November Summer Garden

There's a fierce wind coming down from the hills...the garden is brown, messy memories of crops are all thats left. A few harvestables--including the bed next to the gate with good lettuce and radichio. Feels like forever that I've been in the garden...work, election anxiety.

Punkins

In an amazing display of planting on time Farmer Bill has managed to have pumpkins ready a month before Halloween. (This would be like the first time...) Great color, although not as large as those Half Moon Bay monsters...yes, size matters! Anyway we'll try again next year on that deal. Some of these are cooking types so we're on the lookout for reciepes. Fall's a coming, things are starting to die down here. But--please come by and pick--we've got new crop cukes, corn, beans, tomatoes, basil, parsley.

Corn Again...

Yes, the next round of corn is coming. You can see both patches in this shot. Ready later this week--or take a look. We tried it last night, True Baby Corn--immature but fun. Summer is almost over, and now we get the best weather of the year! Corn in Berkeley!#?%

Romano Beans Redux

We are blessed with a long growing season--proof is in the newest crop of Romano Beans just coming in--small and sweet, but not for long. So come and pick now! They're in the middle of the next corn crop. Pick low on the vines for now as the upper sections are still small. Thanks to the Birthday Girl for a couple of great Romano recipes from local chefs. Farmer B.

The Bounty of Summer: Food and Family

We've always centered our celebrations of family around food, and this year is no different as we send Nico out into the world. We start a new life together, the house feels a little empty. But the knowledge of the strength of our family and the wonderful start they had here helps. Alex, Galen, Nico each took with them a bit of each of us, of family and of the place. Love to Carol. Farmer Bill

San Francisco Fog...

Tomatoes that is! They're finally coming. Over in the corner by the bench. Those little green guys in the picture are the cherry tomatoes--also coming in a little slower. The San Francisco Fog variety is a hardy soul of a tomatoe...good taste not as sublime perhaps as the heirlooms coming in on the southside. More on that later...for now enjoy, let them sit inside on the counter (not in the refrigerator). Farmer Bill

ROMANO BEANS!

Yes, they're here--flat beans, Romanos, Italian beans--whatever you call them. They are sweet and tasty--especially when they are young. Look for the big stand on the path in from the brown house. Try them blanched with a nice vinegarette. Please, pick--then pick more! Farmer Willie

My Aunt Emily called them Wax Beans

I learned all I know about veggie gardening from hanging on the apron strings of my Aunt Emily. It was summer in Maine, long days around the garden...the fifties. Yellow beans, wax beans--whatever you call them, please come by and pick'm now. They are in the main bed as you come into the garden from the brown house side. They're bush variety, so a little unruly and falling over when they get loaded! Salad Nicoise would be a wonderful reciepe with these guys...Farmer Billy

CROOKNECKS

Summer Squash are in! Not just those pesky zukes either, tasty yellow crooknecks. They are sweet and make a great saute. Look in the bed under the apple tree and on the driveway side of the brown house. Enjoy! Farmer Bill

Rhymes with zukes...

CUKES!!! You can't buy the taste of fresh cucumbers and they're in now. We've been having one for dinner each night. There are two wonderful plants in the patch next to the corner bench. And there's a whole patch over on the walk to the brown house. Also, a whole new round is coming up--so my goal to keep us in cukes til fall! Enjoy. Farmer Bill

ZUKES

Ok, it's time for zucchini! Our goal here is for you come by and pick one or two...and ensure that we don't reach the baseball bat size phase. My favorite recipes for zukes are in Molly Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook--great fun, already two dishes this week! We do our part.

"Black Beauty Zucchini" Heirloom. More to come, planting for late summer soon! Farmer William

Travlin' Farmer Seeks Home Pickers

Ok, we're on the road with the whole fam damily and what a time in Seattle! But...the garden still needs pickers, so get out there and find some veggies quick before their too far gone! We've got--

broccoli, carrots, beets, scallions, lettuce in the center bed, and raspberries!

See you soon, the Northwest is wonderful, cool and wet! Farmer Bill

Farm Livin'

Hugo, the neighborhood cat, takes advantage of our easy lifestyle porch furnishings. This is shot at 6am after a tough night. He's there almost every day when I wake up. Our farm supports all types of wild and domestic life! The birds absolutely love our lettuce. But hey--it's all about habitat! Farmer B.

Carrots, Carrots, Carrots

Ok, time to get out there and pick carrots. Tasty, still small...we're having them every night in salads. They're a little hard to pick out if you don't know what you're looking for...but along the main path in the broccoli forest and between the strawberry tubs. Farmin Willie

Better Late Than Never Tomatoes...

