When the Almond Tree Blooms

Any reader who lives in Northern California is well aware that we've had hardly a trace of rainfall in these parts since Thanksgiving.  In all the time I've lived here in the Golden State, it's the longest 'rainy season' dry streak I can remember.  Although I appreciate more sun during what is usually a gray time of year, this 'Wintertime Summer' is impacting the agricultural landscape in some not so positive ways.  No green in the fields, no clouds in the sky I work on an organic farm.  One of the cornerstones of organic farming is that we do not use synthetic fertilizers to grow our crops.  Instead, we apply poop from a chicken factory farm (mostly to the popcorn fields) and rely on green manures to provide fertility to the soil.  A green manure--also known as a cover crop--is planted to fix nitrogen or add biomass and organic matter to the soil.  In the fields at Pleasant Grove Farms, except where the wheat is growing, we sew a legume called ve...

A thick fog has descended over the Valley this week.  At night it swirls around the trees, houses and cars on the street, imparting an eerie stillness to the neighborhood.  For the past few mornings, the fog hasn't lifted in South Sutter County, imparting a mental fuzziness which requires that I consume ever more coffee.  The weather makes it a good time of year to bake and make some soup.  I've included a recipe below of a really tasty winter squash soup I cooked last night.  First Apple Pie I've ever baked Fall colors on 2nd Ave, Oak Park, Sacramento Fall Gardening Projects The gardening never stops in the Central Valley My roommate brought masa from LA--it made delicious tortillas Here's the recipe for the soup I made.  I adapted it from one I learned from Sandra Morales, who was the parent liason at Park Elementary School where I taught for almost four years.  We cooked the soup on a family day around 3 years ago, and ...