RMHing: Our Blog

I Am The Rain Maker, or, Maybe Coyote is in Charge

2012-01-13T10:59:00.001-08:00

Many a man curses the rain that falls upon his head, and knows not that it brings abundance to drive away the hunger. ~Saint Basil

Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky. ~Rabindranath Tagore

I am sure it is a great mistake always to know enough to go in when it rains. One may keep snug and dry by such knowledge, but one misses a world of loveliness. ~Adeline Knapp

According to the Handbook of Native American Mythology, as you might expect many Native American cultures have stories that explain how the seasons came to be. For example, the Tsimshian, believed that an ongoing squabble among the Four Great Winds (North, South, East, and West) is settled after they come to an agreement that each shall have the earth for three months, making the seasons the result of the shifting required to maintain a mediated settlement.

But I think my favorites involve efforts by the animals of the earth to sort things out amongst themselves and a concerted effort to resist the will of Coyote as he tries to force his will on the others. In Northern Paiute lore, Coyote summoned a large crowd of other animals to decide how long the seasons should be, proposing that each be 10 months (and stating that he would be strong enough to survive such a long winter). Without getting any responses at all, he felt the matter was decided and left to get his pipe for a smoke to seal the deal. While gone, the other animals quickly decided Coyote's proposal would not do, and a bird from the mountains proposed three months for each season, so the other animals agreed and left before Coyote returned.

As you might expect, Greek Mythology has both a story of sisters who rule over the seasons and portions of time as well as one drawing on turmoil among the gods, including kidnapping, forced marriage and a negotiated settlement.

These sisters??

In Christianity, God appointed the times and seasons as was defined in the bible book Ecclesiastes (and a great song from the 1960's, Turn! Turn! Turn...written by Pete Segar and sung by the Byrds:

"There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven ~

A time to give birth, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted.

A time to kill, and a time to heal; A time to tear down, and a time to build up.

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance."

Source

And so on, each culture or tradition presumably having its own mythology explaining how the seasons came to be.

It is relevant now, of course, because our area has been having such a warm, dry winter, having just finished the second driest December on record and spending the first two weeks of January with record temperatures in the 60's approaching 70 on some days and absolutely zero rain.

I've spent the last few days pruning, watering and fertilizing--partially because I felt forced by the weather and partially to take advantage of this seemingly early spring--while keeping in mind that it's actually the middle of winter (70 degree afternoon be damned!). So, in essence, I was making it rain.

Now, some of you might believe that I believe I can influence the weather (and don't think I didn't try through force of will), but I do accept that I have certain limitations. I've also read a couple of articles in some farming & agriculture papers that many farmers in the state have done some irrigation this month. So, from the plants' perspective, we are making it rain.

It's almost as if Coyote or one of the sisters is asserting themselves and forcing the season. Now, THAT would be a fun way to experience the seasons; however, I believe it's some combination of climatic forces that pushed the jet stream north.

Looks like there is some rain in the forecast for next week, but with such dry conditions for the past two months (and a dreadfully low snow pack), it seems unlikely we will be able to make it up over the next couple of months.

It will be nice to be able to stop irrigating. One of the joys of a winter garden for me is that it is typically pretty self-sufficient. And, I do really love harvesting some of the greens that have been slowly progressing during the cold months. (I find them to be very hearty and flavorful.)

So, here's to a hopefully wet February and March!

~Timothy

Gathering The Holidays

2011-12-09T15:19:00.000-08:00

Last time out, we were gathering greens from around the property for a holiday display (pine, bay, Toyon, aka Christmas Berry). Today we've gathered some bunches of another native, mistletoe. It's interesting that it came to represent kissing (berries were plucked from a hanging bough, each allowing one kiss), given that it is a "hemi-parasitic" plant. (Hemi-parasitic means it is half parasitic, attaching itself to tree branches, oak here, but sill able to do photosynthesis.)

Mistletoe is the common name for obligate hemi-parasitic plants in several families in the order Santalales. The plants in question grow attached to and within the branches of a tree or shrub.

There is quite a bit of history and lore attached to the plant around the holidays.

Happy Mistletoe and Happy Holidays!

~Timothy

Let's Talk Turkey!

2011-11-19T11:30:00.000-08:00

We've mentioned our resident rafter of wild turkeys here a number of times. (Yes, "rafter" is a term for a group of turkeys.) Given the time of year and the fact that I saw a fascinating documentary about the bird, I'm inspired to spotlight them again.

Last night I watched "My Life as a Turkey," an episode of the PBS program "Nature," based on naturalist Joe Hutto's true story chronicling his remarkable and moving experience of raising a group of wild turkey hatchlings to adulthood.

He was seeking to understand the science of imprinting which "refers to a critical period of time early in an animal’s life when it forms attachments and develops a concept of its own identity." In essence, Hutto became mother to a brood of turkeys.

The Wild Turkey is quite an interesting bird and fairly different from the domestic turkey you might have "visiting" this Thanksgiving.

(Apologies to my vegan and vegetarian friends if there is anything in the following that suggests a turkey is anything but a wonderful example of native wildlife or a delightful pet...for your additional enjoyment, here is some information on the Wild Tofurkey and a delightful source of inspiration for a vegetarian Thanksgiving!)

NPR's A Vegetarian Thanksgiving story

A Vegan Thanksgiving Dinner (vegatarians welcome!)

OK, now that they are distracted I'm just going to say it, the turkey you will...um..."share" Thanksgiving with next week isn't much at all like its wild relative and very different from those eaten in early America. (There isn't actually certain evidence that turkeys were consumed at the "first" Thanksgiving; however, when the holiday was formalized as an official American holiday in the mid-1800's, turkey was definitely consumed at holiday meals.)

Domesticated turkeys are the over-bread, in-bread, "couch potato" cousin of the more agile and elegant Wild Turkey. Whereas the wild bird can run (quickly in bursts) fly for short periods (at the freeway speed limit if required), and can live for about 4 years, the domestic turkey is absurdly bulked-up, front heavy, barely able to move, incapable of flying, and lucky to live more than 6 months. The domestic bird has also lost all of the beautiful brown and gold coloring that helps camouflage its wild relative, leaving it with a mostly white plume. (More info. & source)

So, if you are prone to...um...invite a turkey to Thanksgiving and like to know from where your...um..."guests" are procured, I hope you found this interesting reading. (Are the vegans back yet??)

One last thing...

Mr. Audubon himself had quite a bit to say in his field notes about the Wild Turkey, along with a beautiful drawing of the bird (as he is of course well-known for producing).

The "Perfect" Fall Garden

I recently read a letter sent to one of my gardening magazines (yes, yes, I understanding the implication of having subscriptions to "gardening magazines") presenting a couple's dilemma regarding how to maintain their flower garden at this time of year. (The vegetable garden, of course, having been cultivated with planting for fall/winter produce.)

One half of the couple wanted to clean and trim so the garden looked "tidy," while the other wanted to leave the plants a bit longer so they would be more natural. I definitely agree with the "natural" approach.

Plants have a mission--to grow and produce to ensure perpetuation for the next season and/or next generation. Who am I to argue?

I like to let plants set and distribute seeds (even if they are just distributed to birds and squirrels), including the delightful (and tasty!) rose hips of our many rose bushes. And bulbs, tubers, corms need the energy produced by their leaves to prepare and store energy for the long winter and spring emergence. (As just two examples.)

So, I say it is fine to be a little rough around the edges when making a transition... from Autumn to Winter.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

~Timothy

ABUNDANCE OF HUNGER

2011-10-28T08:13:00.000-07:00

This being the harvest time of year, culminating with Thanksgiving, it is of course very natural to think of the cornucopia of fruits and vegetables that have or are being collected from the gardens and farms in the area. As I reported in my previous post, though the weather was atypical most of the year, there were still many wonderful crops to gather.

It has also been a particularly great autumn for the fall garden, and it’s clear there will be a nice supply of cold-weather vegetables for months.
For me, it’s also a great time to reflect on those who can’t celebrate abundance at this or any time of year.

Nearly 17% of people in America experience hunger, or food insecurity, including 23% of all children in the country without enough to eat.

According to the Redwood Empire Food Bank, in Sonoma County, 78,000 people face the threat of hunger every month:

34,000 are children

11,300 are seniors

13,500 are working families

The median monthly household income of food recipients is $930

And they continue: “children make up the largest group of those at risk of hunger in our community. There are 9,762 children living in poverty in Sonoma County according to the latest statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau. Seniors living on fixed incomes represent another large segment of the population the REFB serves. For 61.4% of our senior clients, Social Security is their primary source of income.”

It is a common reaction to be astonished that so many people go hungry in a country with such abundance—but people can’t eat a reaction.

I recall vividly the times in my life that I have worried where my next meal would be coming from and had to make limited dollars stretch. In fact, growing up our family was briefly on welfare and food stamps, and, looking back, it is clear that our single mother had to get creative in how she was going to get food on the table. (Ask me about the joys of “green spaghetti”—a truly fun & entertaining experience for us kids, but a creative attempt to combine cheap bags of pasta, powered pesto and cooking oil to feed 8 hungry kids.) But I’ve never had the thought that I would not be eating for an extended period of time or that I would have to regularly skip a number of meals.

Try not eating for a day and see how you feel.

You may get a sense where this is going and already feel that, as bad as the situation may be, you just couldn’t possibly face yet another appeal to make a donation. And, if you simply can’t give cash, food, or time, I understand and that’s OK. However, if you can give, I’m asking you to take the time to give as much or as little as you can.

You would be AMAZED how well food banks can use donated dollars—it is truly spectacularly efficient.

A donation of just $25 helps food banks provide 100 meals, so a child could eat for a month, or a family of 4 could eat for over a week. Alternatively, you could drop a food donation in a food barrel or volunteer 4 hours to help a food bank or other organization pack food boxes. In the last month, I downloaded $25 of music from iTunes, drank $25 in diet Coke, and spent that much the last time I put gas in my car.

The Redwood Empire Food Bank has the most amazing set-up allowing you to shop online for a large variety of food items at their wholesale cost. You literally can choose and calculate any amount of a donation.

If a family came to your door and told you their kids had not eaten for 2 days, asking if you could spare anything, wouldn’t you give them a box of pasta or cereal? Well, now you can do that virtually through the link below.

You can really count on your donation making a difference.

Feeding America fights hunger nationwide:

Happy Abundant Harvest!

~Timothy

Seasonal Friends

2011-10-01T13:07:00.000-07:00

Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each.

