Earth Day Farmers Market in Windsor

This past Sunday was the official Earth Day Farmers' Market in Windsor. We luckily had some chard, broccoli, cauliflower, herbs and eggs for sale. The chard has held on since last year! It is "Bright Lights" chard and it is "decorticated". I had to look up that word...it means that the ribs are soft enough to be eaten. It also means "de-boned" but that doesn't apply to vegetables, does it?

I have finally given in to recognize that folks don't know our connection to the restaurant, Zin, so now it is officially on the sign. "Zin Restaurant's Eastside Farm".
One of the things I love about Farmers Market is that it slows you down. As a vendor, you don't always have customers right in front of you and this gives you an opportunity to talk to your neighboring vendor or catch up with friends wandering down the aisles with their kids. We were lucky enough to have our friends, owners of Syrah Bistro in Santa Rosa, stop by to visit. I consider their son to be part of our family! You can see why!
Happy Earth Day! Go plant something! We are now planting only food crops or plants that feed the bees. The bees like some VERY pretty flowers!

Too HOT!!!

Goodness Gracious!!! It has just been TOO DARN HOT!!! The girls (and Napoleon, Jericho and Bruce) were having a hard time with the heat this week until Farmer Jeff hooked up their outdoor misters. They are much happier now! I am moving a fan into the coop tonight 'cause there is nothing sadder looking than a hot chicken, beak parted and panting, wings lifted up to allow air to dry their little feathered arm pits. Help is coming, girls!

Farmer Jeff went a got himself a new tool for the garden/farm. A mini rototiller. He is quite tickled to have it. It has been very effective in weed control/destruction. We are getting a handle on the cucumber beetle, but proof of their demise will come when the Swiss Chard can poke its little head out of the purslane, aka miners lettuce. That is our other problem in the garden. Purslane has sprung up EVERYWHERE! We are spending a lot of our time, in the very hot sun, pulling it out. When I remember I feed it to the chickens! They love it! They don't love it quite as much as, say, snails or tomatoes, but hey, it is greens!

To all of you folks that are fathers, or father figures, Happy Father's Day! Don't wait for your kids or loved ones to tell you they love you, instead surprise them with a big THANKS for being in your life!

I love you, Farmer Jeff, Papa and brother Chris. (These are the nurturing men in my life!)
Happy Father's Day!