The Garden Keeps on Giving

We only have about 10,000 ears of corn left in the field.

Today is the fall equinox, the beginning time of turning in and turning under. Every time it seems that the garden is all used up, some magic goes to work and puts a few new things out for us - cabbages, the last onions, lots of squash (both summer and winter), and who knows when the last potato will actually be found. At some point soon the garden will officially close, and the cover crops will be planted. It's about time to light fires in the fireplaces and start the work of planning and envisioning our next year at the farm - new crops, new people, new challenges, and more magic from the garden.

Tiny potatoes, onions, cabbage, squash and watermelon - some plants just don't know when to quit!

Roasting Corn and Picking Punkins

Here are Janie and Sasi, Marvelous Marvin, and Lindy's Dad enjoying the farm.

Yesterday was a lot of fun. We had a lot of new friends come to visit, and quite a few took advantage of our thank you corn roast. Note to future farm: corn roast! Early and often! And pumpkins! people love Pumpkins. What's not to love about a pumpkin? There is plenty of corn in the field and it's marching out by the dozen, with lots more to pick. We are super-lucky to have such beautiful produce and such wonderful people at the farm. The days are warm and the nights are beautiful.

With the winding down of the season we're thinking about next year, and we'd love to hear from our friends and customers about what they'd like to see next year. We're thinking about CSA's and purple potatoes and flowers and more. What are you thinking about?

Watermelons and Potatoes

Carlos with a ripe, delicious Sugar Baby watermelon

This marks the last full week at the U-Pick farm. We have plenty of spuds, onions, cabbage, and winter squash left, and even some corn, but we're winding up, and we're hoping to have many friends visit up on Saturday for a thank-you corn roast and potato harvest. The days are just gorgeous, with chilly nights and gentle breezes. These are the sweet last days of summer, and the final hours of our first short growing season. Nature has taught us many lessons this year, as have our customers. We are grateful and lucky.

Carlos shows that the proof is in the tasting - click to play a fun movie!

Sunny days at the farm

People love to compare vegetables with their heads. It's fun!

Well, the harvest days are winding down - the order of the day is potatoes, cabbage, winter squash, and onions. The summer squash is all done, with the exception of a couple of tiny patty pans, the pumpkins are getting oranger and oranger, and the corn needs to be eaten TODAY! The days are warm and sunny, but they're getting shorter and it's starting to be time to wrap things up around the farm, which will take a while, for sure. We still have time for naps in the su, fortunately! It's been a short season of U-Picking, but a successful one in lots of ways.

Happy LaBRRRRR Day!

We were visited by our first frost this weekend, and the squash and melons were a bit surprised by it. The tomatoes are droopy too, but we're hoping lots of our crops can bounce back. Much warmer temperatures are expected later in the week - hang in there, plants! Summer's not over yet!

We had some wonderful weather during the days this weekend, and a good number of new friends coming to visit us. The sunflowers are beautifully bright yellow against the pure blue sky, and they all seem to be competing for the starring role in our visitors' photo essays. The farm is still full of deliciousness, for the tummy, for the eyes, and for the soul.

Corn, Beans, and Parades

Angelina, Lynette, Paula, Hayes, and Laurie on the farm truck, getting ready to wave, wave, wave.

It was a fun and busy week this week in Modoc. The Fair is in town, and that means we're trekking to Cedarville to see everything from rides to the destruction derby to the giant vegetable contest...and of course, the parade just wouldn't be complete without Frank the Farm Truck and the beautiful women of Fort Bidwell sitting on hay bales on back waving and throwing...lettuce? Next year we'll have it more together with a shade, some green beans to throw, a dressed up donkey, and more. This year, we're happy Frank made it to Cedarville and back before his starter died.

On the farm, the corn is jussssssst about ready, and the green beans are coming on strong. The melons aren't quite there yet, but the pumpkins are big and are starting to get nicely orange. A chill is in the air in the mornings. Labor Day weekend is almost upon us, and we're looking forward to welcoming many guests from near and far.

