Around 8 am, just getting light, and it's the second snow that's sticking around for a while. Here, I'm standing in a weedy area right beside the barn, looking south-west over the south-facing slope, with the chickenhouse just out of sight to the right. (That's a so-far … [Read more...] about Second snow, 2009
Archives for 2009
In the cold garden
The star by far of the last planting of brassicas, that mostly didn't size up in time for market or CSA, is without at doubt this unusual Nero Di Toscana strap kale. This Italian heirloom, apparently from Tuscany, is hardly better looking than the cold-beaten rest of the … [Read more...] about In the cold garden
Tiny fall cauliflower tastes good
Harvested a few tiny (tennis ball to softball-sized, like, orange to grapefruit...little ones!) cauliflower from the last-planted section of brassicas that also has kale and broccoli. It's still producing in home-consumption quantities, but with the exception of some strap kale, … [Read more...] about Tiny fall cauliflower tastes good
Spinach finale
So this is it for the season's spinach, a last 18lbs (8kg) of Spargo, unfazed by many subzero nights and all sorts of up-and-down weather antics. Spinach is one of the great ones for cold-climate tiny farming, easy-going once it gets started, tough under freezing conditions, and … [Read more...] about Spinach finale
First snow, 2009
Here it is, in the dim, chilly, gray 7:30 am light: the first snow to stick this fall. Familiar—we really do have such a short growing season, time flies—and of course not welcome, because there's still fieldwork to do. And I'll take warmth and greenery any day. But this first … [Read more...] about First snow, 2009