NOISE: Dig In

Cold Snap: Harvest Time

 

 

Some of the quick-growing fall plantings are nicely mature now, like these radishes.  But this is also the time to make a final harvest of peppers and other highly sensitive garden crops.  Tomatoes may need protection outdoors or to finish ripening indoors as the chance of a hard frost increases over the next few weeks.

Hardy crops like carrots, leeks and the like can be left as-is in the garden for a while yet.  If you've got sweet potatoes growing, be sure to harvest them as soon as frost kills off the leaves if not sooner.

If your tomatoes are still green when hard frost threatens, consider keeping them individually wrapped in newspaper in a warm, dry place in your home.  They will slowly ripen and you can enjoy them for months.  Some varieties keep better than other, always be sure to regularly inspect and EAT your stored home-grown food.

Fair Farm Bill Campaign

Food & Water Watch's Fair Farm Bill campaign seeks to apply pressure to U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) to use her power as the chair of the senate agriculture committee to fund the USDA to permit enforcement of the farm bill and its 'fair farm' provisions.  A few dozen committed people gathered Tuesday at the Downtown Library for a kickoff meeting.

The event was coordinated by grassroots organizer Katie Barzee.  As a trainee with Green Corps, she is working to organize support for fair market conditions for small- and mid-sized farmers here in Michigan and across the nation.

 

Barzee released the following statement:  

"Right now, our country’s food system is broken. A few large companies, like Cargill and Monsanto, control every part of our food system, squeezing consumers anddriving out small and mid-sized farmers.

 

"We all have the right to safe, healthy food. This year, we have a chance to make sure the USDA implements the 2008 Fair Farm Rules, which level the playing field forsmall and mid-sized farmers, giving consumers access to safer, more sustainable food.

 

New Potatoes and Bird Spottings

Crispness...it's a word, and it's in the air.  Birds are afflutter with the changing seasons, and even if your potatoes aren't full sized, enjoy a few.

These redskins fresh from the garden are especially delicately flavored when boiled or gently roasted.

Butter, salt and pepper is often plenty of seasoning for these fresh beauties.  As potatoes age, you may want to add a pinch of thyme or sage--but with new potatoes give the real potato flavor a chance.

 
Seeing birds like this in the garden while harvesting is gratifying; we've both benfited from each other's activites this year.