Carlos with the world's longest green bean, and Pinney checking out the corn. It's about ready, right on time!

Summer Winding Down

Pumpkin, squash, and Elsie with a potato. Click on the picture of the squash blossom to see the amazing bees at work up close

The sun is rising a little bit later every morning, it's getting dark a little bit earlier each evening, and the days don't seem so endlessly broiling. The evenings are still warm, and the mornings are cooler and cooler. The pumpkins are starting to get a little color, the sunflowers are blooming, the bees are in the squash, the onions are poking out above the soil, and the potatoes are getting ripe. We're still working hard and hoping for a great corn harvest, meeting new friends and dreaming new dreams but also savoring these last days of the farm's first summer.

High Harvest in the High Desert

Our "grocery bag harvest special" (just $10 for all the produce you can fit into a grocery bag!), ads, and the article in the Modoc Record this week drew record numbers of people to the farm this weekend. We were delighted to welcome individuals and families to enjoy harvesting beautiful green beans, melons, squash, onions, cabbage, lettuce, and in the case of a few lucky souls, vine-ripened tomatoes. Our new friends are travelling from all over Surprise Valley and even from Alturas and beyond to visit and discover our wonderful garden of Eden. Carlos brought our produce to the Farmers' Market in Alturas and sold out right away. Locavore Farms is getting a name, and we hope that that name is synonymous with healthy food, community, and a fantastic experience in nature. We think it seems to be!

A Whole Lotta Pickin' Going On

More and more of our friends and neighbors are discovering the U-Pick, and the green beans are ready right on time. The cabbage is perfect for sauerkraut projects, the cucumbers are perfect for summer salads, and a few of our customers are walking away with beautiful ripe watermelons. The corn is promising to be plump and ready around Labor Day, and the pumpkins are working hard to make the fall harvest. It's wonderful to see people appreciating the gifts of nature on and around the farm.

Carlos and his herbs, crystals, and candles. They make the farmstand an awesome place to hang out!

Carol and her grandchildren from across the lake visited the farm and loaded up on fresh veggies and good times. Even the Ozzy the Iguana got some Bok Choy!

The green beans are coming on strong. Fun for picking, even more fun for eating!

Farm Update

Jerry with bok choy, and a few of the watermelons showing their stuff

Today I thought I would post a copy of the email that goes out to the people on our email list. The weekly missives are getting longer and longer as more and more crops are ready to harvest. It's awfully quiet without any WWOOFers for the moment, so it's nice that people are still coming to and enjoying the farm.

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Happy August Days to you!

Thanks to the friends and neighbors who helped us make the first day of our U-Pick so successful! On Sunday, at every minute there was at least one person in the field gathering delicious veggies. It was wonderful to see, and in case you missed it, don't worry! Every Tuesday and Sunday morning from 8:00 till noon you'll have another chance to explore the farm and take home some of its treasures. This week, we're also delighted to announce a partnership with our neighbor Carlos Agurto, who will make his wonderful wild-harvested herbs and other aromatic and medicinal treats available to our customers at the farm, and will be bringing produce to the Alturas farmers' market on Saturday mornings. As if you need yet another reason to stop by, we're also going to be trying out "U-Drip" coffee - come make your own perfect cup of delicious, organic coffee to enjoy while you are picking or on your way home.

Here's what's in store for you this week. In addition to the farm and the Alturas Farmer's Market, you can also find Jerry at the Friday afternoon or Saturday morning Farmer's Markets in Cedarville. At the Farmer's Markets, among other delights from Jerry's garden and the farm, you'll find:

* Nini's legendary dumplings, always a top seller!
* Carrots, good for your eyesight and your attitude!
* Jerry's top-secret zucchini bread -- shhhh!
* Crookneck and zucchini squash - yummy!
* Cabbage - time for sauerkraut!
* Peas, delicious peas (shelling and sugar snap)!
* Leeks, a big favorite!
* Tender, delicious lettuce!
* Garlic - is it really as good as 10 mothers?
* Chard, good for your body and soul
* Bok choy - pure deliciousness!

