Tis the Season...

Well, I just got home after spending a wonderful evening out at the Main’s farm. My mom is in town visiting me, and Annie invited us out for dinner, so we journeyed out to the country. As we were driving to Capay, the sun was falling behind the hills intensively lighting the open fields- I so easily forget how vast the sky and land are. When we arrived Zach was the only one on the farm- working on the house, putting up drywall in the upstairs bedrooms. He gave us a tour of the house, showing us the latest additions and upcoming projects. Then he headed home, and Mom and I took a walk around the farm guided by the dogs, Molly and Bean. California is not known for its fall color, but I have to say there were some mighty rich shades of orange and yellow dangling from the trees- persimmon, apricot, peach, and nectarine leaves. The tomato and basil rows were disked, and the lettuce, chard, and carrot rows were lush and untouched, while the navel oranges, ¾ turned, knew they were the next to go.

Not too much later, Annie and Claire, whose home from college for Thanksgiving, came driving up. It was funny to be greeting them at their own house. Jeff, who was unfortunately not able to join us, was meeting with Kendra Johnson of California Farmlink to finalize the easement plans. All girls tonight. We assembled a meal of spinach salad, cheese and crackers with quince preserves, some wine, and dark chocolate to top it off. We talked about the early days of the alternative food movement, which both Mom and Annie were actively involved in, and where it’s headed now (are we finally reaching the tipping point?). Annie shared stories of traveling the world farm by farm, and we reminisced on my first day working at market when all met. At the time I was just looking for a part-time summer job, and now two and half years later we’re sitting together at their kitchen table.

This was my last time to see Annie before I go home for Christmas break- I’ll be missing market this week for Thanksgiving, and the following week Jeff and Annie will be traveling to the East Coast. They are first headed to see Allison in Brooklyn, where she attends Pratt Institute, and then to Durham, NC where they will gather with the other “Five Farmers” (You may recall that in May, NPR broadcasted a series called “Five Farms” which followed five farmers in different regions of the US. The Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University, who made the program, is now bringing them all together to meet.) Luckily, Chuck will be there catching the action on film, so hopefully we will get to see a bit of that experience in the future. I know it’s not easy for them to leave the farm and can even be harder to go somewhere so different like New York City, but it should be good nonetheless- well, at least as long as it rains here in the valley.

I wish good times and safe travels to you all over this season!
If you want to check out the “Five Farms” series (five 1 hour pieces), go here: http://cds.aas.duke.edu/fivefarms/