Fall Abundance
I have been harvesting bushels and bushels of pumpkins and gourds. At the farmers’ market you will see the tables in my booth overflowing with these classic autumn symbols. But what you won’t see much of is winter squash. I…
Tag Local food
Still Picking
October is here and I’m still harvesting tomatoes. The heirloom tomato plants are just barely hanging on having never really recovered from the intense heat wave from weeks ago. But the cherry tomato plants are happy and healthy with fresh…
Slowing Down
Each day I find myself moving slower. I’m getting up later, just leisurely drinking my coffee, taking longer to leave the house, sluggishly harvesting tomatoes, and I think I’m even walking slower. At first I just chalked it up to…
Fall is Coming
After our recent heat wave it has been nice to have some days with cool breezes and cloudy skies. But I was still caught off guard by last Thursday’s rain, well more like a heavy mist but water from the…
Enjoying the Seasons
The tomatoes are still the star of the farm, requiring my full attention most every day. But across the field a successor is lurking in the weeds. The pumpkins are growing well, the vines are curling up the tall weed…
Cherry Tomatoes Are Here
The workload is transitioning once again. I still have lots to weed, sorry winter squash, I’ll get to you soon, I hope. It is mid-July and the harvest season is now starting for Quarter Acre. The cherry tomatoes are ripening steadily.…
Time for Tomatoes
The cherry tomatoes have begun to ripen, just a few on this plant and that plant. I have to walk up and down many rows to fill a flat of pint baskets. The extra early heirloom tomato variety glacier has…
Something New
Like most farmers I build on my experience from year to year with the hopes that this year will be better than the last. So I tend to grow many of the same crops and varieties that performed well in previous…
Summer Plants Are Coming
Sprouts of summer crops are starting to fill the greenhouse. The various basils are teeny tiny. I’m still waiting for crops like cucumbers and summer squash to germination. While the eggplants and peppers are starting to grow their first true…
Climate Smart Agriculture
This week I had the chance to attend the California Climate and Agriculture Summit. The day was filled with farmers, scientist, and policy folks. The various workshops and panels dealt with the effects of climate change and strategies to improve…