~ Henry David Thoreau

The Autumn counterfeited Spring
With such a flush of flowers,
His fiery-tinctured garlands more
Than mocked the April bowers,
And airs as sweet as airs of June
Brought on the twilight hours.
~Dinah Mulock Craik

When Summer gathers up her robes of glory,

And, Like a dream of beauty, glides away.

~ Sarah Helen Whitman

I really enjoy the times of year during the transition of one season to another, a bridge between the phases of nature's inevitable advance. These days, I experience it most profoundly when I am out working in the vegeyard and am seized by a profound awareness of recognition--a seasonal déjà vu.

After months of growing comfort, working to become in tune with the unique personality of the current season, it's invigorating to get a whiff of the approaching season--like a good, old friend when you think you caught a glimpse of them across the street, or a remarkably familiar smell that suddenly forces a sharp, visceral recall into your consciousness. (With my grandmother, it's certain smells of hardy "old school" cooking or Lysol, reminding me of the process of cleaning the garbage room of the apartment building she managed with my grandfather.)

Of course, since September 23 was the equinox, we are now in the early days of Autumn, with the various temperature extreme this time of year brings--sweatshirt in the morning, t-shirt in the afternoon (and, of course, sun screen)--only more so this year!

We've just finished an unusual heat wave that had gardeners and growers in the area stressing about heat stress, resulting in this warning from Sonoma County Master Gardeners

Now that everyone has switched gears to dealing with the heat wave and the water stress that it produced (it also produced some ripe tomatoes and melons!), we have to switch gears again and prepare for some early rain. The weather forecast calls for rain for the first half of next week. If you are planting a winter vegetable garden, get your starts in ahead of the precipitation. You may need to protect the young plants with some Remay or overturned pots if we really get the stormy conditions that are forecast.

(from their Facebook page ...of course!)

Severe Weather Alert!!

So, this is all well and good, but in addition to the warning from the Master Gardeners, the Weather Channel issued a “severe weather alert,” complete with flashing red graphics and such on their site:

... EARLY SEASON RAIN EXPECTED NEXT WEEK ACROSS NORTHERN AND CENTRAL CALIFORNIA...

SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE WEATHER ARE FORECAST TO OCCUR DURING THE FIRST HALF OF NEXT WEEK AS A STRONG EARLY SEASON PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM TAKES AIM AT NORTHERN AND CENTRAL CALIFORNIA...

So, as I’ve mentioned before, it has been an odd weather year (both this and last) that is having a pretty significant effect on how things grow. Change in weather, change in climate, caused by human activity...what I can say for certain is that if these changes remain constant, what we eat when will be affected, as will the cost of food.

Lesson Learned!!

One of the joys of gardening in Sonoma County is growing chiles (or chili or chilli) of many different varieties. The hotness of chiles is rated on the Scoville Scale and is dependent on how much capsaicin is in the fruit. Recently I learned a lesson in the intensity of the Scoville Scale and a bit of humility regarding what I will shove in my mouth without thinking it through.

I took a bet with one of the guys helping us out with some work here at RMH to trade and try hot chiles that we grew. Seems he eats very hot chiles every day for lunch; however, I on the other hand will typically only use them for cooking.

He ate the one I grew like it was candy, so it was my turn. Being small, I ate it in one bite. At first it has a fresh taste and a mild warming sensation. Turns out the chile is referred to as El Diablo, and it lives up to it’s reputation. First I felt a slow, steady burn develop as it I had taken a mouth full of a hot beverage that was uncomfortable but not burning. Ahh, if only it had stopped there. Very quickly, it began to feel like I had taken a mouth full of some chemical that wasn’t supposed to be consumed, and, even more quickly, I began to worry that I would soon be experiencing blistering. Ahh, the calming effect of the fat in several glasses of milk...lesson learned.

Like Buttah

Didi and I had a fund day on Thursday turning our RMH organic pear harvest into Spiced Pear Cardamom Butter, using a great recipe from Organic Gardening [LINK: http://www.organicgardening.com/cook/spiced-pear-cardamom-butter]. We look forward to sharing it over the coming holidays.

Reminder of Upcoming Events at RMH in October

October 22: Fundraiser for the Redwood Empire Food Bank

October 29: Eerie but Elegant Winemaker Dinner featuring Moshin Vineyards

Happy Autumn!

~Timothy

Fakin' in the fields

2011-09-10T10:15:00.000-07:00

Every time I drive 101 (not *the* 101...I grew up in the bay area and know how we refer to our freeways) between Sonoma County and the bay area, I raise my fist in exaggerated (mock) anger just north of Petaluma and shake it at a field of pumpkin vines (and not just because the field seems to cause a slow down of gawkers that momentarily ties up traffic).

You see, they purport to give a "farm-to-home" experience of picking your own pumpkins for the holidays, but it is a manufactured experience. Now, they may in fact grow the pumpkins you'll find in the field, but they don't do it there. The pumpkins that will be available in a few weeks are brought in from another location and placed strategically in the field for the "pick your own experience."

About a month or so ago, they planted their squash vines and corn stalks and have clearly been fertilizing them for rapid growth, but this is far too late in the season to plant if they plan to harvest produce. You see, the corn is just for a corn maze, and the squash vines are to give the illusion that they produced the pumpkins that will soon be manually placed in the field.

Now, far be it for me to ruin the truly joyful experience of children running through the field looking for the perfect great pumpkin. I think that walking around in dirt looking for produce to "pick" is a truly important experience in helping connect us to the produce we use.

But the field is fake, doesn't produce what people are "picking," wastes a tremendous amount of water (and likely fertilizer and pest control efforts) to produce vegetation for show. It would be one thing is the corn was grown for food before being turned into a constructed maze and the squash vines were grown correctly to produce some fruit, even if is were supplemented with some showier pumpkins. In fact, the squash isn't planted at the correct time to even produce fruit, and the size of vines people will find on their forays into the field could not produce the size nor volume of pumpkin that will be found.

With the growth of true farm experiences in the area connecting with the desires of so many people to truly understand how their food is grown, I just think a faux farm experience undercuts the authentic farming experiences in the area and hurts the growers by suggesting it's as easy as it will seem in this fake growing field.

Fry those green tomatoes?

Of late, I’ve been researching pickling recipes for the abundant crop of cucumbers this year and have gotten a good feel for dill pickles (and a particularly great cold cucumber soup served recently at RMH to great acclaim). However, I am starting to fear that I may have to turn to pickling my still-green tomatoes.

The cherry tomatoes--sun gold and chocolate--have been producing for a couple of weeks, but I'm still waiting for the other varieties. Patience being a virtue and all hasn't always been my strongest character trait, but as I have learned many times in many ways, gardening teaches lessons.

It’s common understanding that this has been a particularly cool summer.

According to AccuWeather:

Already having one of the coolest summers of its climatological record, California will begin the week (August 8) with more unusually cool weather.

One of the things I enjoy is heading to the various nurseries in the area and trading stories of our growing experiences. One of the employees at one of my favorites and I continue to marvel that we have big, beautiful pumpkins about ready for harvest before our tomatoes have come ready.

On the other hand, our unusual weather seems to have made it a fantastic year for pears--more of each of the varieties we currently grow than in the past several years.

Dahlias

Although it took a bit of time for the sunflowers to really get going,it has been a fantastic year for dahlias. This picture speaks for itself…this is just one blossom that we grew in the RMH flower garden.

Naked ladies everywhere

Great article on the Sonoma County Master Gardners website about this pink beauty that pops up this time of year:

Will the real Amaryllis please stand up?

Redwood Empire Food Bank:

This fall we will be working to support the food bank. It's no secret that in the current economy, more and more people are experiencing food scarcity and nutrition problems--hunger. In my least economically stable times, the worry about where and when my next meal would be available was always a great source of anxiety.

36.2 million Americans–including 12.4 million children–don't have access to enough healthy food to thrive. They are food insecure and at risk of hunger.

In 2010, the Redwood Empire Food Bank served 78,000 low-income residents per month by distributing 12.59 million pounds of food–is the equivalent of 27,000 meals a day.

It really doesn't cost a lot to make a difference in helping feed a family:

Virtual Food Drive

Bay Area Food Banks

First Day of Fall: The Autumnal Equinox

Fall begins in the Northern Hemisphere on September 23, 2011, at 5:05 A.M. (EDT).

Sonoma County Harvest Fair September 30 – October 2

HAPPY AUTUMN!

~Timothy

The Growing Mind…

2011-08-11T16:03:00.000-07:00

“There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don't know we don't know.”

~Donald Rumsfeld

As I sit on the precipice of the start of my 50th year of life (49th birthday), I have come to the realization that I am compelled to re-embrace my roots as a “renaissance man.” (Not the movie directed by Penny Marshall, starring Danny Devito); although, it would be cool if it were the Star Trek Voyager episode …) Also known as a polymath, for this purpose we’ll simply consider the term to mean someone who know some about a lot of things.

Now, many of you who know me must certainly be saying, “why yes, of course, we would expect nothing less…Timothy constantly thinks he knows something about everything,” and yet that would miss the point. With an ADD-brain and a voracious need to know about things, my recent foray into organic gardening has again emphasized the value of my curious and oft-unsettled mind.

At the start, I felt as if I had to know everything about growing—and just the correct stuff, the absolute answers. Over the years, I have learned that there are few absolutes in gardening and growing, and many of those are taken care of by nature. My perspective on this process that has been occurring for millions of years, mostly without human intervention, is entirely subjective, erring on the side of nature.

I fully understand that human cultivation of plants for use and enjoyment has discovered many methods of manipulation that benefit humans (and, coincidently, the plant…I suggest Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan, either the book or the PBS special ).

The history of agriculture dates back thousands of years, and its development has been driven and defined by greatly different climates, cultures, and technologies. However, all farming generally relies on techniques to expand and maintain the lands suitable for raising domesticated species.

~ Wikipedia

I have spent the last several years gathering knowledge, experience, advice, and opinions on growing, and it has allowed me to become a “gentleman farmer”—I have evolved. For example, my perspective from 2007 would have been very concerned about what my tomatoes are doing this year, but know I “get” them. They’re just being tomatoes and responding to the weather, but I have tended them well. The pumpkins? They couldn’t be more “pumpkin-y.” A couple of years ago I tried to harvest coriander seeds and got nada, but now I’m anxiously awaiting little golden nuggets of coriander-ness!

So, my goal for my fifties is to cultivate my life like I have learned to cultivate the land, by knowing how I can exert positive influence to improve the harvest; weed where necessary; work with nature, not against it; and know how to enjoy and share the bounty. Or, put another way, good soil (the medium or environment) makes good roots (the foundation of the plant) which makes good healthy plants (& bounty). You get the picture.