This week at the U-Pick (CR 1 to Fort Bidwell, West on North St, then right on CR 165 - follow the signs), we'll have:

* Bok Choy - who doesn't love it?
* Wonderful herbs and information about herbs from Carlos
* Can you find some pole or bush green beans ready? I bet you can!
* Golden Acres cabbage - wow!
* Leafy green, iceberg and romaine lettuce - oh my!
* Leeks - fun to pick, funner to eat!
* Delicious and fun squash from our friends at Strawfly Farm!
* A couple of cucumbers are ready and waiting for you - get 'em quick, or wait till next week!
* ... and a few special delights from Jerry's Little Greenhouse!

For your information and planning, we're posting some of our current prices on our web site, along with produce prices at our local stores. As always, we thank you for your support and enthusiasm, and encourage you to live well, eat locally, and enjoy these warm days - they're getting shorter and sweeter!

U-Pick Officially Open!

The signs are up (see Noah and Micaela standing at the U-Pick sign above), the produce is ready, Jerry is spreading the word at the Farmers' Markets, and people started coming this morning to Locavore Farms to harvest food, meet their neighbors, spend a little time with nature, and to make the farm a vibrant center of growth, learning and community. Thanks to all who have participated - Jerry and his family, our WWOOFers and workers and guests, our well-wishers and observers, and our neighbors and customers.

Our first customer, master gardener Rick Peters of Michigan, was staying with family in Fort Bidwell, and showed up right on time with his own knife to gather the makin's of stuffed cabbage leaves.

Our friends the Klugher family came to gather bok choy, cabbage, and leeks. It was wonderful to see them in the garden and Iris and Cedar, above, really got into the work of excavating and extracting our giant chinese leeks.

It's wonderful to see all the hard work starting to pay off, and to see people enjoying the farm. We're looking forward to a couple of more months of two days a week at the U-Pick and two more days at the Farmers' Market with produce from Jerry's garden.

Harvest Season Begins!

The corn is tasseling (though it is as short as our resident miniature donkey, Frankie), the leeks are long, the lettuce and cabbage are landing on our dinner table more and more, the tomatoes are starting to get a get a blush, the squash plants are loaded with blossoms...it's harvest time! The U-Pick opens on Sunday, August 3, and continues for the next couple of months every Sunday and Tuesday. We're excited! Unfortunately the deer are also excited about our pepper and bean crops, but there's plenty to go around. Come on by!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28969380@N04/sets/72157606477718270/show/

A glimpse of the magic we experienced at Locavore Farms. Looking ahead, Magdalena and Justin.

A Journey's End by Justin and Magdalena

Up the hill on North Street and within the gates of The Fort Bidwell Cemetery awaits a scene not much different than any other cemetery in which hundreds of headstones rest facing a certain direction. In Fort Bidwell's case, these headstones face east. Some were mothers and fathers, infants and toddlers. Many were masons or soldiers in every war imaginable that America has been involved in during the last century including an entire section of unknown soldiers who died fighting Native Americans. Almost all of the headstones are those of pioneers or the children of pioneers who's lives have long since faded into memory and now represent an extraordinary point in time along the line of human history. These individuals, unique unto themselves seem to embody in their memory a spirit that must have been present during America's earliest years, a spirit that seems to be fading away like the glow of a setting sun.

As Magdalena and I approach the end of our three week journey with Locavore Farm, I find myself alone perched atop such a place, facing east along with the settlers of Fort Bidwell who dared make the journey west in search of the dream that a young and vibrant America promised. Just below, the town dwellings rest shrouded in the cover of tall trees forming a large cluster bordered by farms and sparse livestock. Beyond that stretches The Great Basin, a place that will for the time being remain an unexplored mystery to me. To the south stretches Surprise Valley where the towns of Lake City and Cedarville await our passing early tomorrow morning. To the west are the Warner Mountains at a pass where hundreds of settlers made their final push toward the lush farmlands of the Sacramento Valley. To the north rises Mount Bidwell and nestled between me and it is Locavore Farm, where we've spent these last three weeks submerged in a whirlwind of inspiration.

