Dont Call it a Comeback, I been here for years...

Howdy Folks,

   After a long hiatus from the blogosphere, we are back online!
Springtime on the farm can be such a roller coaster. Full of hope for the upcoming season, sometimes confident, sometimes fearful. What lies ahead? Who knows?! The meditations of winter turn into the practical work of spring and summer. Ideas manifest into actions, Life forces refine the budding and rampant growth of it all. After the quietude of winter the farm takes on a fresh appearance. One can literally watch the grass grow. Lush leguminous cover crops will become fertile soil that feeds us. Chickens peck in the orchard and fallow fields, gobbling up slugs, catepillars, greenery and seeds. The White Barn Owl swoops and screeches at night, scaring up some tasty rodents. Bees swarm and prowl the aromatic peach, pear and apple blossoms.  Lady Bugs and Lacewings feast on pesky aphids. Harlequin Bugs drop and hide from me as I gather them and their eggs to prevent future damage. Songs emerge from the farmer, narrating the cycles of life that surge all around. Everything in its right place. All of this is what makes our farm alive and dynamic.

Bee swarm attached to side of hive and tree

Bird's nest fungi breaking down winter mulch

 
   Team work and collaboration is a personal theme for the year. Here's a bit about the team I've been working with:  A new CSA collaboration with Judith at Bio Farm-enter Bio Moon Farm CSA. (Our website is still under construction, and this blog will most likely show up there once ready.) She has been learning to milk a cow, tending to her neighbors calf and working with the local tribal health agency- sharing farming knowledge and gaining Native Wisdom.  We have been meeting about once a week for the last couple months and working diligently together on the CSA project. It's been a job and a half and I am glad we are doing it together. River, Aj, Dave and the rest of the crew at Ancient Lake Gardens are developing Ancient Lake Gardens Art and Ecology (ALGAE). Re skilling workshops, potlucks, music, art, biodynamics and camaraderie. Teale of Love Farms has been busy planting grain this winter, raising his goats, horse and chickens, modifying tools, sharing equipment and utilizing vertical growing space in his hoophouse via grow tubes. Jim of Leonardis Organics has been playing a pivotal role in building relationships among Lake and Mendocino farmers, schools, distributors and community development organizations. Leading the pack in our local food and farm to school movement.

covering the hoophouse.

Lady bug in the cover crop

  We all have different strengths and weaknesses, skills and tools. Its wonderful to see them all come to light. The Northern California small farm community is ripe with active and adventurous folks willing to take risks, make change, support each other and nourish the people with incredible food.
I cannot contain my excitement for this year, Nor my gratitude for the community of farmers I keep company with. And you! Yes you! Thank you for your support, without it we would just be playing in the dirt. The chance visits during delivery, the commitment to good food you share with us, the honest feedback, the financial contribution. It's all worth it and it's all good! Last years successes dare to be repeated, while the challenges and shortfalls faced, give rise to creative solutions, deeper awareness and humble gratitude for the successes. This winter I had the opportunity to speak about organic farming to a community college health class and found my voice as a young farmer. I look forward to more opportunities to advocate for ecological agriculture and encourage young folks to get involved in growing food.

Peach Blossom in full bloom

Lentils, prior to planting in the wheat field

    I moved here  not knowing anything about Lake County or farming but this month marks my 5 year anniversary since leaving the city of Oakland and I feel more like a farmer than ever. I still need doses of the city to keep me sane. To connect to my urban roots, maintain friendships and develop mutually beneficial alliances. Before I gush any further... Become a part of the team by signing up for our CSA program!
visit our web page Biomoonfarm.com (still in development). Contact us through email: biomoonfarm at gmail dot com for CSA specific inquiries, or send an email to me personally mooneymanna at gmail dot com.
xoxo

Howdy folks,

we made it! I'd like to thank you- totally awesome Full Moon CSA Members, and the ever fantastic Lake County Organic Farmers! You all contributed dearly and faithfully to the success of this season. I am privileged to have grown and delivered fresh produce to you each week. If feelings were spices and E-40 the chef I'd say "sprinkle me..." a bit relieved, a pinch sad, a tablespoon content, and a generous cup exhausted. This coming weekend Nov 3rd is our Walnut Harvest Party and if you can make it, I would love to see you.
This winter we will be building infrastructure to increase productivity, and discussing plans and coordinating with local farmers for next year's CSA program. You may find a post season survey in the coming future, in the meantime please feel free to shoot me an email with input from the eaters perspective.


