Fall

No Newsletter next week, September 22 – I am off to Nashville for a gut biome conference with Ellen 9/18-21

It truly is the best time of the year, in my estimation. There is still an almost grueling (at times) amount of work to accomplish in a day, but this is the time when we start ticking things off, like last time to plant lettuce, time to fill up the hoophouses with crops for the winter, new layers laying lots of eggs – we have eggs for sale again, by the way, crisp mornings, brassicas coming into their own, the barn filling up with storage crops, pigs getting fat and sassier, soup tasting better, salads becoming more dear, CSA bags getting really heavy. The sun is weaker, but still very nourishing. I drink in the beauty of the earth every day, and thank God that I am a farmer!

Gratitude this week
Thanks to all who have answered our call for financial help. I haven’t had time to even calculate it all, or write down the names in one place. But we will be able to upgrade our irrigation and our predation control with your supportive efforts. I promise a fuller report in two weeks. We are grateful to be part of the larger farming and eating community that appreciates small community-based farms. Makes me want to jump out of bed every morning at 4 am with a song in my heart!

2025 MHOF CSA

Here is my best guess for this week 16 – In these last 7 weeks we are looking to make up for lost time in the CSA. The rain changed everything. We gave out 17 different items last week, with the quality quite high. This week will also sport 17 different vegetables/herbs.

• Lettuce – here is hoping we will have a head for everyone
• Cilantro or parsley
• Basil – this may be the last week of our best basil ever
• Beet greens – our most beautiful crop right now

• Monster beets again – ooh they are so sweet
  Broccoli/cabbage/cauliflower or collards
• arugula
• Kale for all
• Summer squash once again
• celery
• Chard
• Tomatoes
• Radishes
• Turnip greens
• Tulsi – this is the highest quality tulsi that I have ever grown
• Oregano
• chives

SIGN UP FOR A FALL SHARE NOW
Marj has been doing wonderful things with the website, and it is now ready to accept your fall share application. Look forward to broccoli, lettuce, Asian greens, beets, potatoes, onions, leeks, garlic, winter squash, celery and celeriac, parsley, kale, collards, hopefully chard, spinach, cabbage and who knows what else.

Order yours today

Heather Sandison with Ari Whitten on Reversing Alzheimer’s

I have so many friends who are dealing with the heartache of a partner succumbing to Alzheimer’s. Heather Sandison has a new book and some very specific help for folks. All may not be lost.

Reversing Alzheimer’s Disease: Drugs vs. Lifestyle | Dr. Heather Sandison

View Article

PFAS Contamination Map Released

compiled by Jack Kittredge

PFAS are the fluorinated chemicals (like Teflon and firefighting foam) commercialized starting in the 1950s which are linked to kidney and testicular cancer and problems with infertility, immune systems, cholesterol, liver function and more. They are a particular problem in our heavily contaminated society — and are called “forever chemicals” — because their carbon-fluorine bonds resist breaking down in nature or the human body and they will likely persist for centuries.

Maximum contamination levels have been set for a number of PFAS and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has required local public water systems to test for them. The following map has been produced by the Environmental Working Group showing the results from almost 10,000 water sites in 50 states and whether the detected PFAS were above or below the proposed limit. The map is interactive and can be blown up to street address level if you want to pursue this further. It is available here.

“Dark Waters” is a 2019 movie based on the true story of the negligent disposal of PFAS toxic waste by DuPont and the legal battle which made them clean it up. The danger of PFAS is particularly of concern to farmers because in an attempt to dump the manufacturing residue it has been sold as fertilizer by the truckload, polluting crops and animal feed when spread on farmland. Maine has been plagued with this problem and established a state agency to help farmers whose land has innocently been poisoned by these chemicals.

As the public becomes more aware of PFAS, however, the pesticide companies are also rallying to protect themselves from stronger regulation. The EPA has already decided to overturn the drinking water standards promulgated under Biden for four existing PFAS and set new, less protective, limits. In addition, Sygenta, Bayer and BASF have developed new chemicals with the carbon-fluorine bonds but are lobbying the EPA not to treat them as PFAS. A number of Representatives and Senators are supporting a more lenient regulatory environment and the issue is becoming a test of how far the MAHA movement can push its health agenda before meeting the muscle of the pharmaceutical industry.

Soil and Nutrition Conference
The Soil and Nutrition Conference is put on by the Bionutrient Food Association, an organization that son Dan is Executive Director of. I always sign up and I always learn lots of inspiring things, and enhance my thinking on issues of food, farming and community.