I have come to realize that this is just what I’ve been doing for 11 years with my relationship regardless of any aspects that I can’t control, and I do enjoy the bounties of that cultivation.

Sure, but is it urgent??

“Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others? Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how. The moment you know how, you begin to die a little.”

~MLK

“What comes first, the compass or the clock? Before one can truly manage time (the clock), it is important to know where you are going, what your priorities and goals are, in which direction you are headed (the compass). Where you are headed is more important than how fast you are going. Rather than always focusing on what's urgent, learn to focus on what is really important.”

~Source unknown

My gardening/farming efforts have also helped me clarify the difference between important and urgent, specifically how most things that seem urgent simply aren’t really.

In general, the most effective and successful people spend most of their time on important things rather than urgent things, specifically things that add measurable value.

Perhaps the only really urgent thing in gardening is to irrigate. Plants can show water stress quickly, especially seedlings and recent transplants. Although established plants are more durable when deprived a bit of water (and some plants actually produce better fruits and vegetables if stressed in just the right way, like tomatoes and grapes for example), when a plant is desiccated from dehydration, it’s difficult to revive.

Oh, I concede that there are many aspects of growing that are very important to successful horticulture, but there in lies the proof of the premise, and, what the gardener considers important may not be the most important thing to the plant. A plant considers it successful to produce fruit that assures a chance at successful seed dispersion, which may not in fact produce fruit that satisfies the grower.

Any sense of urgency in the garden is established in my mind and isn’t always consistent with what is important in the garden that day, in that season, relative to the needs of the plants. I’m learning to be in tune with the garden—the garden and I must be one, perhaps—to observe and evaluate needs and priorities to respond accordingly.

Keith Haring

My adoration for Keith Haring has been sparked and is growing. I’ve always deeply appreciated and been moved by his art, and I’ve found his biography and strength of character motivating. As I begin to think more about my 50th year, I’m finding myself ever more moved by his life and work. Cut short in 1990 at age 31, his response to his AIDS diagnosis was bold and brave, and his commitment to turn his work and energy to establishing a foundation is an inspiration. You’ll do yourself a favor is you look at some of his work at the link above—whether you’re familiar with him or not. (Yes, some of his work is rated PG-13, or R, or more, but it’s easy to sort through it on the site, and the foundation has established a wonderful kid-friendly site.)

Reminders:

Upcoming events in Sonoma County

~Timothy

Our Grapes are Showing!!

After only 2 years, the organic River Myst Haven Vineyard is already producing a few grapes! Wine will follow in a couple/few years!

Don't Worry...Bees Happy...

2011-07-14T15:15:00.000-07:00

So, Didi continues to lead us toward bee keeping, and we couldn't be more excited. She has been attending the meetings of the Sonoma County Beekeepers' Association , including the meeting this week where honey extraction was the topic. Also, we just got certified as a bee-friendly property by Partners for Sustainable Pollination, so we expect to be hosting bee vacations soon. Actually, we've been certified as a Bee-Friendly Farm, or a "BFF"...like, OMG!

(You should really checkout the Sonoma beekeepers' site...it has wonderful information about bees, including a different "fun fact" that appears each time you visit or refresh the page.)

Actually, as a result of this, I was inspired to complete an additional round of planting of bee-friendly California native plants--white sage, "bee bliss" sage, mimulus, california wild rose, ceanothus. I'm also experimenting with a native bee box--a chunk of untreated wood with various sized holes drilled in it. It is estimated that native bees carry the burden of some 30% of crop pollination in the U.S.. We certainly see them hard at work here at RMH.

Didi arranged for a local bee guy to bring a working hive to a recent event, and his "girls" as he calls them were a huge hit. It's interesting to know that most bees in a hive are females--generally only 5% of a the bees in a hive are males. They are kept around to mate with virgin queens, don't do much else, don't have stingers, don't really visit flowers, and are kicked out of the hive when they aren't needed. (Again, you really should visit the Sonoma County Beekeepers' Association website link above.)

(So, keep that in mind when you hear Blake Shelton singing about wanting to bee a honey bee to visit the "honeysuckle" that is the girl in his song. Sorry Didi, I had to say it...it's just too good...)

In fact, Michael and Deno, guests at the same party and new friends of RMH, are beekeepers in San Francisco and call their operation the Pollen Princesses for the very reason that the hive is mostly females. They are featured beekeepers in Backyard Beekeepers of the Bay Area , a fascinating overview of the art and joy of tending bees in various unexpected locations.

Hello Deer!

It's getting to be that time of year during which local wildlife tends to wander more in search of food (we think...because of the lack of rain), leading to an increase in sightings on the property. Yesterday we were visited again by a bobcat--smaller that the last one but impressive still. (You might recall that I told about a previous visit this winter.)

There is also a Mule Deer (aka, Blacktail Deer, a subspecies of the Mule Deer) who moved into the area. We've seen it wandering around, munching on shrubs and grasses (and perhaps the occasional watermelon rind tossed out).

We're always impressed with the diverse wildlife menagerie we have on the property and the comfort the animals have for visiting; though we do know their numbers can increase quickly if there is a regular, convenient source of food.

Weather or not...

I just had an email exchange with a friend going through the heat wave in Kentucky. So, not to be too preachy, but the climate change model predicts colder & wetter on the west coast (which we are experiencing) and hotter in the rest of the country (which was the lead news story on the Newshour)...I'm just saying...

Tomatoes and other summer fruits and veggies are still lagging in setting fruit and ripening. The weather has still been chilly overall, especially the nights, again dipping down to the upper 40s. Squash need warmer soil, so chilly nights affect that overall.

I read in the California agriculture newspaper that cherries, plums and apricots are all down about 15% statewide, and we talked to a grower of olives who didn't have any fruit set this year. Disturbing if it continues, and it raises the troubling question of adjusting what we grow in the area if this shift in the weather is ongoing. Easier perhaps for a small grower, but likely to cause some disruption in the food industry.

Happy Ending

We are looking forward (so far) to a bountiful pear and apple harvest. The trees are full, and the fruit seems to be progressing nicely. Expect spicy pear butter in the fall.

Reminder, the Gravenstein Apple Fair is coming up on August 13 & 14, known as "the sweetest little fair in Sonoma County."

Jammin’

2011-06-16T13:24:00.000-07:00

Ted, Didi, Alan & I all got together this weekend to make jam from the bounty of raspberries I harvested over 2 days. I’ve been tending to these raspberries plants since 2007, so it was awesome to be working with the large, juicy fruit that came off the canes, in amounts that kept me in awe.

If you’ve ever bought raspberries from the store (and who hasn’t) you know that they are a rather delicate fruit that can breakdown and get moldy quickly, which makes picking them yourself within a day or two of using them that much more special.

Raspberries are a type of bramble, like blackberries and are also known as “Cane berries”; however, they are different from blackberries in that the fruit has a hollow core that remains on the plant when you pick the raspberry.

(Get more facts on the fruit from a wonderful website called “Pick Your Own.”)

Preserves

Of course, you know that jam is made from the whole fruit, and jelly is made from the juice of a fruit— both of them require a great deal of sugar. In fact, it isn’t really a jam or a jelly without sugar, and these are but two of the variety of fruit preserves.

The sugar is an important part of the chemical process that sets the fruit pectin (a carbohydrate taken from plants) to thicken the jam. In fact, when making jam you are essentially making a candy in that you are melting sugar and flavoring it (in this case with organic fruit). Some fruits are high in pectin and will thicken on their own, but some need to have pectin added.

Naturally Sweet

Since I haven’t been eating processed sugar, I set about exploring another approach to preserving the raspberries by making a fruit spread, that is, whole fruit made like a jam, but without adding any processed sugar.

I settled on a fun recipe for a spiced raspberry spread made with the fruit we harvested, concentrated organic fruit juice, a sliced apple, spices, and lemon zest and cider vinegar for some acid (another important step in processing the pectin in the fruit—see above).

Once I figured out the difference between liquid and powdered pectin—they function the same but will affect the recipe if not carefully interchanged—and saved us from my math error (ounces to tablespoons to teaspoons to cups…oh, never mind!), we were on our way.

Once we had the ingredients in the pots, the trick is to cook quickly, without over cooking, and preventing the boiling mixture from burning.

When Ted arrived, we were able to get an assembly line going to get the bright red jam into jars. (Clean them, warm them, fill them, process them in boiling water.)

The result (for both the traditional jam and the spread) is fantastic. Good color, great flavor, nice set. You’ve heard it before, you just cannot beat just-harvested organic fruit.

As you may know, when the processed jam jars are cooling, it is important that the indent in the lid be sucked down by the vacuum created in a properly-sealed jar. So, while cleaning up (the jam does get everywhere), we had the satisfaction of listening to our many individual jars “pop” with this final sound of success.

So, we had a complete farm-to-kitchen experience. While I thought back on the time I spent tending, cultivating, composting, mulching, pruning, etc., the raspberries, I had a new appreciation for the effort that goes into producing quality organic fruit. And, Alan, Didi, and Ted, can attest to the work involved in producing a quality organic jam and their appreciation for the process.

In short, organic, farm-to-kitchen, is hands-on, but so worth it.

~Timothy

Flying Time

2011-05-11T09:31:00.000-07:00

Hmmmm. So long since my last blog…did you miss me??

It’s been busy in the garden with much spring planting to do, so forgive me if I’ve been a bit distracted. In addition, we’re also doing quite a bit of prep for some very special cooking and wine experiences coming up. (Please be sure to check the events part of the website.)

Envy with Green

The other day I was sitting in the Vegeyard, captivated by the aggressive bursts of new spring growth all around me. It was an important reminder of how marvelous I find nature. I was stunned by the seemingly infinite range of the shades of green reflected in the new growth. From where I was sitting, I was able to see quite a mix of different plants blending together in the view—raspberries, new growth in the flower box, new oak leaves, grasses…The tableau of all of the leaves exploding from their plants, reaching to the sun, alive with bees and such buzzing through them, made spring tangible.

As Thoreau said: “Spring--an experience in immortality.”

Farmer’s Markets

Our local farmer’s markets have opened for the season (Healdsburg on Saturdays & Winsor on Sundays). So, it’s the season to really support local organic produce—hug a farmer, or visit your closest farmer’s market. Certified markets in California: CFM

Things are buzzin’…

Wow! RMH is alive with bees—honey, bumble, native. Their buzzing vibrates all over the property. I am remarkably lucky to be able to work the garden as often as I do, and at this time of year I am grateful for the bees.

