydroponic farm like this, definitely check it out.