In the box:

Purple Top Turnip: Full Moon. Young roots and strong greens. great for a simple puree, and roasted.
These are young and also can be eaten raw in a salad for those who dare.

Gold Beet and (baby red beet): Full Moon. Full of earthy minerals and etheric warmth, these fat beets are mini storehouses of nutrition. try them in a roast with the turnips, (will not bleed like red beets)

Red Russian Kale: Full Moon. If you are like me, and eat kale everyday its available-enjoy. If not apologies for its strong presence the last two months. Also a nutritious powerhouse not to be ignored. Im surprised to learn Kale is not mentioned in the ObamaCare plan. Take health care into your own two hands and try it in a massaged kale salad, steamed, or sauted with garlic, onion and friends

Ho Mi Z Mustard: Full Moon. Beautiful leaves with mild mustard spice.If you like to play with your food, slice out the sturdy mid rib and use as an eating utensil.

Buttercup Winter Squash: Leonardis Organics. Sweet and Nutty. Orange flesh. the green skin was an attractive color to the bugs in the field and their little bites have turned into sugary scar tissue on the surface.
An old standby for fall/winter cuisine

Pomegranate: Ancient Lake Gardens. A super antioxidant rich fruit that signals the coming winter. Here's a  simple and clean method for deseeding. Great as a snack, salad topping, or wherever fun food is needed

Granny Smith Apple: Full Moon. sweet and tart, great for baking. when life hands you apples make apple pie (please rinse before eating, there may be a fine clay dust on the skin that is used for sun and bug protection)

Walnut Harvest Fiesta Nov 3

rainbow! could our apple trees be the pot o gold?

Momentus day on the farm today.
 Greens harvesting in the first rain of the fall. This is in the top 5 of favorite activities . The greens are in their prime and the prominent rain drops on their leaves really make them shine. While harvesting and singing a little tune I happened upon another skink! remember that little dragon from a couple weeks ago?! this guy, bright metallic blue tail intact, wriggled out from his earthen crevice to hide among the kale roots. Ooh. and Later while clipping mustard leaves I found a small and still, black snake with red, blue, and tan markings. Curled ever so tightly under the stems of Ho Mi Z. I hope both of these companions feast on the cucumber beetles, aphids, cabbage moth catepillars and harlequin bugs lurking in the shadows on Brassica Blvd.

  Placed our order for the materials of a 30' x 96' semi gable hoophouse. Made of steel tubing and covered with greenhouse plastic, this structure will allow us to grow high quality vegetables in the soil earlier, later and efficiently in the season. Like a greenhouse, this enclosed environment may be 20 degrees warmer in early spring allowing us to get a head start on crops like greens, roots and herbs and summer crops like tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. During the summer the protected environment with roll up sides and end walls will allow for full ventilation during the day and some warmer temps at night due to residual heat held in by the cover. Also research shows some pests are less of an issue in covered environments like cucumber beetles and birds. Meaning less damage to crops. Later in the season as temps cool, warm loving crops will produce for a few weeks longer than out in the field, and challenging winter crops will thrive in the protection and moderated climate of the hoophouse. In addition to to the season extension benefits, we may have a more humid environment meaning less irrigation required (water conservation), and dense plantings in high fertility soil means more vegetables per square foot, meaning more economic and efficient work environment for farmer. Hoop house culture has been of great interest to me and the world as our climate gets more extreme. This is certainly one rare case where I choose to use a large amount of plastic and feel good about it.