I’ve learned to leave as many native flowers—including dandelions—as studies have shown native bee populations do better with regular access to them. Also, I give a great deal of thought to a greater range of seasonal flowering so that there is overlap in food availability for bees. Working in our garden makes it exceptionally clear how much our food supply depends on bees. Right now, they are ensuring an abundant supply of raspberries this summer!

Didi has a bee in her bonnet and is exploring beekeeping as a possible project for RMH. She’s been exploring the Sonoma County Beekeepers’ Association and, it seems, is leading us closer to acquiring a hive or two…but I’m not naming them…

Wild Canines

RMH is very dog-friendly. So much so, that wild canines in the area (namely foxes and coyotes) may have taken it as a personal invitation to move in. A couple of nights this week I’ve woken to the sight of a fox foraging through bird food (namely nuts & fruit), and one of those nights a coyote very near the house added his or her voice to the night—got all of our attention! Most amazing, I was alone on the property working the gardens and startled a coyote at 5PM while s/he was checking on how my progress in the garden might be of benefit. Quite a beautiful animal. More on wild canines.

And you thought it was just me…

Announcement from Sonoma County Master Gardners

“As only one of five places in the world with Mediterranean weather, Sonoma County draws passionate gardeners from all over. This will be evidenced in mid-May when 350 California Garden Club members converge here for their biennial statewide conference, to be followed by 500 California Master Gardeners two weeks later. When you see the folks with the tote bags, garden hats, and badges wandering into every shop, restaurant, garden, and winery, you will realize they have arrived. More.

~Happy Spring!~

~Timothy

The Groan of Spring

2011-03-30T15:05:00.000-07:00

Did you hear it? I certainly did, it was a bit incessant, that sound the earth makes at the transition into spring. It didn’t happen on March 20 (the first day of spring), for it begins a bit of time before the “official” start. When I can’t precisely say. But one day I’m walking around on the property, checking this or that, or adding something to the compost pile, or weeding here and there. And suddenly, you hear it. At first I mistook it for the wind, especially given the particularly wet and stormy weather we’ve been having (all the better for the organic fertilizer pellets I’ve been spreading).

No, it’s definitely a groan. And not so much the “just-out-of-bed-but-not-yet-caffeinated” groan or the “I-didn’t-know-my-knees-could-be-so-stiff-from-sitting” groan age has brought to me. It’s the kind of involuntary groan of pleasure one would make after waking up from the best nap ever, on a sunny day, feeling perfectly refreshed and ready for anything.

After the long semi-stasis of winter, as the days warm a bit, and (more important) the length of the days increases, it’s as if some giant inertia in nature suddenly reaches it’s precise tipping point and gently, slowly, begins to roll in motion. Though the weather has been fairly volatile this month (“, in like a lion, out like a lamb”) the dynamics of creeping into spring are subtler.

One day I’m thinking things in the garden have been pretty settled and relatively undemanding, and then, suddenly I realize I have to start spreading compost, early season organic fertilizer, cultivating, pulling massive amounts of opportunistic plant growth (otherwise known as “weeds”), and (panic!) getting seeds set in the greenhouse.

Ah, but the joy of the change in seasons, the unmitigated anticipation and expectation. Spring, with it’s fertility and renewal, promise of new life, has come again, and, suddenly, I’d better get out in the dirt.

Mmmmmm…Tastes Like Orange!

RMH citrus has been reaching a sublime state of ripeness—Meyer lemon, grapefruit, oranges. Though a bit pithy dog, the fruit is juicy and very tasty and wonderfully sweet/tart. Here’s a picture of the oranges & grapefruits I had for dessert and breakfast…mmmmm.

As it rains in March so it rains in June

I’ve been reading the Farmer’s Almanac, that our friend Ingrid gave me, and the above quote is one of the bits of folk wisdom reserved for this month. But, really, this much rain in June? We’ll see.
(In case you’re interested, the book predicted a dry March.)

~Timothy

When is enough enough??

2011-03-10T13:11:00.000-08:00

I was talking with my dental hygienist yesterday (look! No cavities!!), or, actually, she was talking to me, and I was talking between the teeth scrapping. BUT, the point is, the topic of the weather came up, and I found myself speaking from a gardener/grower’s perspective—another milestone on my evolution.

This year started with a weather pattern that felt uncomfortably familiar to three years ago—heavy rains to start the year, and then a warm, dry spell. Thankfully, the weather over the last few weeks has broken that and offered a sense of relief that we’ll have a fairly “normal” rainfall year. (Knocking on wood hoping that the recent rain patterns continue.)

Sonoma County Water District measures of stored water are great , and we’re certainly doing well with overall seasonal rainfall.

We’re on a well, so we are particularly concerned that there is enough rainfall to replenish the ground water and aquifer tables, but we’re feeling confident. (For a few weeks in late January/early February, I was worried I’d have to restart the irrigation in some locations.)

The rains aren’t just important for stored water, they are critical for how native plants, grow. For example, native grasses and wildflower blooms are really dependent on the amount of consistent, ongoing rainfall, and they are particularly vulnerable if there is rain that causes them to sprout followed by dry weather that can cause them to wilt.

I have developed an eye for the early sprouts of many wild flowers, and I have gotten in the habit of spreading some native flower seeds every year. Last year offered a wonderful display of California’s abundant diversity of flowers, and we are looking forward to a repeat this year also.

So I say, bring on the rain (in measured, but consistent amounts to avoid flooding) so that spring blooms can take advantage of the increasing light and warmth to get a foothold in advance of spring growing.

I can’t end a discussion of the weather without mentioning how disappointed I am with how the media handled the recent “possibility” of snowfall in the Bay Area. I’ve lived in the area my entire life, so I was here in 1976 when snow hit the ground—it was fun as a kid, but, really, I prefer to live where it DOESN’T snow. So, take the hype elsewhere. Also, though I don’t fully recall all the details of the last snow event, did anyone really think it felt like snow was a possibility?? The weather casters these days seem to be more interested in hyping the weather than in reporting it…

Though, I did marvel at how much snow fell in the hills around Healdsburg the weekend before all the hype. (I just prefer to keep it in the hills and mountains where it belongs!).

Seedin’

I’ll be starting spring veggies seeds in the greenhouse this week in anticipation of April planting (though we need to watch for frost into April). This year, we need to do some additional advance planning because we’ll be registering our growing with the county, and they require a comprehensive list of what is being planted.

In the meantime, the vegeyard is bursting with a variety of cool weather greens like kale, spinach, mustard greens, and broccoli! Yum!

Final Thought: Eating Right

As part of my recommitment to being healthy and eating well, I’ve been doing some additional research and reading on nutrition (as well as consulting with a fantastic dietician. I am even more committed to the philosophy that vegetables should NOT be shunted aside as a side dish but should be the focus of your meal. It’s the other things like meats, starches and fats that should be built around a great helping of vegetable and/or fruits! Such an easy change to make—just start eating things in different proportions with things that grow in the ground the majority.

Eating better starts now!

~Timothy

First day of spring: Sunday, March 20

Easter: April 24

Winter Bloomin’

2011-01-11T08:57:00.000-08:00

Very few people ever manage what nature manages without effort and mostly without fail. We don't know who we are or how to function, much less how to bloom. Blind nature. Homo Sapiens. Who's kidding whom?

~Jeanette Winterson (British Author; Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit)

Fertilized

I spent the day Monday fertilizing most of the winter-blooming flowers at RMH. It might seem odd to be doing this during the cold, rainy weather, but a little help for plants like primroses, camellias, and cyclamens really helps with flower production.

In general I have an ambivalent regard for fertilizing, even the predominately organic approach we use—I understand the important role that supplements have on plants, but I try not to push plants too aggressively. Basically, I like to allow plants to be what they will be in a mostly “natural” state. So, I amend, compost and mulch and add organic supplements to give them a boost.

I really avoid non-organic approaches because I find the value of having a “super” plant is limited. For example, the leaves and structure are usually weaker in a plant that grows too fast, flavor is less interesting in a “forced” plant, and the fruits are typically less than impressive if a plant was coaxed too aggressively.

That being said, a plant’s destiny is to produce more plants through fruit, seeds, rhizomes and the like, and they typically achieve this through the minimum effort required for its botanical history and development.

So, flower development is only required to the point that it will attract the appropriate pollinators. Small bloom, large bloom, bright color, height, all of this is dependent on past natural selection and current growing conditions. Therefore, to get impressive flowers by human standards often requires some assistance such as, in our case, organic fertilizers.

Primroses can get by with small, low, but colorful flowers at this time of year—not much else is available to compete with them for insects at this time of year. However, I’d like a bit more heft and height to the flowers for the same reason, fewer plants blooming at this time of year. Don’t get me wrong, I DO enjoy the increased impact that a hit of phosphorous gives to the flowers on a plant, but it does get me thinking.

When should we “boost” something? Too much forcing can result in a weaker plant, less resistant to insects, with less flavor. In effect, the essence of the plant is more “artificial” or manipulated. (To generalize without overstating.)

It’s all about finding a balance between the natural desires and capabilities of the plant and the human, cultural desires that we have for plants. A primrose isn’t going to put more energy into making flowers than it has historically needed and/or is capable of given current conditions, so, a bit of fertilizer gives it more to draw on, allowing it to expend energy in making even more successful flowers.

I find a lesson in all of this. We should seek to find a similar balance in our lives between what is our true essence and capacity and the personal and cultural expectations we feel (real or perceived).

When are we pushing ourselves unnaturally just to meet external expectations? Or applying those same expectations to others? When are we “boosting” ourselves “organically” versus applying all-out, high-octane efforts that will stress and strain us?

I find all flowers beautiful, even those unaided by human manipulation. However, there is something particularly nice about seeing bursts of color here-and-there in the winter garden, but I try not to push too unnaturally hard.

Bobcat

Bobcat, Sierra Nevada foothills, Mariposa, California

What do bobcats eat in the winter? Well, we almost had a chance to see for ourselves when one was stalking RMH the other day.

Though they are reported to range from 11 to 33 pounds, this particular one that visited us seemed even larger (though, we did not in fact try and weigh it). It did however have absolutely classic bobcat features…and it was hungry.

Apparently, hungry bobcats are much bolder, disregarding all indications that it was hunting around our house at 11AM, quite freely hopping over the fence around the pool area. Seems it was sure that Percy, our wandering, cage-less peacock would be a particularly delightful snack. Oh, it turns out that peacocks are in fact a great early warning system for some situations…like a bobcat in the yard.

Mouth watering, “Bobby” (or Bobbie, we didn’t check the sex either) sprang from his/her crouch toward the honking peacock; however, this particular cat was clearly uninformed on the nature of pool covers and wound up taking a chilly dip. Meanwhile, Percy had sprung for the roof, continuing his loud warning honking.

