Falling out of Summer

As I opened my pantry this morning, the stacks of home-canned tomato sauce came roaring at me. I glaze over them every day, but today I saw them beyond just their jar and contents- as a symbol of what has been and what is to come. Summer has slipped away; the days of tomato abundance, triple digit heat, dry air, and long hours are done. Some days I feel as if I just arrived back in Davis and others as if I never left. Where time goes, I don’t know, but at least there have been some hallmarks along the way to remember what’s happened these past two months. My work at the market with Good Humus has continued of course, only now it’s not just the Davis Farmers Market- it’s America’s Favorite Farmers Market. That’s right, America voted and Davis was the winner. There was a celebration one Saturday for which Annie spoke about the early days of when it all first started and how she hired the still long-running market manager. It was a proud moment for everyone, and I can’t say I’m a bit surprised that Davis won.
Now, market has begun to slow, and with dusk drawing earlier each day, Wednesdays are losing their summer zeal. The produce is changing with bits of summer harvest still hanging on and new things popping in each week: winter squash, root veggies, and greens in every shape and size- ah, the glories of year-round growing in California!
In order to stop and enjoy the change in seasons and what summer harvest has brought, there’s a tradition here to celebrate all that and more; it’s known as the Hoes Down Festival. But don’t be fooled by the name, as it is no time when the farmers actually put their hoes down. In fact, it’s “hoes up” for the Mains and the farmers of Full Belly Farm, where the event takes place. For 22 years they’ve put on this event that brings in 3-5,00 people each year. It’s one Saturday full of every farm craft, activity, music, dance and good eats you could imagine. It’s impossible to do it justice in words (I recommend visiting the website: www.hoesdown.org), but I will say that after 3 years of attending and helping before, during, and after the event I have witnessed the most amazing collaboration of farmers, families, and friends who pour out all their compassion and energy into making this event the best it can be. They are a special group of farmers that are not only gifted in tending the land but creating community – community around what our culture has progressively drifted away from over the past century: the farm. All I can say now is you must come next year! It’s always the first weekend in October- be a volunteer, camp out under the orchards, and enjoy a beautiful, fun-filled, awe-struck weekend in the Capay Valley. You won’t regret it.
So with Hoes Down behind us and the rain just beginning, I believe that Fall is actually here. Last week, the air was still stark and the ground was dry as bricks, but after two days of downpour and tumultuous winds, life is looking a little different in Yolo County. I’m seeing growth and life in places that have been dead and dormant over the summer drought. It’s funny here in California, as elsewhere in the country the vegetation is preparing for winter hibernation. But no matter where we are one thing we can all do is look at our jars full of summer’s creation and be thankful for the cycles of bounty and regression, and then just think of warm tomato soup…