Thanks to a good friend who had been to the World Ag Expo before, I was introduced to one of the best simple culinary pleasures in life: hot peach cobbler made from scratch and baked in a dutch oven covered in coals, then served with creamy vanilla ice cream. Oh. So. Yummy.
And we discovered the best accompaniment to this mouth-watering peach cobbler is old-time coffee made in a huge old kettle slung over a slow-burning fire like this:
This was definitely one of the best highlights of the entire World Ag Expo. If you ever get an opportunity to go, make sure you stop by this stand and make friends with the cowboys who wrangled all of this together.
After the first bite of cobbler and sip of coffee, you'll be so very glad you did.
This is what the World Ag Expo in Tulare, California looks like...in February, no less. Notice anything peculiar? No? Well, you must be from a warmer climate than I am because February in the Midwest means we're still blanketed with plenty of the white stuff and it's not going anywhere anytime soon.
This combine was pretty cool. I took a photo in case Dad wants to get one.
Now, is it just me, or is everyone in CA really super nice, because most of the booths we passed had friendly coffee stations just like this one.
Probably the most sobering display was this one which shows the world population in 1400 AD on the left, 1900AD in the middle, and projected world population in only 40 years on the right. Pretty amazing to think how much responsibility agriculture has to ensure all of these people will have enough food on decreasing farm land.
While all of this was pretty cool, I'll tell you all about my most favorite discovery of the entire World Ag Expo tomorrow.
Alrighty then...It's been three weeks since I've last visited my blog and it feels so good to be back. Get ready for a LOT of new photos and fun adventures. I spent a few days at my grandparents and got to speak in three business classes at Wayne State College. Oh the memories that brought back! At the same time, Jamie whisked his parents to Florida to warm up and escape the snow and take in the Florida State Fair. A few days later, I was in Fresno, CA for work and explored the World Ag Expo in Tulare. For Valentine's Day, we enjoyed a great dinner with the Iowa State Fair board of directors and several legislators at the Des Moines Dinner Club. One weekend, we enjoyed our first breakfast at the Grove Cafe in Ames and liked it so much we treated Jamie's parents to breakfast there a couple weeks later when they were in town. Another weekend, we traipsed to St. Louis, MO for the Zone 5 IAFE (International Association of Fairs and Expos) Meeting, and visited the Arch a second time. It's been a busy three weeks. About the only thing we haven't had much of is free time. Like I said...photos will be coming.
And just in case you were wondering how those gorgeous roses Jamie gave me turned out, they opened beautifully.
They graced my desk for over a week and I enjoyed them every day. Bring on spring and warm weather, baby bunnies and lots of green grass and fresh flowers! I'm so ready!