The cat slunk off before we had a chance to get the camera in position and hopefully has reconsidered our immediate front yard as a hunting ground.

The whole scene was utterly spectacular, a veritable “RMH Wild Kingdom.” I get a deep primal thrill with all the various opportunities to experience nature at RMH. And, though I am cautious by respecting nature, I really believe that we shouldn’t fear it. I don’t want our two pet dogs to become a meal opportunity, but I don’t roam about in fear or dread. Plus, drawing on the Disney concept of the “Circle of Life,” there’s a balance that must exist in nature, and that includes hungry bobcats.

The Art of Giving Thanks

2010-11-22T11:23:00.002-08:00

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.

~Thornton Wilder

On Thanksgiving Day we acknowledge our dependence.

~William Jennings Bryan

I was out today working in the gardens, and the wild turkeys were wandering the property, popping up here and there, and waiting expectantly for the occasional seed I toss to them on the plateau. Watching them on the property and coexisting with them has become a fun distraction at RMH.

It was interesting when I was looking online for more information on the birds because many if not most sites typically associate the preservation of the species with hunting or complain about them as a bit of a nuisance. Quite a fall from the days when they were suggested by Benjamin Franklin as our national bird .

There are many people in the area who do in fact enjoy a wild turkey (um. Sure, and the bird of the drink), and Sonoma County does have a turkey-hunting season (not surprisingly, it is in November). Wild Turkeys are much like turkeys grown for food in that they are much leaner and tougher. (Grown, an interesting term of the poultry industry I picked up watching a documentary on the industrial food practices…and the only way to the get giant legs, thighs and breasts people love to eat.) But as you might expect, there is much local culinary advice on how to prepare them.

At RMH, we mostly just leave them alone and marvel and laugh at them. They haven’t been a nuisance to us, and I really believe they do a lot to control snails, slugs, ticks and other insects. Yes, it’s a bit of a bother to clean up a garden site they occasionally scratch up, but, again, I just think about the organic insect control.

First Thanksgiving

Of course, though I mostly value them as wildlife, one can’t help but think and joke about our hungry and sassy wild turkeys and Thanksgiving. And, actually, this linkage reinforces the importance of living off the land and being connected to it as a significant part of the first Thanksgiving, especially since a major reason the pilgrims gave thanks is because they learned vital skills from Native Americans that helped them survive.

In fact, the history of the pilgrims first arriving here is grim—after 66 days crossing the ocean, spending the first winter living on their boats, and losing half of the original group—the rest only survived by learning skills to live off the land.

This knowledge helped the pilgrims survive and thrive (all political controversies and commentary to be left for another day), and so:

“In November 1621, after the Pilgrims’ first corn harvest proved successful, Governor William Bradford organized a celebratory feast and invited a group of the fledgling colony’s Native American allies, including the Wampanoag chief Massasoit. Now remembered as American’s “first Thanksgiving”—although the Pilgrims themselves may not have used the term at the time—the festival lasted for three days.”

(Source)

I find this all fascinating, and consider it the FIRST back-to-the land, or, farm-to-table, celebration. The vegetables they ate are now considered “heirloom,” the farming was organic, and the techniques they used to thrive was the type of soil-based cultivation so many people are struggling to get back to now.

And, the key core of that first celebration was the harvest and the bounty of the land (and praising god for keeping them alive…), as well as the community they were literally building. (Interesting note that they didn’t have much sugar, so there weren’t really the deserts and such that have become such a hallmark of Thanksgiving today.)

And so, when you gather with friends & family (old and new) this Thanksgiving, take time to be truly thankful: honor the earth for giving us all the food & nutrition that keeps us alive and the people in your life who give you soulful nourishment.

Happy Giving Thanks!

~Timothy

The Name Game

2010-10-20T16:58:00.000-07:00

What's in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd, 
Retain that dear perfection which he owes 
Without that title.
Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, 1600

Lately I’ve been thinking about botanical terms for plants, which are very precise and specific, versus culinary terms for plants which are much more cultural and less specific or precise as scientific terms. We’ve actually had a couple of events at River Myst Haven that have illustrated this for me, specifically the Two Sisters Southwest Cooking Experience.

Here are some interesting examples.

Peppers

Chile peppers are in the genus Capsicum, and all chile peppers belong to the large nightshade family (Solanaceae) along with tomatoes, potatoes, tobacco, and eggplants. (For those who forgot High School biology, specifically Taxonomic rank , it’s Family, Genus, Species, so: Solanaceae, Capsicum annum (bell peppers & pimentos) or Capsicum frutescens (like the cayenne)…and so on…)

So, common names for these plants include cayenne, cayenne pepper, chili pepper, paprika, peppers, pimiento, red pepper, sweet pepper, aji dulce, Hungarian pepper, and Mexican pepper. So, bell peppers, jalapeño, habanero, cayenne, and banana pepper are all in the same family and genus—they are all Chile Peppers. In Mexico the term “chile” is used to refer to the group.

However, in cooking New Mexico cuisine, the common preference is to use the term chile to refer to a specific group of chile peppers, especially those cultivars specifically developed in the state.

So, it was funny to watch those of us who grew up on the West Coast correcting our use of the term “pepper” when referring to the wonderful “chiles” the sisters brought for the class.

But, they’re all Chile peppers.

For lots more information: The Chile Pepper Institute , at New Mexico University, is an international nonprofit organization devoted to education, research, and archiving information related to Capsicum.
Or:
http://www.chili-peppers.info/
http://www.texmextogo.com/chilipeppersfacts.htm
http://www.zianet.com/focus/chile.htm

Cilantro

This is another interesting example. Cilantro and Coriander are the same plant, an annual herb in the family Apiaceae (including also carrot, celery, parsnips, parsley). And yet, the terms are used very differently in cooking. Coriander seed is often called for in recipes, but I’ve never personally seen a call for cilantro seeds. And, the leaves and seeds have distinctly different flavors. The reference that got me really thinking about this one was a recipe that called for “young coriander leaves,” aka cilantro.

Interesting to note that anise (Pimpinella anisum ) and fennel (Foeniculum vulgare ) are both in the family Apiacea, they are 2 different plants. I bring this up because I was in a cooking class where an ongoing discussion of the topic occupied a fair amount of the weekend.

Tomatillos

This was the first year that I grew Tomatillos (Physalis philadelphica), and of the many times I related this to friends, I found quite a bit of confusion. First, they are not tomatoes; although, they are in the same family, Solanaceae (just like peppers). They are in a different genus and are more related to gooseberries. The tomatillo is also known as the husk tomato, jamberry, husk cherry, Mexican tomato, or ground cherry.

You probably know they are a main ingredient in green salsa (with peppers…er, chiles), but there are many other sweet/savory uses for them (often in meat dishes). I found them delicious right off the plant—very sweet, kinda berry-like.

Our good friend Ingrid brought me a packet of Borecole seeds from a recent trip to England, and it was a wonderful grower, delicious and hearty. We know it as kale.

A couple of times during cooking experiences here I was asked for arugula and rocket, which, of course meant I picked leaves from the same plant. Same with radiccio and chicory.

So what?

I still find the nexus of botany with cooking to be quite interesting. I’m more interested in cooking since I started growing on such a large scale, and I’m fascinated with applying the botanical/growing perspective to the preparation of foods. My purpose in pointing out what I think is a fascinating dual nomenclature is to draw attention to how it illustrates the cultural context of cuisine.

You can make tasty New Mexico dishes using different plants in the Capsicum genus, but you really should call them chiles. And, would you prefer a salad of rocket or arugula, chicory or radiccio?

So, a rose by any other name…

Tomato harvest

After this unusual cold/hot/cold/hot summer, most of the large tomatoes on the bushes, after languishing during the “summer,” all ripe last week. I talked previously about the wonderful taste of green leafy vegetables that grew slowly during the cold months earlier this year; however, I found a bit of the opposite in green tomatoes on the vine for an extended period that then ripened. Don’t get me wrong, they were good, but they didn’t have the strong, powerful flavor of fruit that ripened quicker. So, given the nice but not exceptional taste and the quantity, I used a simple recipe from Patricia Wells to oven roast and sauce them (basically halfed tomatoes, salt, herbs, some oil, 425°)…YUM!

Terra Madre

The fourth edition of the Terra Madre conference will be October 21-25, 2010.
Terra Madre is an international network of food producers, cooks, educators and students from 150 countries who are united by a common goal of global sustainability in food. The "food communities" of Terra Madre come together biennially to share innovative solutions and time-honored traditions for keeping small-scale agriculture and sustainable food production alive and well.

Part of the fall eggplant harvest.

~Timothy

You’ve Got To Be Kidding…

2010-09-01T16:19:00.000-07:00

I was reading a garden site the other day—a month-by-month summary of suggested garden tasks—and it said (I could hardly believe it), it actually suggested, “there isn’t much to do in the garden during August but enjoy the harvest…” Well, tell that to the twinge in my back from turning the compost pile the other day.

I suppose I did take that to heart regarding this blog. Not much produced here during August, but, then again, you were warned at the outset…

Lions, and skunks and…well, no bears…

Before I proceed, I do have to report the irony of double mountain lion sightings—one on the mountain a couple of properties behind us, and one in the “gourmet ghetto” of Berkeley (hence, the irony). Sadly, the one in Berkeley didn’t survive the sighting as the Berkeley Police considered it too much a threat; however, we take it as a sign that perhaps the food Chez Pannise tosses out at night is just that good.

We always knew they were in the vicinity—well, not so much in downtown Berkeley—but there is a sort of naturalist thrill to have photographic evidence. (Actually, we’re not all equally thrilled, but I am.)

Splitting Grapes

So, the current unseasonable weather—coolest summer in 30 years coupled with drastic changes in the temperature—is having a noticeable effect on farms and gardens in the area.

The conventional wisdom is that most harvests have been delayed an average of three weeks or so, and vineyards are reporting “hens & chicks”—a mix of some larger grapes with many smaller than typical—and splitting fruit (due to the drastic temperature changes).

We’ve noticed all of this at RMH. Other than our cherry tomatoes, we’re seeing a long delay in fully ripened fruit, and our grapes are, indeed, splitting.

I’ve also noticed some iris and lily blooms mixed in with the other, more typical, summer flowers, and green leafy veggies are thriving again like they did in spring.

Then, we’re hit with a couple days of our more typical summer, and the balance shifts back.

But we’re still enjoying summer’s bounty. All told, I’m starting on fall plantings and seed starts now, hoping to take advantage of the weather for a bountiful fall.

