Ahhhhh. The first few weeks of cool weather have rejuvenated herbs, flowers, and farmers alike!
Zinnias, peppers, and sunflowers: oh, my!
After months of ignoring the weeds - it was just too hot! - we've had a chance to get in there and tackle them. Pedro's new MO is to use his wheeled hoe from Valley Oak Tool Company (they're in Chico!) to clear the pathways between the garden beds, then edge the beds with a spade, and then weed (ugh!), and then loosen and compost. It's a LOT of work, but we're making up for NOT doing it for three months, so I guess it all evens out...
And on the point of autumn, our wonderful Rick Bonetti reminded me of the Autumnal Equinox in his Redding Voice blog, yesterday. It's a beautiful season to celebrate fruit and vegetable reproduction - and the edible part they produce as a bonus! - as well as begin to think about preparation for cooler weather. I've begun trimming some of my leggier perennials (I'm looking at you, white sage and wormwood!) and thinking about spring bulbs.
We have some really fun winter squash coming on:
- Pipian, which is a dish that Pedro grew up with (one of his favorites, with chicken cooked in a sauce made of the squash seeds - totally relish!), is also a species of squash. It's really lovely, all white and stripey, and the vines just continue to get larger and larger (see August 26 summer update for their size last month...), and
- Australian Butter Squash, one that I chose for it's lovely color... and we haven't yet used, so are looking forward to baking with (yes! squash pie! veggies for dessert... or dessert for dinner!).
We aren't getting too many of the Aussie squash, so we'll see if those get out to the CSA, but the Pipian seems to be doing well. Pedro mother did let us know that we shouldn't look at the little baby squash, as they formed - they're evidently quite shy and just fall off the vine if you look at them when they're too small!
It's lovely weather like this, with beautiful and rewarding work to be done, that operating a farm is the most wonderful thing in the world!
Many autumnal wishes to you all.
- Elizabeth