Welcoming the Wind: Appreciating Fall on the Farm

With wind howling through the valley in recent days, the stormy season is upon us. With that in mind, there are many months behind us since we first seeded our crops, and we’re now getting a good perspective on which crops have done well in their fields. For the curious, it might be nice to get informed look at how some of your favorite veggies are growing.

An observation from the field as we get geared up for storage is that the beets this year are rather large! In the previous year, the red variety got up to a pretty big size, while others tended to be smaller. Last week while combing through the golden beets, it was remarkable to notice that many were quite a bit larger than the last year’s average. It was fun to think about how much they had grown since the spring months and exciting to wonder about what had made the difference. Perhaps it was a change in what part of the farm they grew in, or maybe just the larger trends with weather (I will have to check the farmer’s almanac). Regardless, this root vegetable has thrived.

Another fun one that is more obvious when looking at the plant above ground are the Jerusalem artichokes. The stalks on those have been gigantic for a couple months now and recently have begun sporting bright yellow flowers, all of which have been quite picturesque in the wind. They are much taller than a person, which must mean they found favorable conditions. Harvest of those is just getting underway. When eating these roots, I recommend slicing them thin and baking for a hearty treat in fall or winter.

Now, there are other veggies I could mention that have grown a lot this year (as compared to my first year on the farm), but amidst all this comparison it seems important to mention the dependable kale plants. While they haven’t tripled in size, shocking us with some out-of-the-norm growth spurt, the lacinato, green curly and red curly have certainly continued to grow through the months, providing many a kale chip and stir-fry component.

In this autumnal time, with cloudy days and all, let’s give thanks to the plants – the tall, the chunky and the reliable!

~Erik