Fall has arrived
Yes, it's true! My favorite shift of seasons is upon us. Maybe it's how long, chilly, and clear the nights are. Maybe it's the feeling of the first drop of the late-rising sun each morning while out feeding the animals. Maybe it's the abundance of food, the apples ripening and the harvesting of delicious pork. Maybe it's the sweaters, the flannels, the beanies, and the wood stove. Or perhaps the bright colors of the few select trees and even the poison oak. Maybe it's just that the inevitable slowness of winter is getting near. I think it's all of it.
But there is still so much happening here on the farm, its not time to slow down just yet.
To name a few things: our first batch of sweet spotted pigs to arrive here in March were harvested this week, including one for ourselves (leaving 13 to continue growing). Along with the turkeys, there are three coops full of chickens parading through the pastures, and one flock will go to feed farmers at this year's Eco-Farm conference in January. For the first time ever, there is drinking water in the house! At least three times a day someone is slowly herding turkeys back to their coop after their perpetual curiosity enticed them beyond their fences. My landlords (The Peninsula Open Space Trust) funded the digging of a well on the property. Real Food, Real Stories has asked me to tell my story on Oct. 22nd in San Francisco. I've got to start thinking about next year, because what seeds need to be sown this winter depend on it. Right now, I am watching our newest kitten (who we mysteriously found in our wood pile), Miss Frisbey (from The Secret of Nimh) chase a fly in the window. Exciting things are happening.
One of our amazing community members - bike mechanic, hard-working, super detail-oriented - Every, will be heading south for the winter in two weeks. We will miss her laugh, her amazing work ethic, her never-ending quest for the perfect bite, and everything she brings to this farm and land. We already said farewell to one of our other summer helpers, Rose Marie. She brought with her a permanent smile (even when things hurt), a very strong work ethic and a taste for delicious beer. She gave so much of herself to this place and all of the creatures here, we already miss her. That leaves Tara Turkey and myself to hold down the place for the next 8 weeks of the season. We got this. Happy Fall!