Sunday I took a tour of a local blueberry farm just outside of Lumberton.

The interesting thing about this farm, other than the chicken tractor, is that everything grown there is done so without chemicals. Pesticides are not sprayed on the plants and fertilizer comes from natural substances.

I was impressed with the various aspects of the farm. They don’t just grow blueberries, but also a number of vegetables and care for chickens.

And the blueberries were quite tasty. While their harvest season is still about a week away, there were some ripe blueberries clinging to the branches that we were allowed to sample. It was enough of a preview to show how good freshly grown food can taste.

Like most people, I buy food from the grocery store. At times I have bought blueberries, but for some reason the blueberries I get at the store seem smaller and not as sweet as than the ones I sampled at Pearl River Blues Berry Farm.

I can’t say why their berries seem bigger, maybe it was because it had rained all week, or maybe those varieties produce a larger fruit.

What I took away from Sunday’s tour was that, if I had the time and space, I would like to grow my own food one day. Such a task would by no means be easy.

There are several factors involved in growing food that I know I am unaware of. I’m sure there would be a large number of back breaking hours involved, just in getting the seeds in the ground, much less tending to the plants as they sprout and begin to produce fruit and vegetables.

While I know it would be a chore, I feel all of us could benefit from knowing where our food comes from.