Ann Read
I recall sitting on an old counter in my grandmother's kitchen – a 1950s era vintage with the metal edge that would dig into the back of my legs. Together, we might pick feathers from a chicken recently butchered for dinner, or grind the end of a ham hock for our family’s always coveted ham spread – served best on warm, yeasty home-made bread. Summer and fall were always special – filled with canning wonderfully sweet cucumber pickles or making crab apple jelly from freshly picked fruit – all used to fill my grandparents’ cold dirt cellar for the West Virginia winter.
Growing up with a Southern-cooking grandmother who learned from her mother, and a mother who carried on those traditions, I knew I must pass those experiences along. And, those experiences taught me the importance of using the freshest ingredients and how special ingredients make the best meals. When my daughter was born, I wanted her to have some of the same opportunities and memories that I had growing up.
After researching and reviewing the options on market shelves for her first meals, I realized the best I could do for her was to make her baby food myself. I used primarily locally grown produce and meats at the peak of their freshness. She watched and giggled as I developed new combinations and flavors, and she not only loved the food, but it helped develop her palate to LOVE how real fruits, vegetables, and meats should taste. Now, she prefers poached salmon and avocado to chicken nuggets and french fries – and that I love.
My goal in starting Harvest to Highchair is to give your little ones the same fresh start I was able to give my daughter… to open their palate to the amazing flavors of real fruits and vegetables…to give them the best start on a life-long love affair with food.
Clare Parks
I am a birth and postpartum doula, childbirth and health educator, and a mother. I am here to help you look to nature for nourishment during your pregnancy and postpartum.
I support new and emerging families in understanding the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual changes that take place during the transformative experiences of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Caring for yourself and your child as you transition into your new roles is important and sacred work, so I want to make sure you feel cared for, too.
I came into this work through health education. I have studied, taught, and researched whole-body health and nutrition education for the past ten years. I work to find the very delicate balance of empowering the individual to understand, love, and care for their bodies, while paying special attention to the very real role that systems of oppression play in our relationship to health.
I moved into birthwork in order to continue to learn how to support people in working with their bodies to further understand themselves, this time through the transformative experience of birthing a baby. I was lucky enough to become pregnant and have my own child throughout my doula training and mentorship. The overwhelming support I received - and continue to receive - from the birthwork community made it such an incredible and powerful experience - one that every new parent deserves.
I combine my lifelong love of learning about empowered health with my wonder and awe of the natural world around us to support and help replenish new parents and families, working with nature’s remedies to nurture and nourish the whole family.