Hmmm, what happened to the rest of the days since last Thursday? Not sure – my blog for last Thursday’s recipe *poof* disappeared into the ether…and well, the other days are just touch and go. Sometime the stories and inspirations have to come from other places. But here we are – Tuesday again.
As it inches closer to the Equinox, I am dreaming of wood land flora/fauna cookie making. Nothing says celebration like baking, apparently – ha! I also dream of a family nature loom, something cooked in the fire, harvesting something lovely (like the grapes or even medicinal flowers for tea – or a foraging trip in the woods – yessss!), and pressing apples. The celebration day falls early in the week this year so it is likely I can milk the entire weekend before as part and parcel. I love a long celebration! Any big plans?
Normally we would head to the Common Ground Fair – it’s a nice way to kick off the season. We have favorite bits like the animal barns – who doesn’t love to see the fancy chickens, pet the bunny, watch the angora fur lady make yarn, watch goat milking or the center shows (Duende loves the herding demonstrations). We catch the Shave Ice booth on the way to cardboard hill, stop by the kid’s area to get some facepaint, somewhere in there we’ve picked up our cover crop from the Fedco tent, walked through the apple trees, checked out all the spinning wheels, and wish we could go to the herb or iron works or forestry workshops (but what would we do with our wonderful child? we’ve yet to go to any of the seminars during the fair). Eventually we settle on some lunch (if we can afford it, I also bring snacks), find the Revolution tent so I can peruse the Nearing books, pass the Taproot tent wistfully wishing I could afford another subscription, and out the same way we came in (which is technically the wrong gate for homeskoolers but we do it anyway, it’s not as crazy and they don’t seem to mind) but we wait to enjoy this section until it’s time to leave – the used book tent/the Chelsea Green tent, the smokey bourbon maple syrup, and a couple of actual farm market booths where I see how much change I have left to get as many lovely delicious vegetables to make dinner with for a full Common Ground Fair celebration meal. Last year we were up there just a couple of weeks later for the Apple Fair and Josh caught a couple of seminars then. If this were a normal year, it is likely we would do that again, but perhaps next year.
What is actually happening now around here? Marvelous things are still growing – white pumpkins, spaghetti squash, the beans are drying on the vine and plant (soon to be brought in and shelled), the corn bed is being prepared for the garlic to go in soon, and a makeshift greenhouse is being made out of the (now empty – thank you beautiful Ginger Broilers, you were lovely) chicken tractor to extend the heirloom tomatoes and plant some kale. 3 more rows of potatoes are set to dig up in another week, and the fruit plants will be mulched for the Fall/Winter. First frost is coming up soon (I think it is technically next week, seems probable), it will be light but is a good reminder to get things rolling. The fruit trees will be mulched and caged, and many herbs will be cut and dried.
And there will be some ordering changes for our wonderful regular customers – new order forms, and weekly products, as well as some surprises and monthly goodies. We’re excited about the changes as they help to streamline but highlight some of our favorite things to make.
Happy Almost Fall!
Rock Bottom Homestead 