I am also happy to introduce our new intern Alex.  Alex has joined our farm through the work experience ag intern program at Mendocino College. Alex will be learning alongside our farmer as we begin construction on the hoop house and earning college credits. Full Moon Farm is happy to be a part of this exciting educational experience. Intern opportunities available! Choose your interest and we set your learning objectives together.

Walnut Harvest 2012

This weeks wind and rain should knock most of the nuts off the trees and you should get your buns up here! Celebrate the completion of our first CSA season and the harvest of our dry farmed walnuts.
Come out to the farm the weekend of Nov 3.
Campout Friday and Saturday night.
Harvest all day saturday then we dine and sit around the fire. savor the seasonal bounty, and fill the night with mirth and merriment.
please rsvp.
mooneymanna at gmail

In the box:

Red Russian Kale: Full Moon. Oops I did it again. Like Jay Z says "its so necessary"

Ho Mi Z Mustard: Full Moon. Gorgeous, high turgidity and some spiciness if eaten raw. Mellows with cooking. The larger leaves also seem to have less mustardy heat. Awesome. the thick midrib crunches like celery. perhaps a peanut sauce over sauted greens is in order.

Yukina Savoy: Full Moon. These guys have hit their second wind so look out. big heads Oy Savoy!
Excellent asian green like spinach.

Green and Yellow Beans: Full Moon. Another family affair picking beans this weekend. This time we got some of the green provider beans as well as yellow wax bean.

Scrunions: Full Moon. Incredible  little onion.

Butternut Squash: Leonardis Organics. Fall time Classic. Roast, and toast the good life cuz its dinner time-Butternut Style!

Granny Smith Apples: Full Moon.First sizable harvest from our 3 and 4 year old granny smith trees. Tart plus sweet. Great for baking and eating fresh. Did someone say pie?

Farmer Jim Leonardis in his field of winter squash

Leonardis Organics winter squash family portrait.

Winter Squash Blowout! Case Sale!

Jim Leonardis has an abundance of winter squash and heirloom pumpkins. Enjoy the flavor and warmth of Lake County produce all winter long. Stored in a cool and dry environment, some will last up to 6 months.
Baked, Roasted, Pureed, in Pies, Soups, and Entrees. Fantastic flavors and strong nutrition profile, great value.
Makes a great holiday edible centerpiece.
Please place email order by  saturday night(10/27) for next tuesday (10/30) delivery. and again next month (11/10) for another delivery available mid November.
30lb case of winter squash for $27. 40lb case for $34.
many varieties to choose from. mixed or single variety per case. no limit.
pictured above starting at the top left and spiraling in clockwise we have...

Red Kuri Squash. Red Kuri  is thick-skinned orange colored winter squash that has the appearance of a small pumpkin without the ridges. Inside the hard outer skin there is a firm flesh that provides a very delicate and mellow chestnut-like flavor. They are good for pies and purees because specks of skin (being red) will not show. Also know as Orange Hokkaido. avg weight 4-7 lbs.

Cinderella Pumpkin.   A unique French heirloom whose correct name is "Rouge vif D'Etampes". The source of their nickname it that they resemble the pumpkin that Cinderella's fairy godmother transformed into a carriage. This pumpkin is recorded as having been the variety cultivated by the Pilgrims and served at the second Thanksgiving dinner. This is our favorite pumpkin variety. There is something magical about them. Cinderellas make a delightful decorative accent for the fall season, but additionally their flavor is good for any pie or winter squash recipe.avg. weight 20-30lb.

