On the home front I can report that September was fairly cool and rainy and the harvest soon was slowing down. The tomatoes flourished and salsa making was strong but by the end of the month the tomato patch quit producing. The tomatillos are still going though so now the production of green salsa is catching up to the red variety. The next batch I make should push the jar total over the 400 mark. My first sales opportunity will occur this Thursday at the Saco Bay Garden Club Fall harvest potluck meeting. I have also notified the Union Church community of the direct sales possibility. I am taking orders! schlaver@maine.rr.com I plan to donate 10% of all 2011 sales to the Saco Meals Program. My supply of jam includes blueberry, strawberry, blackberry, rhubarb-orange, peach jam and I have both apple and peach butter. The pickle choices include bread and butter, both dill and sweet spears, hamburger dill or zuccihini chips, pickle relish and dilly beans. Of course there is either green or red salsa.
I have had specutacular sunflowers this year thanks to the seeds Julian gave me last Christmas. The birds have enjoyed them a lot as well. Speaking of animals, to my surprise my late summer garden has excperienced a deer invasion. Fortunately most of the damage has been confined to eating leaves like all the sweet potato plant leaves and the beet tops. I decided I better harvest the pumpkins and winter squash as two pumpkins were also devoured, presumably by the deer.
It is now the time of year to return to some wood cutting to begin developing the piles of firewood for next year so it can begin to season over this winter. There will be tons of garden cleanup work to tackle as well and then there is the annual leaf gathering ordeal! Ah Fall...but the colors will be so pretty!
I should mention that I have approximately three huge bushel baskets of bean pods now separated from their dried plants. This will result in many jars full of dried beans, like pinto, cannelini and kidney beans. Baked beans or chilli can't be beat for a cold winter's evening meal. The shelling of the pods is to be a big fall project and I am hoping upcoming visitors all pitch in on that task.