All in a day’s work…

But back to the “lazy days of August” that just passed.

Though the tasks may be different with the season, I still find myself being drawn into the garden for it continues to enthrall me. I’m captivated by what I experience there, and I continue to marvel at how visitors connect with something that feels so familiar to me.

The other day we had a private fundraiser for an HIV-support organization, and the friends who visited toured the garden. And, though I apparently lost a fair number of the white and orange cherry tomatoes, it was a joy to watch them exiting the garden and hear their comments of wonder.

Falling Back In…

So, as usual, I urge a mindful moment. Have you taken time this summer to stop, engage in a meaningful way with a garden, or view, or river, or anything in nature that gives you pause?

As we start gearing up for fall and all that comes with that, summer is supposed to be a time to pause and enjoy what the world offers you as a result of your hard work.

Don’t think about what didn’t grow or about what might have been stunted by factors outside of your control, but look for what is there, not what is missing.

The experience of picking a succulent cherry tomato off the vine and experiencing it’s explosion of summer-ripe flavor is imminently satisfying. It would be a shame to miss it because you’re looking past it for something that isn’t ripe yet.

Happy Labor Day!

~Timothy

Decomposed Thinking

2010-07-14T10:48:00.000-07:00

I knew that compost would be an important part of the growing experience here at RMH, but now I know why it is often called “black gold”—it’s essential to organic gardening. Or, so I kept reminding myself when it was 95 degrees, and I was ankle deep in freshly rotting compost, turning the piles we have to keep the process progressing.

Now, I’ve read a lot about this topics, and I have been composting for several years, but as you might guess in today’s information-loaded society, there is much opinion about the “proper” way to compost (again, basically, to let things rot…). In fact, many people have closely-guarded compost “recipes” not to mention the fine art of compost tea (compost steeped in water for several days…YUM!).

(I like the U.C. Davis guide OR, you could go the “dummies” route.)

All in all, it’s really not that complicated to get some basic systems going, and there is a range of effort—with associated benefits—that one could use, but organic material in a pile eventually decomposes into good stuff for the soil.

It is a striking example of the “garden in motion” as I see a review of past garden work in the cuttings and trimmings as well as a retrospective of scraps from the kitchen. Also, the piles visibly change weekly and is surprisingly dynamic—bacteria & microbes, insects, worms, birds, various animals, all do a particularly effective job in this process. A complete ecosystem.

“Working with my piles” (as I like to call it) is a particularly reflective time for me. I tend to do it every week or two, by myself out in the Vegeyard, in the morning or late evening. And, since turning piles of decomposing organic matter isn’t very technical or difficult (perhaps “ripe” sometimes…though a well-balanced pile shouldn’t “stink”), I find that I am able to process a host of thoughts and ideas.

I also see an investment in the future, the continuation of the garden, as this material is a wonderful addition to any soil I will soon be planting. So, there is comfort in knowing we are taking materials that have outlived their original purpose and re-purposed them into something living that will impart new life into things growing. (Not to mention the decrease in garbage volume.)

I also love making my own compost tea—scoops of finished compost soaked in a bucket of water for several days. Now, in my experience, the pride people hold for their particular compost “recipes” is nothing compare to the secrecy people use to guard their compost tea approach. I kinda just let it do it’s thing (though I do have some special additions I’m not a liberty to mention in this public forum).

So, even the process of working with decomposing vegetation is a joyous part of gardening for me, and, as in most things, I find lessons and opportunities that help make my life richer.

I’d encourage everyone to give it a try. In many cities, you can put most organic items in a green bin, and a worm bin doesn’t take up much room and takes care of most kitchen scraps. If you have a yard, a basic compost bin takes very little room. Of course, given the space, you can really dive in on a grand scale, but just remember, the piles you make will be the piles you turn, even on very hot days.

All Things Herbal

I wanted to give you a quick update on our small medicinal herb garden. Thanks to our friend Ingrid’s consultation and the herb fair in Sebastopol, we were able to fill the box with many plants that have a current or historical medicinal application. It’s all doing very well with very little attention, so we’re now researching simple, practical uses for some of what we are growing.

It has been an engaging and insightful process to read about the many plants that cultures have valued for purposes other than food. One of our favorite resources has been the Sonoma County Herb Association with many resources, events and links to various learning opportunities.

Happy Summer!

~Timothy

You Reap What You Sow

2010-05-21T13:40:00.000-07:00

(And other organic musings on a particularly cold winter spring)

For all it’s misuse by some, the bible has many wonderful phrases and allegories that draw on or illuminate common experiences—especially agriculture, for example:

“…whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

(Galatians 6:7)

Despite this unusual, cold and rainy spring weather, or with some plants perhaps because of it, the garden has been bountiful with a variety of vegetable.

The days have been cooler than typical for this time of year, the nights much colder, and the number of rain events (though not the total amount of rain) has been more frequent.

As a result, many of the cooler, early spring vegetables have continued to produce nicely. Oh, they have been flirting with bolting during bouts of warm, but not as aggressively as might otherwise be typical. And, though the warmer weather plants—tomatoes, summer squash, cucumber—have been challenged; they’ve been starting to take off. (However, many herbs have been stunted a bit, and it’s just still too cold at night—lows in the 40’s to flirting with high 30’s(!!!)—to expect much from winter squash or melons.)

However, overall, the efforts of the last many months have, in fact, been coming to fruition! I want to really emphasize the “last many months” part, for it does take a fair amount of attention and effort to get the bounty we are experiencing no, especially in organic growing—digging under & turning the soil, mulching, composting, cover crop, seed starts, weeding, cultivating, conditioning the soil…

And, may I just say, most of these activities have to be done in a timely way, rain or shine…YES! Your organic gardener works in the cold and rain to get the spring garden prepared…That’s how it all makes it to the farmer’s markets, organic grocers, restaurants, and kitchen you frequent.
Local, organic, sustainable produce takes a lot of effort well before it makes it to your plate! And it involves a great deal of physical effort when one is not relying on chemicals or mega farms to make it grow.

I was at a wonderful (if unusually chilly, but I’ve already covered that) “farm-to-table” event produced by Outstanding in the Field a great local organization that “re-connect diners to the land and the origins of their food, and to honor the local farmers and food artisans who cultivate it.”

Our event was at the spectacular McEvoy Ranch in the Marin County part of the Petaluma area, a wonderful place, organization and product (a good use of the San Francisco Chronicle family fortune). Our tickets for the event were procured by our friends Jessica and Nicole in a mad online dash worthy of a Lady Gaga concert event (did I mention I’m going to see her for my birthday!), or, even a U2 concert! (Well, Jessica pursued them online, but I’m pretty sure she made Nicole bring her coffee refills.)

The event was lovely, on the grounds of the ranch, after an informative and engaging tour of their olive oil production facility. I enjoyed myself despite the mushrooms and limited imagination on making vegetarian options to the braised beef cheeks. And, for half of our party, the wine was well sampled…

I was interested to notice that the guests were very proud of their “farm-to-table” experience, feeling like they were really getting in touch with the source of their food (even though the ranch only provided the lovely olive oil used in the dishes). However, without taking anything from the event or the truly authentic passion on the part of the guests, I was stuck by the notion that their experience was of a culinary effort more so than of a farming effort.

The ranch is a tremendous example of organic, sustainable farming, but it was more a destination, and I wondered how much the guests were giving thought (and thanks) to the people who raised the produce, meat and wine they were consuming.

Did they understand how much effort went into producing all of the various elements? How much hands-on farming and ranching did they imagine it took to produce the raw materials that went into each dish? When did they imagine each individual farm, ranch and vineyard start working on those particular harvests? For how long? At what time of year? Overcoming what trials and tribulations of nature?

And who did the harvest, the slaughter, the pressing of grapes? The cleaning, bottling and packaging? Not to mention the transport to market.

If you are reading this blog, you more than likely are interested in, supportive of, or committed to local, organic, sustainable efforts in food production. I just ask that you take a moment to remember that the kale you recently consumed started as a process as early as January or February or last fall even, that the peas that made it to your plate took a lot of hand intensive effort to grow, and that the tomatoes you plan to eat this summer have been giving farmers fits and starts this last month to get them growing just so, to survive the unusual cold, without becoming stunted, to produce the local, organic, juicy fruit you so crave.

You do that best my enjoying and appreciating the experience of food—one of the core missions of River Myst Haven—but you can also visit a farm or ranch, go on a farm tour, an upcoming wine, food or harvest festival, or just giving thanks or a thought when you buy local next time.
Also, check out our events page on this site to see some of the wonderful upcoming experiences we have planned for you to attend!

Oh, and it never hurts to say “thanks” to a grower or vintner…or hugging a farmer!

~Timothy

2010-04-14T14:29:00.000-07:00

April Showers

(April 13, 2010)

The recent rains we had prompted me to learn a bit of meteorology. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS) , a “shower” is:

A descriptor, SH, used to qualify precipitation characterized by the suddenness with which they start and stop, by the rapid changes of intensity, and usually by rapid changes in the appearance of the sky.

While “rain” is simply “precipitation that falls to earth in drops more than 0.5 mm in diameter.” Um, OK, so we either had rain showers, or rain with showers or lots of showers…

Around 3 inches on the river this past weekend, helping to make for a wet April, but rainfall for the year is still just below typical in the north bay.

Seems like I’ve had casual conversations with many people which typically mention the weather, and a typical comment might be something mildly negative about the rains. I do understand that many people find the rain a bit oppressive (or perhaps it is simply the lack of sunlight), but I find my attitude about the rain centers more on their essential contribution to water supply, underground water (our well), wildflowers, and other elements of nature.

It’s at this time of year, with the temperatures slowly increasing—the average temperature being most important, especially at night—more light and abundant rain, that we see powerful evidence of new growth. (My last post was about the emergence of growth as we transition into spring, but now things are beginning to burst out.)

The native trees are vibrant green with new growth at their edges, giving the views a dynamic appeal.

Also, many of the fruit trees in the orchard are just now setting fruit, the success of which starts with the weather during the time the flowers first emerge—namely bees are more active on rainless days, but the plants are more active with the rains. (Same with the amount of acorns…In past years, rainless Aprils have resulted in an abundance of them.)

And, all indications are for a particularly productive year for wildflowers. We’ve been trying to encourage them by spreading native flower seeds the last few years, but the rains have not been helpful. This year however, we’re already seeing signs of abundant growth around the property.