That inspiration is owed to Michael, thanks for the hilarious stories you told at supper, for being so attentive to our needs while Laurie was gone and for tolerating my political rants. To Jerry, Nini and Lee Tong for allowing us a glimpse into an amazing world of permaculture, homemade Elderberry wine and several amazing Chinese meals. Thanks to Adrian and Josh and Adrian's Surprise for a big night out and the free snacks. Thanks Dirk for finishing the dessert after we almost fell into a food coma. Thanks Noah and Michaela for your teamwork and for being so receptive to new people, it made this journey all the more enjoyable. Thanks Peter and Trudy for opening up the Bidwell Canyon cosmopolitan bar and showing us your 100 year old cabin. Thanks Mike and Lindy for the unforgettable night at Goodwell Farm, your cache is crowned with and energized by a rich and illustrious historical past. To the rest of Modoc County with whom I've made an acquaintance, purchased goods from, smiled or glanced at beyond remembrance and into infinity, may we keep faith in humanity by loving our families and helping our neighbors. Lastly, thank you Laurie Wayne! We arrived at Hornet's Nest both thrilled to enter a new world and hesitant to start something new. But never once did we imagine an experience as wonderful as this one has been. We now leave Locavore Farm spiritually rejuvenated, having discovered a colorful new lens in which to sharpen our focus on the world we inhabit. It is all because of you and for this we are grateful. Your hospitality goes unsurpassed, your energy radiates and you will be missed.

May we stay,
forever young.

Justin Spyres and Magdalena Rybarczyk.

Transforming and Transfarming

Things are very active on the farm. Our WWOOFers are busily transforming the land and buildings with construction projects - Magda and Justin building beautiful steps in the hillside (above) and Michaela and Noah with an inspirational awning protection project (below).

The farm is now officially producing! The first batches of lettuce and cabbage went to market today, and the U-Pick will be opening up on August 3! We're so excited, and there is lots to do before then. Stay tuned to this blog or to our website for the latest scoop!

Fun on the Farm...and beyond

The long hot days of summer are upon us now for sure, and some of our days are smoky from the wildfires many miles away. Surprise Valley still offers ample opportunity for all kinds of fun, from country music jams to staffing the Farmer's Market booth to trying a turn on one of the local horses and meeting new friends. Our WWOOFers Justin, Magda, Noah and Michaela (and honorary WWOOFer Michael) are used to getting up early and working hard to create beautiful spaces on the farm, and by the early afternoon a siesta is in order for one and all. The crop is taking off, and with the help of (for now) abundant water from the creek and lots and lots of sunshine, we're getting closer and closer to U-Pick Deliciousness(tm), as seen in the pictures below of Anaheim peppers, cantaloupe blossoms, and bok choy.

Summer's Here for Sure!

The days are hot and sunny, the mornings are cool and perfect for working and listening to nature, and the afternoons are perfect for swimming and napping. Good times on the farm! Noah and Michaela (left) proudly display their beanpole project (it won't be long before you can visit us and pick your own delicious beans!)

We're eating well, thanks to Jerry's fresh garlic and produce and Magda and Justin's delicious sausage, Sicilian wine, our own creativity, and the generosity of nature. Thanks, Mother Nature!



















Of course, our update wouldn't be complete without a report on our corn and other crops. The Kandy King is doing great, especially thanks to the hoeing and fertilizing done by our wonderful WWOOFers. Thanks, WWOOFers! With every September bite of delicious corn, we'll be thinking of your July labors.

Our days are long, starting soon after sunup, and lately we've been working till dark, enjoying each others company and the bounty of nature into the cool of the evening. A dip in the hot springs and the treat of a starry sky above often top off a day of hard work, fun, and adventure for us on the farm. We're really lucky.