I am finally feeling and seeing the evidence of fall!  The gardens are winding down, but still  producing those wonderful tomatoes, peppers, and of course the winter squash. 

Speaking of tomatoes, I was watching the morning news on CBS Today and there was a short presentation on home grown tomatoes.  It was filled with gorgeous photos of gardens and their owners and took us to a California tomato tasting event.  Of course there were all colors, shapes and sizes and the science behind why we actually prefer those home grown tomatoes.  They are sweeter, as they contain more sugar.  Now you know why they taste so good!

The summer squash has given up its life and the last harvest of beans will be next week.  I harvested some Hubbard squash yesterday which will be cut up and in your share this week.  There will also be some acorn squash, chard, peppers, broccoli, beets, a few beans, eggplant and lots of tomatoes.  Take advantage of this bounty by canning or freezing so you don't have to spend extra money this winter at the supermarket on these items.

I gave a short presentation on CSA's and the importance of supporting local business last Saturday at the first Harvest Festival for Transition Billings.  It was a beautiful day, with information on chicken coops, composting,  alternative energy, raising chickens, greenhouses, and Vista.  I really enjoyed meeting others that have a passion for building a stronger community.

Next week will be our last share day, and as I didn't receive a response for any interest in a pot luck, I will put it on the back shelf for next year.

So for now, I am off to the gardens to start harvesting.

Week 13 – September 13, 2012

The long hot days of summer are starting to dwindle down…even though it is still hot.  The sun is coming up later and going down sooner and the evenings are cooling down.  Have you noticed that some of the trees are already loosing their leaves?  There are moments when I can smell fall in the air.  The weather man is predicting a nighttime temperature of 37 degrees on Wednesday night.  Yikes!  I was looking forward to a long fall, but not an early freeze!  We still have 4 more weekly baskets.

Are any of you canning this year?  If you need help with recipes and directions, just let me know.  I learned to can from my Grandma and my Mom.  It was a summer/fall ritual.  What we didn’t grow ourselves we purchased from local farmers.  My Grandpa had a root cellar where we stored all of our bounty.  I can still remember seeing the visual beauty of all the colors and shapes in the glass jars that lined the wooden shelves and smelling the damp musty aroma of the dirt floor where sand filled crates held carrots, beets, and his award winning Canna Lily bulbs.  Woven baskets were filled with sweet onions and burlap bags were filled with potatoes.  Those were the days!

Your basket this week will be filled to the brim with onions, carrots, beets, radish, cucumbers, eggplant, summer squash, broccoli, tomatoes, a selection of peppers and beans.  If you need dried dill seed for pickling or dried cayenne pepper, just ask.  I have some ready. 

As always, Thursday from 2-6 PM is your pickup day and time.  Last week was the first week that everyone actually showed up for their share!  Remember to bring your box or bags to carry your produce home and return the clam shells and plastic baskets too, so that I can continue to reuse them.