(Note: this picture above, while lovely, is of a native Lupine flower and the yellow flower of our dreaded, invasive broom plant—either Scotch or French Broom. It was introduced in the 1800’s, and it not only takes over whatever area it is growing in, but those beautiful yellow flowers will soon make seeds that will remain viable for decades…it’s really an ongoing battle to keep it under some control—just ask Brad about his long summer days our first year doing battle with huge plants of it, or Ted who works hard now to keep it under control.)

So, what have I learned with the rains?

a few days here-and-there without sunlight during early spring leads to beautiful vibrant growth and burst of wildflowers
when you get used to a lack of rain, we tend to forget what more typical rainfall is like
new green growth, contrasted against a grey sky has a beauty all its own
this is going to be a fantastic spring, something to look forward to
the elements that determine the success of the local harvest for all you who prefer local, organic produce have been in play for weeks, and the rains are a critical part of that

Vineyards

While I was typing this post, I got notice from our lawyers that “River Myst Haven Vineyards” has been cleared for trademark…yeah!! Ted is hard at work getting the vine planting underway…look for updates on the site soon.

Upcoming

Keep an eye on the website. Brad has been taking classes on website development and has some improvements and upgrades coming!

Also, we’ve met and planned some of our activities for the year, and Didi is hard at work planning some very cool things. Be sure to check out the events section.

Farmer’s Markets are gearing up!

And don’t forget the Sonoma County Farm Trails map & guide

Remember! April showers do, in fact, bring May Flowers!

(And what do May flowers bring?? Pilgrims!!!)

~Timothy

Spring is starting to Sprung…

2010-03-17T14:08:00.000-07:00

( As in, “Spring has sprung,  The grass has riz…” Just try finding some definitive record on the source of that!! Many different versions & references to original sources…Ogden Nash, Spike Milligen, “Brooklyn (or Bronx) National Anthem,”…oy!)

Botanically speaking, signs of Spring are everywhere! I’ve never noticed this transition is such vivid detail—sometimes it’s subtle, like when the leaf and flower buds are forming on various plants, sometimes it’s much more obvious, like when the ‘cool weather’ veggies explode with growth or the raspberries sprout new canes with a vengeance.

The light is changing back, warmer weather (but still “cool season”) vegetables are becoming viable and seedlings for April planting are doing well in the greenhouse, spring bulbs are “springing forth.” (Interesting to note that the most aggressive early spring bloomer we planted were the hyacinth not the tulips…)

And, of course, we just changed the clocks and have to adjust to new sunrises & sunsets. Which makes for a darker morning, but gives more daylight in the warmer afternoon for working the fields…(Overall, an interesting history to the clock changing.)

Of course, the first day of Spring isn’t until March 20, but nature seems to disregard the calendar, and we have to adjust our work schedule to keep up with nature.

Fauna is more active too…

What really inspired this blog is the increase in animal activity. The male turkeys are courting females with vigor.

I actually caught a pair of turkeys, um, “making babies.” The female, of course, takes the brunt of the activity with the male standing on her back, clawing her. I read that he can actually draw blood with his talons during the act. It was quite the search process to read more about their mating behavior as many, many sources I consulted spoke about it in only the most vague way, but when I finally found some academic sites that described the process, I was surprised and intrigued by the miraculous and complex nature of egg-laying—no wonder we hide eggs at Easter!!

Planning at RMH

We’re excited to be planting wine grapes soon! Ted has been working with all the various consultants and contractors to move forward, so look for more photos of that process to be posted in the next month or so.

We’re also gearing up for a new season of happenings at RMH staring this Spring. Didi has been gathering ideas and inspirations as well as meeting with some interesting and creative people about possibilities. We are looking forward to using our own organic flowers this year!

Look for more interesting web structure and graphic design from our in-house expert Brad—he’s got some new inspiration and skills that he’ll be using to tell the RMH story.

Alan’s excited because the local wine clubs are gearing up, including a new membership that should bring some nice additions to the wine stock here.

I’m furiously planting and cultivating. This is one of the annual “crunch time” to maximize the out put of the “cool season” crops (as already mentioned…beets, leeks, green leafy, etc…) while starting the greenhouse process to prepare for planting around the “last average frost day” (April 15).

So. Happy Spring! We hope you’ll be able to visit RMH soon, but at least keep on eye on our website for things upcoming.

OH! And you can subscribe to our very occasional email list to be kept informed also!

-Timothy

Lynelle' s Thoughts on Turning 79!

2010-03-03T16:48:00.000-08:00

Huh? Did you say I’m 79? I’m not sure how you are supposed to feel when you hit 79. Old, on the shelf, out for lunch, losing one’s marbles, out of touch with reality, wrapped up in your aches and pains. If that’s the case then someone’s mixed up and I’m not really 79.

Sure I experience an occasional senior moment and my body sags around the middle. My teeth come out at night and my hearing is somewhat of a nuisance. And there are a few things I’ve been through in my seventy-nine years I’d just as soon not repeat. But as I start to list them I’m reminded it is those hurts that have molded me into the woman I am today. So I’ll keep them to myself.

I’m particularly grateful for the people and creatures that have/are enriching my journey. They include family, teachers, writers, college friends, my First Baptist and Alexian families.

MY GOALS FOR 2010

To take my writing gifts seriously but not myself

To always nourish the child within me

To value my young friends and to learn from them

To take care of my body without becoming a fitness slave

To laugh with others and especially at myself

To read and yet have the freedom to turn a book down if I don’t care for it, regardless of its Best Seller’s List status

To really listen to those who disagree with me

To be lavish in spreading love

To remember the past through reality lenses

To cherish the joy of being alive

To make friends with death without courting it

I carry the tag, Christian. I’d like to be more like Jesus

A GREAT READ: THE SHACK by William P. Young

2010-02-09T14:34:00.001-08:00

Mackenzie Allen Phillip’s youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later, in the midst of his Great Sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend.

Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack’s world forever.

In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant THE SHACK wrestles with the time less question: Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain? The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him.

Blurb on back of the book

Lynelle’s thoughts:

If you never go to church but have a bone to pick with God then this book is must read for you.

Very few people live without grappling at some point with an experience that brings great sadness. Your sorrow may be similar to Mack’s or totally different. If you are still struggling and held captive by your great sadness you will find help in removing it forever.

I personally relate to Mack’s amazing journey because long ago God took my sadness and began turning it into joy. It isn’t a done project but I know who holds my hand during life’s storms.

Mack’s delightful encounters with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are presented through relationship stories that are lively and unforgettable.

I especially enjoyed Mack’s closeness to Jesus and his difficulty in accepting God. The portion of the book where Jesus interacts with children is priceless. I draw strength for the intriguing way he shares with the Holy Spirit.

Water, water everywhere!

2010-02-02T16:23:00.000-08:00

You know it rained…a LOT. We continue to be amazed at the volume of water that runs through River Myst Haven during this time of year. Our year-round spring and small creek becomes a torrent, and rock-lined drainage ditches become mini rapids. Even more impressive than the volume is the force the water exerts on the earth—temporary “springs” and seepage spots pop up throughout the grounds, and new contours are cut into the earth, with soil and rock being shifted here and there.

But it’s also very beautiful, and the sounds of the flowing water are (of course) wonderfully calming.

The lesson for me is the power of nature and the need to be patient. It’s very difficult to stop the water, and sometimes as quickly as we clean up after it, it’s raining again.

So, the mindful thing to do is to respect these forces as part of the natural processes that surround us and remember that things are refreshed and revived, ground water is replenished, and the flora thrive.

Wolf moon…

Picture credit goes to: www.space.com

I do love the cycles of the moon, and I have become obsessed with the names and mythology connected to the moon at different times of year. The full moon that we just had at the end of January is known as the “Wolf Moon” —and was biggest and brightest full moon of the year. The name is connected with Native American culture and the belief that hungry wolves howled at the moon on cold winter nights. Each month brings another full moon name.

Though cloudy and overcast, the brightness of the moon gave a wonderful and ethereal glow that night.

Signs of transition, emergence…

I did take advantage of the clearer weather this past week to work outside a bit—weeding, cultivating, seeding wildflowers, reworking bulbs, harvesting winter veggies (slow grown chard & kale greens have a wonderful, intense flavor that is remarkably satisfying).

Exceptionally rewarding. The remarkable thing to me is seeing up close how much life the soil has at this time of year. So many plants are beginning to sprout and emerge, the trees are forming buds for flowers, bulbs are breaking through the soil (some flowering already!).

I can’t help but realize that even during the seeming dormancy of winter, there is so much happening around us. It helps me keep important perspective—even when things seem slow moving or barely changing, there is much happening, and new potential and rebirth, re-emergence is occurring all around us.

I’m so excited to be connected to this though the beauty of RMH, and I love nothing more than helping other’s connect with it also. Soon it will be time to get the seed starts going for early spring veggies and flowers, and, in honor of Ingrid (now in Argentina for three months), I’ll be trying tomatoes in the green house.

It’s still the new year!!!

~Timothy

Southwest Cooking Experience at RMH

2010-02-02T08:46:00.000-08:00

I recently heard someone say, “You people in San Francisco would eat a plate of spiders if someone said it was organic, local and humanely raised.” That’s probably true, and we’d pay a premium for it. But this “food movement” is more than pretension, for me and my dear friends and chefs, it is a deep commitment to respect our part in a complex, dynamic world. Organic is good for all of us, when it makes sense. Animals deserve to be treated with respect, particularly when we are going to use them as a food source. But what I often disdain amidst the fervor of foodies is the loss of joy in joining around food in celebration and gratitude. As a wise acupuncturist said to me once when I turned up my nose at his suggestion that I need to eat meat, “All food is God’s food.”

In December at RMH, we the Two Sisters taught an eager crowd of cooks and eaters how to concoct a New Mexican feast for the holidays. As the rain poured and the resident peacock hovered closely, a dozen people crowded around bubbling yeast and scorching oil, whirring blenders full of sauces and spicy peels of chile flesh to create a meal that warmed our bellies with food and laughter. We went local, we attempted organic, but most importantly we set our intention on celebration and gratitude.

My sister Kristine wowed the crowd with a demonstration on how to build Enchiladas Christmas. I shared my passion about New Mexican cooking and how it differs from TexMex or Mexican food—“It’s the chiles,” I told them. Our eager students learned how to make both red and green chile sauces—equally as central to New Mexican food as butter is to French food. The teams of student cooks masterfully laid out three pans of Enchiladas Christmas (chicken and cheese enchiladas with red and green chile sauce) and put them in the oven until they bubbled and browned. Others rolled out the dough for sopapillas, the puffy fried bread traditionally served with the spicy food of New Mexico. We mixed batches of delicious red and white sangria made from wine grown next door at Moshin Vinyards.