Fairy Tale. This is an old time pumpkin from France. It is deeply ribbed and has a very smooth hard surface. It is dark green in color when immature, and as it cures it turns a gorgeous deep mohagony. Very unique flavor. It is fine grained and well suited to baking.  It's true name is: Musque De Provence. avg weight. 12-20lbs

Hokkaido Stella Blue. An exceptional winter squash. Sweet, richly flavored, fiberless flesh is delicious, dry, and almost flaky. Medium-sized, round, slightly flattened, blue fruits store well. avg weight 3-6lb

Buttercup.  Kabocha type. It has a deep orange fiber-less flesh. It is medium-dry with a rich sweet flavor. Buttercups become sweeter after a few weeks, so don't be afraid to store this one.avg weight  2-6lb

Blue Ballet Hubbard. much smaller and more marketable Blue Hubbard. Smooth-skinned, blue-gray fruits are medium size, avg. 4-7 lb., with sweeter, bright orange, fiberless flesh. Stores well.

 Carnival. Isn't it attractive?!? The best part? It tastes as good as it looks! It will store for several months and still maintain an excellent eating quality. Their flavor is somewhere between an Acorn and Delicata. Yummy! avg weight 3-6lb

Green Acorn. Acorn squash has an orange yellow flesh. Their flavor is sweet and nutty with a smooth texture. For best sweetness wait at least 2 weeks after harvest before you eat them. Acorns are quick and easy to prepare. Yum! avg weight 3-6lb

Gold Acorn. Just like the green acorn, but bright gold skin and sweeter flavor. avg weight 3-6lb

Butternut. Butternut has the longest storage potential of all squash varieties. The longer you store it, the sweeter and nuttier the flavor becomes. Their flesh is orange, smooth-textured, and has a unique sweet flavor — particularly after 3 months storage. It will easily store in a cool, dry place through February. This squash is commonly used for pies and is terrific as a stand-alone entrée. avg weight 3-8lb

(Most descriptions clipped from http://www.allaboutpumpkins.com/varieties.html)

last of the sunflowers. regal.

 looking up at a towering sunflower head always makes me smile, not so much when they are drying, or so I thought, but many reasons to smile. I begin my hunt for intact flower heads. without bird damage, without signs of spoilage. Lots of options among this thick volunteer sunflower forest.  my hori hori is put to quick use, cutting off heads one by one. dry leaves and stems begin sticking to my clothing. sap and resin coat my hands and arms and shoulders and my pants as I try to rub off this sticky substance.  it smells good.aromatherapy?! I rub my hands now thru my beard and hair, I stroke the 10' stems gathering this sticky smelly substance deep into my pores. kind of smells like pine trees.
"Oh I didnt know you had it in you? sunflower."
 Ultimately, a timely diversion led me to a wonderful world of discovery. The therapeutic qualities of the plant world cease to amaze me.  folks its been an excellent journey so far. In humility and honor.
this is in your box this week...

leaving the farm this morning. mt konocti ahead.

Sunflower head: Full Moon. Wish I could have taken all the work out of enjoying these sunflower seeds for ya. alas, hope you enjoy it. Totally edible. harvested at their peak and dried in the greenhouse for a couple weeks. simply rub the head with your thumb or  hand to remove the seeds. toast and salt in the shell, crack them as is in your mouth or plant them in your garden next spring.  makes a great friend.

Beets: Full Moon. While harvesting these at sunset I kept getting the most ineresting olfactory stimulation. I thought somebody was making candied raspberries or some incredible weed was growing among the beets that I have never smelled before. Aha it was a volunteer melon. stinking up the place almost indecently.  I digress. A mix of red and gold beets this week. Sure to please.

Red Russian Kale: Full Moon. Loyal standby in the field and on the plate. Tender leaves and robust stems.
Ready to fulfill your nutritious desires.

Black Velvet Tomato: Leonardis Organics. The production of a hybrid with the flavor reminiscent of an heirloom. A totally unique flavor & appearance in the world of tomatoes. Immature fruit actually has a sweeter more sugary flavor, as the fruit matures it brings complexity with a nice mix of acids and sugars, rich and flavorful.  Lovely salad or sandwich tomato.

Hokkaido Stella Blue Winter Squash: Leonardis Organics. Light Blue skin, yellow/orange flesh inside. A terrific winter squash. Sweet and nutty flavor. Similar to the japanese buttercup or kabocha squash. great roasted, baked, blended into a soup or sauce. Any way you slice it. so pretty and unusual, makes a great centerpiece, and after your bored looking at it. throw it in the oven and eat it. yum.

