It has been almost twenty years since I have been out as a lesbian to my family and friends. My journey has had difficult moments, but overall I am thankful for how much support and love I have always felt. Gay Pride is always a time when I feel it is important for me to be present for others who are going through that journey and to show gratitude to all those who bravely went before and helped make an easier path for me. This year I skipped the Chicago Pride Parade. I was a little worn down. The hot weather and the promise of big crowds was completely unappealing. And you know, lately I’ve been feeling a little old. So I stayed home Sunday morning and got some rest. But in order to still celebrate and show my Gay Pride, I made sure to bring my rainbow flag with me out to Grayslake for the first Prairie Wind Family Farm Pizza Night of the season. The other two Pizza Farm adventures of 2019, Grassway Organics and Squash Blossom Farm, both featured beautiful rainbows in the sky, and to make it three for three, I brought my own Rainbow Flag to Prairie Wind Family Farm. It is important to me to show up and do the things I love without hiding who I am. So, yes, I passed on the Chicago Gay Pride Parade, but I showed up in the Illinois countryside and celebrated the fact that I feel comfortable being myself in true Pizza Farm style by eating pizza wearing some pizza clothes and waving a rainbow flag.
Prairie Wind Family Farm is a great option for Chicagoans like myself. It is only about 45 minutes from downtown Chicago and it is on Sunday afternoons once a month. The pizza from Pizzeria Deville can take a while to come out, but the farmers have seasonal snacks and desserts to get you started and they provide several intriguing ways to pass the time, including baby goats and a Farm Tour that starts with a chicken feeding experience.
There was a surprising rain and thunder storm during the afternoon, but we confirmed that Pizza Night was still happening and we went off to Grayslake. We arrived shortly after all the rain stopped and despite ominously colored skies, we avoided being rained on completely. There were some comfortable picnic tables set up on the lawn, but I couldn’t resis setting up my entire Pizza Farm traveling set, so we moved a little off the main lawn and put together our portable table and chairs, leaving the picnic tables for folks who may not yet acquired all the Pizza Farm exploring essentials like I have.
John Durning, of Pizzeria Deville, had put together a delicious seasonal Pizza menu. I had to order both the Prairie Pies with the ingredients right off the farm including an egg on one of them! I also went with a classic pepperoni and mushroom pizza.
While I waited I joined in on the Prairie Wind Farm Tour. I had missed it last visit because I was too busy focusing on Pizza. So this trip I took a little extra time to focus on the Farm. Farmer Jen was kind enough to stop over and say hello. I believe she recognized my hat. And Farmer Jeff led the Farm Tour, keeping us all engaged as we walked through the fields.
I learned quite a bit about Prairie Wind Family Farm. Farmer Jeff was able to give us some visuals of how changing weather patterns are effecting the way they have to farm the land. With all the rain, certain crops won’t grow in certain fields. And then with unusually low temperatures in June, a new reliance on hoop houses has come into play. Farmer Jeff discussed some of the future investments and changes that they will have to make to keep up with the climate changes.
As we explored the hoop houses, Farmer Jeff also shared some of the challenges of getting the tastiest and heartiest crops. After describing the process of combining aspects of certain plants and the amount of effort and care that is required, one of my friends turned to me in surprise and commented on just how much science there is when it comes to farming. And how difficult it is. It was validating for me to hear, because learning about the work that goes into our food and appreciating the Farmers that put in that work is one of the most valuable things about traveling out to a Pizza Farm Night. I mean, having an amazing pizza dinner in a beautiful setting is valuable in itself. But the connection with Farmers and the food that we eat that results from sharing a Pizza Farm experience is what makes Pizza Farms special.
There was a point where Farmer Jeff turned toward some of the outer fields and extended the tour to anyone who wanted to continue. I was tempted to go on, but I knew that by this time our pizza would be ready and waiting, so hunger won out over curiosity. We headed back to our picnic area. Pete and Alexa had been patiently waiting for us to arrive so that we could get pictures of the pizza before we started packing it all down.
The Pizzeria DeVille crew did a great job. We ate so much pizza! We also passed around some watermelon that my friend, Mary, brought, and we shared some of the berries that were being sold a side dish.
Overall, it was great night. We took a chance with the weather and once again it paid off. It was a beautiful night and we left with full bellies and happy hearts.
