Casting a spell

John and I were talking about the bewitching power of the farm 

and he cautioned me how addictive it can become. 

It's not surprising that you would want to return day after day 

during spring and summer. Besides needing to tend the plants,

 your curiosity is ripe (couldn't resist, sorry) to check the progress of what is growing. 

But, even now when the farm seems fallow and summer's bounty is just a tasty memory, there is something that draws you back. 

One recent misty morning, there was a hypnotic hush and a sense of anticipation. 

We had begun to clear the beds to get ready for the rototiller. 

Everything including the droplets of water clinging to the trees 

seemed suspended, waiting.

Just as John had warned me, I fell under the spell.

bare branches look like lace

an industrious spider had been here

I, also waited, and finally was rewarded with a bit of sunlight through the fog. 

Not quite the warm bath of light I had experienced a week ago 

but glimmers of light that perked everything up. 

Got me to meditating on how different the same thing can appear to be 

from one moment to the next.

This majestic Palm tree overlooks the lower beds
two different mornings in November.

There were not that many days between these photos of the persimmon tree

Last week John and Colby were eating juju berries off the lush tree

and then the last few cling to the branches
before a wind storm blew them all away.

As the warm amber light of Indian Summer changed
to the sharper golden rays of Autumn, 

we were harvesting winter squash and
enjoying the deep fall colors, grabbing those last green tomatoes
along with fennel, herbs and persimmon fruit. 

October and early November still had an easy and steady rhythm at the farm. 

But now the pace quickens—taking our cue from the squirrels and birds 
that dart around—each day brings sharp contrasts.

Squash blossom in November hoping there is still time...

The persimmon leaves herald autumn

Celestial Figs glisten with wintery frost

All of this happening within a week or so at the farm.

I can't get the images out of my mind.

These cycles are hypnotic indeed,
beckoning me to return to see what is—and is not still there. 

Keeping the farm growing

So much more is going on at the farm than just the land we work, 

seeds we sow and plantings we tend. 

We are not the only hard workers at the farm.
Our partners are the "good bugs," and natural predators 

who populate the Insectary garden.

Insectary planting bed

Insectary plants are those that attract insects, 

but "the good guys." 

Not just caterpillars and ladybugs, but ground beetles, 

hover flies and parasitic wasps are intentionally introduced. 

 Think of it this way: An Insectary garden is meant to be
a kind of companion gardening experience that invites insects to live within,
providing the right kind of food and shelter they need to survive and procreate.
The particular plants you grow to attract them do matter but not as much as having an assortment of plants of different heights, and blossoms of various sizes blooming from early spring through late fall, to provide ideal living conditions for the most effective variety of beneficial insect species.

Did you know that the beneficial insects 

that contribute to the health of what we grow 

are likely to be ten times more abundant in an Insectary?

In addition to the carefully chosen plants in the Insectary beds
that surround the farm, some of our popular vegetables and herbs
also invite the "right" insects to maintain proper balance.
Fennel, carrots, dill, parsley, lemon balm, rosemary and thyme turn out to be good choices for us and the heath of the farm's overall ecosystem.

Standing tall in the Insectary is a bird house

 as a haven for the birds that also participate in the 

natural predatory process that occurs at the Insectary.

So while it may seem as if nothing is going on
at this point in the life of these plants,
 the hard workers at the farm toil
even when we are not there.

Without these insects and other natural residents at the farm,
we would not enjoy the bounty it yields for us.


Next week: John and Colby look ahead to a new season.

Transitions

6:20 am Monday Nov. 14, 2011

Farming is all about transitions, growth from one state to another—movement that seems slow but then there is a change and something new appears. I experienced that first hand one morning this week at the farm as dawn broke, the day began and the sun rose, changing the view of the farm in a short span.

one bed cleared of summer bounty

one bed still growing

Sunrise began and the light appeared 

quickly changing how everything looked.

by now it is 7:00 am 

sunlit hills overlooking our farm beds

Finally sunshine bathes our farm and my shadow looms like a Giant.

It didn't take all that long—by 7:20 am, the farm had changed, looking the same yet different. This transition from one moment of the day to the next is a perfect metaphor for what is constantly happening at the farm.

As a biodynamic organism transitions are constant here 
and we learn to work with them.
The land is now cleared of all of summer's bounty. 

But there is still work to do at the farm 

as we are now preparing for a new season.

Yet even as we transition from summer to fall 

looking ahead to winter, 

the farm surprises us with still more bounty.

there are still peppers to harvest

strawberries peeking out 

and fennel

But the raspberries are done until next summer.

Autumn is truly a time of great transition—

the bridge from summer to winter.

What will we see next week?

Autumn at the farm

As the Autumn light begins to cast shadows 

at the farm we know that Winter is coming soon.

Rows of squash continue to grow, bringing many varieties into our 
kitchens to inspire the chefs. Julienned spaghetti squash makes a beautiful 
"bed" for a pork dish. With so many kinds of squash, the possibilities are endless.

Of the many types of winter squash, the oblong striped delicata is often 
called the "cadillac of squash"- it is so sweet. You will find it roasted, 
in soups or a salad as our chefs get very creative with this gem. 

    

 

so many varieties of squash

But even as we are well into the Fall season, we still delight 
in finding more tasty tomatoes on the vines. 

we harvested 1500 pounds of tomatoes 

and look forward to green tomato jam this winter.

more gifts that we bring from the farm to our tables 

fennel

melons

Here we are approaching winter and we have melons. 
John's lesson from the farm is "Farming teaches us how to cook. 
As we farm, we learn what true seasonality means-you cook with what 
the land gives us not what you 'think' we should be making.  

Don't these persimmons look delectable? 
Since these are the fuyu variety, 
you might be able to take a bite 
if you find a ripe one. 
Beware before biting into the other variety of  persimmon−the hachiya, 
darker orange in color and more astringent and tanic. 
We have those at ESTATE's gardens 
and our chefs create luscious jam to compliment many dishes.

what are these berries?

These are jujube berries from our jujube tree. It is also sometimes called a 

Chinese date tree. These lovely berries are beautiful maroon dots in the orchard 

and they are now adorning the cheese plates at the girl & the fig as an unusual 

fruit compliment. And, they are high in Vitamin C!

Things are changing so quickly now at the farm, what will next week show us? 

We are learning so much from our work on this land and we enjoy sharing this 

experience with you, as well as the true fruits of our labors here.