Ruffled Red Pimiento/Jimmy Nardello Sweet Peppers: Leonardis Organics. Two of my favorite sweet peppers. The Nardello heirloom pepper is long and thin skinned. while the Pimiento pepper is squat and thick walled. Both are delicious and juicy. great raw or cooked.

Bella Dulce or Arava Melon: Full Moon. Ok now we are on borrowed time. The weather has been too cooperative this fall. No more water and these puppies are still jamming. If you can muster the patience, let it sit on the counter till you smell something indecent and then dig in."Indecent" is the new word when it comes to melons. thanks bronwen.

End of the year bed for squash and cucumbers, and a slice of "oh so sweet" watermelon made it into the box at the last minute.

If a walnut falls...

gramma the glowing chicken at your service

our lil chickies are now 4 months old, soon to be laying beautiful eggs.

mown sunflowers in field 9.soon to be seeded for next years summer chicken pasture

If a walnut falls in the orchard and no one is around to hear, does it make a sound?

the sounds of fall.
 dry leaves crackling underfoot.
the beating of wind and wings of a starling murmuration overhead.
the rustling of dry grass as a young snake slithers by.
clanging and crashing of empty metal bins traveling over bumpy roads to the vineyard
truck engines, back up "beep beep"s, harvesting machines
crunching of  leaves and popping of succulent vines hunting for winter squash
and celebratory "hoorahs!"

I think last weeks heat wave was the wave goodbye to summer. "Kind of sad, its really the end." a friend said as we talked about the weather. With every end, a new beginning. I witness this cycle often on the farm.
 There is no off season for farming really. Always a long list of things to do and a longer list of things to get to afterwards. But hey its what you make it to be. Step by step. ooh baby.
 As I pull up irrigation lines, remove plants and or spade them in to prepare the ground for a winter cover crop I give thanks for the food that these fields yielded, remembering the planting,weeding, and harvesting, the friends big and small who helped along the way, and the lessons learned. The imprint of our work. I say my little peace to the little piece.acknowledge the cycle of life. give thanks. hi five the earthworms and off to the next thing without too much fuss. Nice to know there is still that sentimental feeling out there.

There is a balance.

Hedgerow planting and veggie bed clean up this coming weekend Oct 12-14.
If you can join us, please do. come for dessert friday night with the folks, saturday we get to work on planting and mulching trees/shrubs in our fledgling hedgerow.  Be prepared for getting dirty and a good time, bring digging forks if you got 'em. We can accommodate a handful of folks so let us know if your interested. email mooneymanna at gmail.

Walnut harvest is coming too! Keep your calendar clear near the end of the month as we get ready for the nuts to fall. More info in the coming weeks.

and finally just a reminder that this is the final month of our CSA veggie delivery for 2012.
It's been a great first year folks. thanks. couldnt have done it with out you!
Sign-up for our 2013 program will begin just around the corner,  secure your spot as we embark into a time beyond the Mayan calendar.ooh ahh. what's gonna happen?

arctostaphylos manzanita (common manzanita) in the hedgerow

cercis occidentalis (western redbud) in the hedgerow

In da box:

Nicola Potatoes: Full Moon. Rating low on the glycemic index and high on eating enjoyment, the Nicola potato is great for classic potato salad aussie style.  or this simple recipe for gnocchi.   Unwashed for better storage. keep refrigerated. another recipe dilly bean  potato salad

Stuttgarter "Scrunions": Full Moon. I learned this word "scrunion" from a UC davis student paper regarding CSA management. I took it to mean "scrawny onion" or combo of scallion and onion. not quite a spring onion and not a full bulb. Delicious mild flavor. use like a green onion. greens make a great topping or garnish, mini bulb when you need a small amount of onion. nice raw.

