Seasonal colors

Sonoma's grape harvest is drawing to a close, a true signal 

that we are shifting seasons here in Wine Country. 

It gets dark earlier each evening and we notice it is no longer possible 

to take a morning walk in the light around 6 am. 

Halloween decorations do not seem premature as October flies by, 

but the colors at our farm still alternate between signs of summer and cues to autumn.

the tomatoes just keep on going!

persimmons signal fall in the orchard

as do the juju berries 

But even as we continue to harvest our precious tomatoes, 

we know that most of what we are picking will 

soon be frozen or preserved in some way.

And as we've done with the other beds at the farm, we will clear away the 800 plants, 

refresh the soil and plant something else for our winter garden. 

broccoli and radish planted here

While we are always reliant on the weather for success at the farm, 

in winter, we are even more dependent on "good" weather, 

so we stick close to what we know works well for us at the farm.

carrots are always on the menu "at the fig"

Our chefs make good use of our carrots, whether at the bar or in the kitchen.

"The Harlot" cocktail with carrots & beets from the farm

Executive Chef John Toulze 

at the farm now, we have several varieties of carrots:
amarillo which are yellow and berlicum which are orange

amarillo carrots

berlicum carrots

Did you know there are many varieties of carrots? 

Carrots range in color from orange to yellow, white to red to purple!

The farm palette is colorful each season, whether it is a rainbow of tomatoes choices, 

all the varieties of squash, carrots and radish.

what will we see at the farm growing here?

Farm highlights

humbled indeed when we discovered
one of the birds was feasting on our figs!
who can blame them though?

As we've talked about here, farming keeps us humble 

and on our toes—there are things we plan for and can expect and often things we can't. 

We are always adapting and learning.  

The farm reminds us that it is an alive and constantly growing place. 

not much time between the planting of the upper quad

and the winter squash explosion!

Sometimes it is the surprises we find that are 

even better than what we expect to see.

we are still amazed at the blossoms on our tomato plants
late September!

Some other farm highlights include:

we always love the first fig sighting
behind "the fig"

and this one at the farm.

knowing that even those these tomatoes are green,
they are ready

and will soon be these "fried green tomatoes" at
the girl & the fig

encountering a bee hard at work

and a lizard too. Can you find this guy?

cropping makes him a little more visible,
but his camouflage suit is pretty good

and running into this bird right outside the orchard
he was busy getting his dinner too!

The farm is in flux right now as we transition 

from summer to fall and look ahead to winter.

summer squash competes with

winter squash to inspire the chefs!

these beds will soon have leeks & garlic

and our Atlantic Giant squash is close to harvesting

did you know Atlantic Great squash have been bred for 130 years?

and our persimmons will soon be ready 

What surprises do you find in your garden?

And the seasons they go round and round...

We talk frequently about transition and ongoing changes at the farm—not to be repetitive 

but because these changes are in fact, the constant at the farm. 

Every day there is growth, some things wither and die while new things blossom. 

A simple but significant metaphor for our lives, the work at the farm 

keeps us focused on the flow of nature.

raspberry bushes going dormant after bountiful summer

a few golden raspberries still wanting to party

Did you know that 90% of all raspberries sold in the United States 

come from Washington, Oregon and California. We are lucky to grow our own at the farm. And more raspberry trivia: Raspberries can be either 

red, purple, gold or black in color. 

The golden ones are sweeter than the other varieties. Lucky us! 

Once raspberries are picked, they won't ripen any further, so even as we 

are past harvesting these gems for this season, 

we'll let the last few hardy ones do their thing!

Persimmons in the Orchard not quite ready, but soon!

At the same time that some of our bounty is past harvest time, 
we begin to look ahead to what will soon be ready to pick 
as well as what we will plant next at the farm.

But the chard and purslane planted in the Orchard bed are ready now!

Following the rhythm of the farm, we pay attention to these cycles.

While these transitions occur on their own, there are other changes that require 
our assistance. Knowing the summer squash 
was past its prime and needing to replenish the beds for winter planting, 

we recently set to work on the lower quad.  

Actually whether you plant a winter garden or not, 

fall should not really be viewed as the end of summer gardening season, 

but rather the beginning of a new garden for next spring. 

So much of what we do—harvesting what's grown and our dedicated attention 

to the soil now—goes a long way to improving next year's harvest, 

even reducing the amount of work next spring to prep the farm. 

While any seasonal change encourages you to stop and take stock,

 it seems like this time of year particularly inspires some reflection. 

As days get shorter and we hurry to harvest summer's bounty, preparing for winter, 

we appreciate what the farm has given us and make a commitment to give back. 

A wonderful book celebrating "the cyclical rhythms of nature" that came out in 2009 

(but is still relevant) is The Seasons on Henry's Farm. 

Worth the read to understand how "sustainable agriculture which mimics nature, 

and the life of an extended family that not only believes in 

the importance of stewarding the land but lives it every day. 

The author invites us to recognize our place in the cosmos, 

and to understand that growing good food does not mean 

destroying soil and water, and that we can eat well and live well, 

and still leave this earth a better place than we found it."

We try to do our part. 

The farm project is an important aspect of our business and our philosophy.

As is sharing the fruits of our labors with you, at our tables and in this blog.  

Let us know how you celebrate the change of seasons.

And follow us here to experience the next cycle for us at the girl & the fig farm project.