September 2, 2009

I am among the most privileged of people and it is time to give thanks.

Reverence, despite the unseasonably cool weather and the too much too little cycle of deluge and drought, is producing a beautiful harvest, even if not as abundant in years past.   The second crop of snap beans is gorgeous - the Yellow Rocky was beans are tender and sweet, the green Provider beans are living up to their name and providing a second bountiful harvest, the Royalty Purple and Royal Burgundy beans are slugging it out for title of best purple bean ever.  The dry beans are producing a nice set and the edamame are finally all harvested and processed.  I expect we will be able to eat edamame every week straight through to the next harvest.  The Agate and Fiskeby edamame will not be coming back - small and sparse pods and the flavor is not noticeably different from the heavily laden Shirofumi variety. 

The tomatoes have set a good crop and I am waiting for them to color up - harvest should start in just a few days.  I even have eggplants and peppers this season - not many but given the very few plants in the ground and the late date of planting I am overjoyed to have what I have.  I even have a few of my particular favorite - Apple Green.

I will have close to 60 pounds of spaghetti squash - we can skip pasta this year - the spaghetti squash will take us through till the next harvest - they hold remarkably well in cool storage.

I am digging potatoes - they are smallish due to the prolonged dry spell but they are tasty and beautiful and I am pretty sure we'll have enough to see us through.  The corn, sadly, was a major bust - though planted in time, it suffered developmental delays due to problems with soil fertility and the weather.  Still  - I am enjoying snacking on the tiny ears right in the field - corn -  like melons and tomatoes and cukes - are best eaten picked just off the plant - and I mean just off  - like standing right there in the field and savoring the bounty of the Earth.

The garlic and onions are all harvested and about ready to go into storage - the garlic is nice and  big and the onions are tasty, if smaller than normal.

The carrots and beets are sizing up and there will be at least a few winter squash.  The cukes and summer squash did not produce well but we still have more than we can munch through right at the moment.  Time to get snacking on the cukes and making a few summer squash sautees. 

As you can see - there is so much to be thankful for.  The opportunity to grow healthy and peaceful food for my family - the gorgeous colors and tastes and textures of the harvest - being able to spend time doing what I love - being surrounded by the wildflowers in the hedgerows - Queen Anne's Lace, yarrow, milkweed, wild daisies, and more I can't name - sharing some of the harvest with the animals that are kind enough to share their home with me.  These are the times in life that create the sense of wonder and awe and reverence that imbue life with it's meaning.

I am also grateful to all my farming friends for their counsel and advice and encouragement.  I'm grateful for my neighbors who offer the use of their barn, shed and well, I am grateful for Sue and Gary who taught me so much and who grow awesome vegetables - and I'm grateful that their corn turned out well and that I could put up 6 dozen ears for the winter.  I am grateful for the help of my husband and daughter who patiently pulled edamame pods from the stalks (several hours of work) and shucked corn.

There is so much more - it would take me hours to write it all down.  Despite the bumps along the way, I can truly say that I am among the most fortunate people who have ever lived.  Thank you to everyone in my life - your support, friendship, and love are what I am most grateful for.