Yellow Wax Bean: Full Moon. Mysterious circumstances surround our bush bean's this year. plants grew great, got a little burned during the triple degree weeks, but recovered and set a decent amount of beans,  they remained small and immature but still tasty. Mom and Dad even helped pick these beans off the plant, a real family affair to bring these to you. Dilly bean

Arava Melon: Full Moon. Most likely the final harvest for these fellas. Super tasty treat. named for the long valley that traverses much of the desolate Negev Desert in southern Israel where this hybrid melon hails from.

Kellog's Breakfast/Blush Tomatoes: Full Moon. Also final harvest for these one's too. Frosty temps are quickly approaching and we bid you adieu . so long, farewell...

Uncle David's Dakota Dessert Squash: Leonardis Organics. A great buttercup squash with a long name.
Sweet nutty orange flesh with a softish green and freckled skin. my favorite cook method is roasting 1-2" strips of squash slathered in oil salt, pepper and a little balsamic at 400 deg. about 40 minutes.

Touchstone Gold Beet: Full Moon. Fine flavored golden gems thru and thru. A succulent head of greens to enjoy as well. beets and greens go great with fat & protein. cheese, seed oil, yogurt, toasted  nuts, meat. time to put on that winter coat of our own

Red Russian Kale: Full Moon. Pretty much done thinning now and the kale has grown so fast  it has out grown our row cover. Tore the roof off that mutha if you know what i mean. Full of vigor to keep you going. thankfully the temp has dropped a good 10 degrees and humidity has risen but the cabbage moths are out in full force so you may find some tiny green catepillars inching next to a hole.

Harvest Moon

This weeks box...



Kellog's Breakfast: Full Moon

Blush: Full Moon.

Yukina Savoy: Full Moon. see  link  for saag/palak paneer recipe using yukina in place of spinach.

Ho Mi Z Mustard: Full Moon

Arava Melon: Full Moon. The end of melon is season is fast approaching. The hot weather has been helpful to get this second planting to ripen and sweeten before frost comes. I am noticing a change in texture, common at this time of year. but we'll enjoy them as long as we can. The second planting of Bella Dulce is still a couple weeks from harvest. will they make it? stay tuned. Don't compost those melon seeds, Eat 'em. This weekend I was reminded of the fantastic culinary use of melon seed! Used in Africa,  India, the Middle East and more. Another reminder to make use of the entire fruit.

Hokaido Stella Blue Winter Squash: Leonardis Organics. Light Blue skin, yellow/orange flesh inside. A terrific winter squash. Sweet and nutty flavor. Similar to the japanese buttercup or kabocha squash. great roasted, baked, blended into a soup or sauce. Any way you slice it. so pretty and unusual, makes a great centerpiece, and after your bored looking at it. throw it in the oven and eat it. yum.

Red Ace Beets: Full Moon, Beets are back! for some of you this may come as a disapointment. to others a joyous surprise. Let me know if you are one of these and we'll see if we can work out a deal to get you more of what you like...

Zinfandel Grapes: Ancient Lake Gardens. This week we have zomething different. Zinfandel. Perhaps more familiar to us in liquid ferment form, aka wine. A fantastic eating grape as well. Here is the  description from farmer Dave: "Aren't Zinfandel grapes wine grapes? Anyone who has given in to the temptation to grab a cluster of grapes from a roadside vineyard knows that wine grapes aren't limited to wine-making! Many (us included), in fact, find that a majority of wine-grapes varieties are superior in quality to conventional seedless grapes. This week, we'll be offering our ripe, table quality Zinfandel grapes, which are renowned for being one of the best fresh eating quality wine grapes. Grapes contain one small, non-bitter, crunchy but tasty seed." Thanks Dave.

gnomes, dragons and heavy metal

There is a new band in town. Underground Mayhem! They dont really play instruments but they leave a path of destruction and despair after going totally nuts. Their performances are well known among farming folks.
Underground Mayhem is a band of squirrels, sometimes with back up dancers "the go-go-gophers". This time of year, they literally go nuts. Up the trees after unripe walnuts, over chicken wire to gnaw on the trunks of young apple trees, under trees to gnaw on roots and develop dens a couple feet underground. Winter is coming and the rodents get into a frenzy, looking for food and leaving no plant unturned. 