I wanted to comment on the terrible rash of shootings all over our country, and this seemed like the best place to mention it. When you join an organization like the Bionutrient Food Association and hang out with people who are focused on life and living systems, and peoples’ connection to real things, it provides a sense of grounding and sanity in our world where hate and divisiveness regularly rear their ugly heads. This past week’s speaker, Mark Cohen, provided so much food for thought about how we are connected to the earth and to each other. It gives a sense of perspective and provides room for hope and for creativity when the news is so troubling.

The 2025 Soil & Nutrition Conference: Renaturing Ourselves is a 12 week digital gathering of pioneering voices from around the world. Running from September 2nd to November 18, each live Tuesday session explores the interconnections between soil health, nutrient density, and our collective well-being. This year, our annual conference goes global with a conversation that touches us all deeply — the level of our connection to nature in all of her aspects. Culture, food, community, land, economics, politics, activism, future generations, our own well-being. Let’s be honest about where we are and support each other in a deep and systemic ReNaturing process. We’ve identified brilliant beings from around the globe, and some world changing steps and understandings that are already manifesting on the planet. Some of them you may know and others you will have never heard of, but you can be sure that the topic and the lively discussions will be something you won’t want to miss.

• Registration Link: ReNaturing Ourselves – The 2025 Soil & Nutrition Conference — Bionutrient Food Association – Nutrient Density From the Ground Up

 

Register Now
Jennifer’s Recipe
Arugula & Ginger Gold Apple Salad with Lime-Ginger Dressing
This vibrant autumn salad is a celebration of balance—both in flavor and in nourishment. In Ayurveda, the arrival of autumn ushers in Vata season, a time marked by cool, dry, and mobile qualities. The naturally sweet and slightly spicy Ginger Gold apple anchors the dish with stability and grounding, while raw honey and cranberries add a gentle sweetness that soothes Vata’s tendency toward dryness and restlessness. Lime and freshly grated ginger kindle agni, the digestive fire, supporting assimilation of nutrients and awakening the senses with a lively brightness. Peppery arugula and aromatic basil bring the bitter and pungent tastes, lightly cleansing and helping to balance any lingering summer Pitta heat. The drizzle of sesame oil and the creamy richness of avocado add the much-needed unctuous (oily) quality that nourishes tissues, lubricates joints, and steadies the nervous system.

From a Western nutritional perspective, this salad is equally impressive. The Ginger Gold apple provides a crisp dose of vitamin C, fiber, and polyphenols, supporting immune health and healthy digestion. Walnuts and avocado supply omega-3 and monounsaturated fats, known to reduce inflammation, promote heart health, and stabilize blood sugar. Ginger acts as a natural anti-inflammatory and digestive aid, while basil offers antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Together, these ingredients create a dish that is light yet satisfying, hydrating yet grounding—a perfect bridge from the warmth of late summer to the cool clarity of autumn.

Get the recipe

Farm Doins
It was a great week. The weather was perfect, and still by Wednesday we could feel the moisture in the soil from Sunday’s long rain. Yes, we did turn the whirly gig back on Saturday as there is no more rain in the forecast, but those vegetables just drank in that natural water like nobody’s business.

On Tuesday Ethan and Zach, new farmers in San Diego, stopped by for the morning. And Luke came back for a reunion for the day too. Bottom line we accomplished a massive amount of work putting in 3 very long beds of spinach, mowing down the back of the north that got taken out in the spring from the excessive rains, and which was sitting there photosynthesizing with lots of beautiful grass. First we tractor mowed it, then again with the riding mower, then a heavy dose of soil primer, and then tarps. We will open that area up in the spring to high organic matter. And perhaps we will delay planting it as it is low and wet on a bad year.

Ethan and Zach covering spinach

Then Marissa and Justin and I prepped and froze cabbage. They left at 3 and I finished up making 33 two lb. bags of frozen cabbage by 7 pm. As Dan has left for another world tour, he invited me over to pick 5 more crates of his tomatoes, which we are currently turning into probably 80 or more quarts of canned tomatoes. Then there is the tulsi that I am drying for tea, and the grapes, which we didn’t even get to this past week. We will make them into canned juice. We squeezed in some peach freezing on Friday too. Num num. Food preservation long hours and heavy pots are with us. I forgot about the extra energy that I muster when food preservation time rolls around.

Picking for the CSA was such a rush this week. I felt like I was a good farmer after all, and all of our crops were so amazingly healthy. It took us a fair amount of time with both Monday and Wednesday taking us overtime into the afternoon to complete.

Marj and Justin accomplished the big pig move on Wednesday, and Matt even stopped by and gave them his seal of approval.

Whoops, that pig was outside the fence. But as with Charlotte’s Wilber, a little grain on the other side of the fence and a little tap on the rear end encouraged him to slide under the fence that we lifted for him.

Julie

Last Saturday’s rain was music to our ears
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