People who know me understand that I'm a little late with some things...like planting tomatoes. In truth this is calculated (sort of) and really I'm just taking advantage of our long fall growing season. So, we've planted the southside of the house with tomatoes and some mystery squash/cuke plants all donated by Eli from the near-dead bin at the nursery. The southside of the house is hot! So we get great tomatoes there--we're going to put chilis in the main garden this year. Stay tuned--and--come by an pick some veggies! Farmer Bill

Cherries in Berkeley!?#*!?

Ok, everyone who knows me, knows I'm totally whacked on cherries...I mean pure love, bordering on addiction--so yeah, over the line. And, even though I know better, just keep trying to grow them here in Berkeley. What's wrong with this picture? Cherries don't really grow here--too cold in summer, too warm in winter--too close to the ocean, no seasons, blah, blah, blah. Not one to give up, we have a beautiful healthy Bing Cherry tree along the south side of the house...with about 12 cherries on it. I keep trying, but I've never really gotten a crop...can anyone share a story of Cherry Success in our wonderful climate???? Farmer Bill

Onions and Garlic--Repost!

We've got a great crop in two prime areas of the garden. They're ready to harvest after over a month with no water. This forces them to bulb out. The plants are pulled whole and laid out to dry further before braiding the garlic and storing the onions. They're ready to be picked now for fresh treats from the garden! These are the last crops from winter--and when we harvest will make way for the final summer corn and hot weather crops. Stay tuned! frmr bll
Repost thoughts--hmmm, maybe Nico is right old people can't do blogs (?) Couldn't quite figure out how to format w/2 photos.

Kitchen Greens

We've got lettuce, spinach, and cilantro--not to mention baby scallions--in the first bed inside the gate. Get'm soon, it's really getting hot for them to last. Pick the whole lettuce or spinach plant to thin the row--take a fistful, then twist off the roots. farmer b.

Broccoli Farm

Our second crop of broccoli for 2008 is coming in, next to the path just inside the gate. We are blessed with cool weather today--and broccoli shines in the mist. Wait until the main head is ready(but a lot smaller than supermarket size!)--pick that and others will sprout. FB

Sowing the Seeds of Victory

Sowing the Seeds of Victory: Gardening in America during World War I & II

A free public talk by historian and educator Rose Hayden-Smith

· Learn how average Americans changed the course of history during two world wars through community and backyard gardens!
· Hear about current efforts to help our communities and our planet thrive by growing our own fresh, healthy food in neighborhood & backyard victory gardens.

When: 7:00 – 8:30 pm, Thursday, May 29, 2008
Where: Martin Luther King Community Center, 360 Harbour Way South, Richmond, California

Directions: Take Harbour Way South exiit off Hwy 580.Drive north. MLK
Center is at Harbour Way and Virginia (one block above Cutting Blvd.).
Park in Center parking lot on right or on street.

Questions? Contact Carla Koop, National Park Service, 510-232-0865,
carla_koop@nps.gov

Rose Hayden-Smith is a historian and educator who promotes sustainable food systems and community and school gardens that support vibrant communities and environmental stewardship. She is a Food and Society fellow and serves as 4-H Youth Development Advisor and Master Gardener Coordinator with the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources in Ventura County.

Sponsored by Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park, the 5% Local Coalition & City of Richmond

CHOKES

We've got two artichoke beds that are in full swing. Get'm while they're young and small. The hot weather last week cut the season a bit. We had great salads the last couple weeks with marinated hearts and we also love the leaves with garlic aoili! Of course the ants and aphids like them a lot. So, cut them, soak and rinse--3 or 4 times--to get rid of those little pests. Steam and enjoy! Farmer B.

Psst...Raspberries--don't tell the kids...

Oh, that's right there's only a couple big kids left here at the Circus, and they probably don't like raspberries anyway...well it's the beginning of the season. Look in the main raspberry patch--just starting to come in. farmer bill

Spuds

Nothing quite like new potatoes fresh from the garden. Look at the bed right in the corner in front of the bench. I started digging at the path. Dig one plant at a time--3-4 plants for a meal. We had a wonderful soup and salad yesterday using the new potatoes. We need to get these eaten to make room for the tomatoes! Enjoy...farmer bill

Barrels of Fun

Ever since we added 1/2 barrels to the garden we've had great strawberry crops. So now's the time to get out there and pick! Both barrels, so to speak, in the center of the garden.

Pat's Pea Patch

John Coveney's mom, Pat, loved to walk in the garden. Every year she, seemingly, tied her visits to spring and made a beeline for the peas. This year's crop is "Little Marvel" a self-supporting, English-type pea. It's quite a crop, but has taken a distinct tilt towards the west! So be careful, always hold the vines when you pick and enjoy! I know that Pat is here enjoying the peas that she loved so much. Farmer Bill

Planting the Seeds

This blog is meant to help plant the seeds of home gardening. This is a slow grow site. It's also a notification site for neighbors when things are good in the garden--pickin' time! Keep you posted. Farmer Bill