A couple weeks ago asleep under the walnut tree next to the cucurbit field, I awoke from a fuzzy dream. Eyes still closed, my ears perked up to playful rustling sounds nearby. Dried grass and dry leaves. Spats of activity. I opened my eyes, but lay still. Is it the cats hunting and pouncing for mice? Out of the corner of my vision I think I saw a body jump into the air. I think there are three to five creatures based on the sounds. Is it squirrels playing among the melons checking to see how ripe they are? I slowly turned my head towards the noise and immediately the critters scattered in everyway before I could make eye contact. I lay ever so still again, listening into the distance and close by for more rustling to give away their position. Alas silence. I clapped my hands a couple times to keep them at bay while I fell back to sleep. I awoke in the morning with the most curious puzzlement? what were those sounds coming from? Whatever they were I had the distinct feeling they were playing, not looking for trouble as I might suspect when  rustling at ground level is heard.
I put a call out to Mr. Robert Stack, as he has some experience with strange mysteries and is somewhat of an authority on the matter. Together with much deliberation we concluded: Gnomes. Of course!

And finally on the fantasy tip. Today while preparing a hole with a digging fork I came across a blue tail.
It was a rather violent coming across. Jabbing the fork into the ground. breaking dry soil. meeting a hard layer about six inches below surface.  lifting the fork out and thrusting back breaking through the barrier to find a dry but friable texture below. Aha! moving down the bed, busting through. digging, lifting, jabbing, lifting... "what's this?!" the last lift of the fork brought up a bright blue worm. or I thought it was at first. Blue worm?! never heard of one. It was wriggling and thrashing about like red wrigglers do when exposed to light.
Upon closer inspection I could see this was no worm, but a tail.  Blue tail?! underground?! snake? lizard?...
I could not find the rest of this blue creature missing part of its tail. i felt bad for possibly killing or hurting this strange blue being. After about a minute of wriggling about, the tail lay motionless and did not respond to my touch. Time to get Mr. Robert Stack on the horn and figure this one out...  With the help of a 12 sided die and a Ouija board we concluded I had encountered a dragon. dunh dunh duhn. ok its actually called a skink.
pretty awesome!

Ok now for something you can actually sink your teeth into...

Blush Tomato: Full Moon. What a delightful little tomato. Streaks of green turning to red over golden yellow.Sweet and Juicy fruit

Kellog's Breakfast Tomato: Full Moon.  now we are beginning to see the breakfast plate size that this 'mater is famous fer.  Slice 'em up for your egg sandwich. Blend em up into salsa or a colorful tomato sauce.

Oregon Spring: Full Moon. Last harvest for these troopers. Rich tomato flavor with nice sweetness to boot. Thanks Oregon Spring! see ya next year.

Jimmy Nardello Sweet Pepper and Red Ruffled Pimiento Pepper: Leonardis Organics. Two of my favorite sweet peppers. The Nardello heirloom pepper is long and thin skinned. while the Pimiento pepper is squat and thick walled. Both are delicious and juicy. great raw or cooked.

Red Flame Seedless Grape: Dorn Vineyards. Last harvest for this year. Today I was the guest worker picking grapes. Wow! This is the tastiest harvest yet. Great fun to be in the vineyard, clipping these beautiful bunches under the canopy. Have a juicer? make fresh grape juice. make jam. super high sugar content. zing!

Ho Mi Z Mustard: Full Moon. A beautiful and unique mustard green with a unique name. A new variety coming to us from the good folks at Wildgarden seed. Sweet and spicy! Spiciness mellowed with cooking. A real delight on the plate.

Red Russian Kale: Full Moon. This kale is so robust and adaptive. Try a saute with the peppers for a new addition with an old favorite. a  nice blending of summer and fall.