Ode to October

Posted on October 6, 2013 by seedybeans

This glorious golden light, I receive you with open arms

As you ripen every last fruit, you ripen me too from the inside out

and I am so grateful you are here.

These are the days we have been waiting all year for, the seeds planted so carefully now in full bloom.

There is no loss to be spoken of in this all this abundance, all struggle forgotten in these glorious days.

The canning pot still boiling over into cool evenings and crisp air.

And though rest may evade me, I ride this wave of generosity, may it last inside me till the end of the year.

Preserving the Harvest

Posted on August 17, 2012 by seedybeans

So much to do so little time!! The tomatoes are coming on full force, the basil is bursting, the apples are ripening…No time to write about it all, barely time to do it!!

But then I realized, I don’t have to. Inspired by one of my new favorite Blogs Small Measure, I have decided to just send you straight to wonderful, already written blogs about how to process and preserve your harvests.

So here are some ideas about….

What to do with abundant Cucumbers

How to save Seed from Garden Vegetables

How to Process Tomatoes any which way

What to do with all those Apricots

And all those glorious Apples oh my!!

Oh and my personal favorite Bountiful Basil!

Happy Harvesting and if you do have extra bounty don’t forget to get your name on the list for the Santa Fe Harvest Swap

Bring on the Bounty & pass it along

Posted on August 16, 2012 by seedybeans

The Tomato basket weighs as much as my baby!! (well almost!)

Oh the bounty of these days is so divine & delicious!! This must the best fruit year as long as I have lived here in the high desert and I am buying stock in the Ball Jar company right now! No, Not really, but I am stocking up as well as co-planning a local harvest swap with my Radical friend Kyce. This is not a new idea, people have been swapping their bounty, well forever, and the new wave of happy homesteaders are doing this in cities all over the country, like here and here, with great success and tons of great resources like here. As far as I have heard, this will be Santa Fe’s First Harvest Swap.

Gathered from the garden, and that’s just today

It is open to all – though you must register here to save your spot – (the room is only so big). It surely will be a good time, just think a room full of canners, gardeners, seed savers, wild crafters, milk maids, foragers, and even a few hunters and their stashes! It is such a wonderful way to celebrate the bounty of our abundant desert, share the fruits of our labors, and experience a truly fair version of Fair Trade. To me this feels like a way to bring our work, our livelihoods and our hearts together to eat, swap and be merry.

Better make room in the pantry for more jars, oh my!!

So here is the official invitation, Come join us!!

Dear Fellow Preservers of the Harvest,

You are cordially invited to a Delectable Harvest Swap in which the bounty of our gardens, barnyards, orchards, and wild lands will be celebrated and shared.

Consider this your advance notice to put up extra of whatever putting up you do. Bring that extra bit you know you can’t use, and let it be your currency to barter your way to a dream pantry while spending a morning amidst fabulous folk.

Wondering what to bring?

Whatever you’ve canned (according to Dept. of Ag regulation specs, please!)—chutneys, jams, fruit butters, sauces, salsas, whole fruits, pickles, but also vinegars, condiments, fermented fare, dried fruits, cider, chiles, and garlic.

Not a big canner? How about baked goods, salves, tinctures, honey, soap, seeds, dried culinary or medicinal herbs…or whatever your homemade, homegrown, or wild harvested specialty is. Oh, and don’t forget pumpkins, cabbages, and other fresh fall crops.

Learn more about food swaps here: Food Swap Network

As you can see I am very excited to swap, meet and eat the bounty of our harvests together, in the meantime, I’ll be out picking!!