After several years of keeping my eye on Squash Blossom Farm Summer Sundays, I made it down for a wonderful afternoon. And it was so easy! The farm is just a few miles off the highway and an easy drive from the Twin Cities. Since it was a relatively short drive on a Sunday afternoon, I was able to recruit a fairly large group to join me. I read that the pizza can sell out, so I reserved a few pies in advance using the online ticket system. Despite rainy weather, no one decided to change plans and one by one our Pizza Eating group grew in size. Several members of our group were children of various ages, including a new baby having a First Pizza Farm a Experience.
As the forecast predicted and as we had all been hoping, the rain slowed down and eventually came to a stop. We had plenty of time to explore the beautiful grounds of Squash Blossom. Squash Blossom Farm is a child’s delight! It is home to chickens, a turkey, goats, cows, a mule, and several farm dogs. There are also pieces of art interspersed throughout so that exploring the farm is full of surprises.
I was the first to arrive, so I made a couple of executive decisions about which pizza to order and then scoped out the seating arrangements while waiting for friends. There was a tent set up with some folding tables and I went ahead and claimed one. I spread out my Pizza Table Cloth, distributed my Pizza Plates, dressed myself up in some my Pizza Clothes, and set up my table and chairs nearby.
Shortly after the first of our party arrived, while we were roaming somewhat aimlessly, Pizza Farmer Susan approached us to give a welcome to the farm and provide a little information. She directed us to some of the highlights of the farm, first of all by introducing the little ones to the chickens, the turkey, and the playful goats of the farm. She also pointed out the walking paths that are open to visitors and lead to larger than life works of art. We even got a brief tour of the Vardo, a colorful and beautifully decorated Romani wagon, but it was not fully available to see due to the rain.
I asked Susan a few questions about Summer Pizza Events and she showed me the original pizza oven they had used when it was a smaller scale event. After a few years, they outgrew that oven and built a new one. The old one remains outside and is beautifully decorated. The new one is also decorated. Susan seems to have a knack for making everything into a work of art. And I had a chance to observe Pizza Farmer Roger as he created the delicious pizzas that we all would later enjoy.
As my friends showed up, they also ordered a few pizzas, so our evening consisted of a steady flow of pizzas being walked out to our table by the Squash Blossom Pizza staff. We brought our own drinks and several snacks to share. The live music began and provided a wonderful backdrop to the evening. One memorable moment was when something happened in the music tent causing a loud crash and the farm animals in the neighboring pasture revealed that they had been enjoying the music as well. The crash got their attention and they stared skeptically at the tent, waiting for the music to come back on.
The evening was full of memorable moments. A rainbow came out as the rain cleared. A former Minnesota Viking was sighted enjoying his own Pizza on the Farm. And my friend, K, even pet a dog! Oh yes! And the pizza! I ordered a pepperoni, a margherita, and a veggie pie. We also sampled the meat pizza and the “fancy” pizza – a combination of grapes, carmelized onion, and pulled chicken. Susan let us know that they often do a variation of this pie with peaches later in the summer that is amazing. I would love to go back and check it out. Overall, we had a great day. As always, I left feeling that it was definitely worth it to risk the bad weather and spend the afternoon and evening at Squash Blossom Farm.