As we sat at the table amidst piles of enchiladas and warm honey and sopapillas, I stepped back and took a moment to recall and thank all those that made this possible: the cows, the chickens, the farmers, the truck drivers that move it all around, the magic of RMH, the bugs that add their own special touch, and that most important organic ingredient—love. It was a truly magical New Mexican moment!

~Ingrid

Editor’s note: Ingrid is our dear friend and a delightful and warm person, and we were honored to have her and her sister Kristine at RMH for this class. We’re posting this blog entry well after the class as she wrote it in the midst of whirlwind preparations for travels to Argentine for 3 months. By her own admission, she is truly a gypsy of travel. We will miss her but look forward to her return in May with stories of wonderful experiences and culinary adventures. We wish her well and safe travels. You can catch up with her at her blog.

New beginnings

2010-01-06T10:19:00.000-08:00

2010 marks the beginning of a new decade

A DECADE OF THANKS

If you had asked me a decade ago where I’d be in 2010 I would have probably said I’d be living alone in Georgia. RMH didn’t exist for its present owners. New friends I’ve met at Alexian and RMH didn’t exist.

Ten years have elapsed and today I enjoy a luxury apartment at Alexian Village, Signal Mountain, Tennessee.

I am forever grateful my sons Alan and Timothy, owners of RMH, made this big transition in my life possible. Their gift to me wasn’t a one-time gift. They continue to support me financially and with encouraging words and hugs.

Now my family has enlarged to include Ted, Didi, and Brad from RMH. I’ve adopted them and I hope they’re considering adopting me.

A new decade calls for throwing out some garbage. I’ll mention just one:

OLD HURTS

It doesn’t matter whether the harm to you was intentional or unintentional.

Old hurts are deadly. If we cherish them they lessen our capacity to love.

Don’t squander your time trying to decide whether somebody deserve your forgiveness.

Chances are they don’t. But when you think about it most of us don’t deserve

a lot of the good things that come our way.

Turning loose of your hurts frees you from nursing the hurt engendered. It can no longer hold you hostage. You can choose to intentionally think positive thoughts towards those who have hurt you.

-Lynelle

P.S. Here's a few pictures of Christmas at RMH 2009!

Lynelle and Alan

Didi busy in the kitchen, preparing the most wonderful Christmas dinner!

Alan wooing us with his mastery piano talent!

The dinner table, beautiful no?

Brad! Stop snacking on those delicious devil eggs!

Advent Thoughts

2009-11-25T09:40:00.000-08:00

ADVENT is our earth world, battered by centuries of neglect, hoping and longing for the coming of One who can turn hate into love, war into peace, hunger into food, joblessness into work, a piece of cardboard into a bed, loneliness into friendship, and noise into quietness.

WHAT IF?

We worked to implement the Sermon on the Mount.

We work as hard for peace and we do for war.

We care for conservation, renewal, and hope for earth.

Earning the smile of a child became more important than the death of a Hollywood icon.

We looked for the best in others, even those we disagree with.

Advent resulted in our commitment to be agents of change.

Vineyards don’t crop up over night. At River Myst Haven in 2009 Timothy and his brother Ted planned for a vineyard. The ground selected had to be inspected and an engineering plan for grading and erosion control established. Then they began clearing and grading the land, fenced in the area, and installed erosion controls. Finally the authorities inspected their efforts and said, “Well done!”

In the spring of 2010 they will be planting and installing an irrigation system. It will be many years before their vineyard is productive. In the meanwhile they will work with the land until one day the fruit of the vine is a dream come true.

RMH's End-of-year donations

Lynelle Mason
Author, Advent Encounters & soon-to-be published Lenten Encounters (title tent.)

Thanksgiving Thoughts

2009-11-25T09:17:00.000-08:00

Chief John Ross

Cherokee Council House at Red Clay, Tennessee, 1835

Mourning dove and woodpecker

Many people fail to grasp why the Cherokees clung so tenaciously to their Smokey Mountain homes and resisted with their very lives being sent west.

Cherokees viewed the land the lived on as a gift from their Creator. It did not belong to them but had been given to them to cherish, tend, and share.

The Way was the way Cherokees responded to life about them. In The Education of Little Tree Grandpa explains it to Little Tree thusly:

“Take only what you need. When you take a deer, do not take the best. Take the smaller and the slower and then the deer will grow stronger and always give you meat. Pa-koh, the panther, knows and so must ye. Only Ti-bi, the bee, stores more than he can use….and so he is robbed by the bear and the ‘coon…and the Cherokee. It is so with people who store and fat themselves with more than their share.”

Grape vines and horizon view at River Myst Haven

At River Myst Haven land is a sacred trust. Vital nutrients have been added to the soil and extensive irrigation systems installed. The bounty of RMH is shared and overspills onto those who need it most.

Lynelle Mason
Author, Advent Encounters & soon-to-be published Lenten Encounters (title tent.)

Culinary Agrarianism

2009-11-11T14:00:00.000-08:00

“A significant part of the pleasure of eating is in one’s accurate consciousness of the lives and the world from which food comes.”

“The passive American consumer, sitting down to a meal of pre-prepared food, confronts inert, anonymous substances that have been processed, dyed, breaded, sauced, gravied, ground, pulped, strained, blended, prettified, and sanitized beyond resemblance to any part of any creature that ever lived. The products of nature and agriculture have been made, to all appearances, the products of industry. Both eater and eaten are thus in exile from biological reality. ”

— Wendell Berry

AUTHOR AND FARMER

As the result of a birthday gift to Alan from very good friends (and friends of RMH), we had the privilege of seeing Wendell Berry in person, interviewed by Michael Pollan.

Mr. Berry, a prolific writer, poet and farmer in Kentucky, has been advocating the importance of agrarianism in contributing to a healthy and balanced life and community.

The Wikipedia page about him distills his essential philosophy down to the listing in the following quote, and, though I’m not entirely trusting of the site, the statement resonates with my limited understanding of the man’s work:

“According to Berry, the good life includes sustainable agriculture, appropriate technologies, healthy rural communities, connection to place, the pleasures of good food, husbandry, good work, local economics, the miracle of life, fidelity, frugality, reverence, and the interconnectedness of life. The threats Berry finds to this good life include: industrial farming and the industrialization of life, ignorance, hubris, greed, violence against others and against the natural world, the eroding topsoil in the United States, global economics, and environmental destruction.”

He was advocating for a connection to land and the source of our food—local, organic, sustainable—decades ago. And yet, I must say he is remarkably humble and unassuming about it—it’s a way of life and not primarily a political movement (though he certainly believes in using the political process to make change).

As I have said elsewhere on our site, there is something meaningful & natural—“organic” if you will—about a renewed interest in how we eat and our affect on the land. And yet, for me, there the caveat that over politicizing this belief or turning it into the cause of the moment, perhaps becoming overly militant about it, is counter-constructive and violates the very principles of the ideas at its core.

Wendell Berry seems to me to advocate a set of basic ideas in the ongoing journey to improve our lives and the community and place where we live.

I was particularly stuck by his discussion of “urban agrarianism” (a topic he plans to address more in future writings) which I paraphrase loosely as finding ways in a non-rural environment to connect more with issues relating to fields or lands or their tenure—specifically farming and the sources of our food—for example, shopping at farmer’s markets or stores that source from local sources; joining a farm cooperative and having fresh, locally-grown produce brought to your house; or simply planting a tomato plant in a pot.

So, I got to thinking a bit more about food and our efforts here such as our cooking experiences and winemaker dinners, and it seemed many people want to connect more to food through how they eat—heirlooms, just-picked food, locally-raised food, farm-to-table, etc.

Hence, Culinary Agrarianism…and that is the Word (to quote Stephen Colbert).

Fall Firsts

2009-10-27T13:18:00.000-07:00

The first Monday in October got me thinking about “fall firsts.” Now, before I even say it, I know that most of you thought about the Supreme Court (the really good ones may even have flashed on the 1981 movie with Jill Clayburgh & Walter Matthau…need I say more? Really?)

There is an important lesson in the start to the Supreme Court term, regardless of your political perspective, and the “official” first cases of new Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor—I suggest it’s representative of a profound loss of perspective in social discourse, but I digress. (If you will indulge my digression just a bit longer. If you want really good coverage of the Supreme Court, I have to recommend Nina Totenberg, The Newshour with Jim Lehrer, or Marcia Coyle).

Ok. Ok. I can hear our Blog Mavin Ingrid, “short and pithy! Yer in, make your point, yer out…” With a mind like mine (ADD more than genius), what can one expect?? ANYWAY, my original point was about events that point from summer to autumn…

The Waning Harvest Moon

As you can tell from my earlier post, I’ve become fascinated with the harvest moon. The picture we used in that previous post was a generic shot of a particularly dramatic harvest moon. However, I was up early in the morning during the last part of our recent harvest moon, and was truly inspired.

First, it’s a compelling time throughout history—the full moon nearest the Autumnal Equinox—one that marks a time of gathering abundance, a celestial demarcation of the transition from the busy agricultural time of cultivation to, literally, reaping what we have sown.

It’s also very clear that the weather and daylight is beginning to shift, and being up and out in the (now) darkness of that early morning hour, tracking the moon and listening to the quiet sounds (for there are many) of nature…just a wonderful, mindful time.

Our Pumpkin Harvest

Another first was pulling the winter squash. I probably could have left it a bit longer and gotten some limited further development in the fruit (botanically of course, the seed-containing structure of the plant), but it just really felt like the right time to harvest. (Sorry for yet another pumpkin pic, but we’re just really thrilled with how well they grow here.) Another good harvest this year—quite a few sugar pumpkins for cooking and three good jack-‘o-lanterns.

We also hit the tomatoes and basil really hard and got (as can often be expected) an abundance. Alan threw together what I must say is an amazing simple tomato sauce that froze nicely and the Patricia Wells “simple basil sauce.”

Most exciting—and another first—after 2 years of patient work, our raspberries turned out to be an “ever-bearing” variety, meaning we get fruit twice a year (summer and fall), and the bounty now is amazing—we’ve made coulis and a great(!) dessert with just berries and goat cheese.

Raccoons!

A less-than-exciting first was a midnight raid of our fall vegetable planting. Now, we’ve had the critters the whole time we’ve been here, and they are cute as anything—we’ve co-existed quite well up to this point. (I can just hear some out there getting all charged-up about the topic raccoons—they inspire an unexpected level of hatred in some people.)

However. Raccoons like grubs, and good, well-worked soil is just full of things tasty to them. So, after a bit of work getting the winter garden planted, I was disappointed to see that I had some “help” digging. They didn’t eat the plants much, but they seemed to have thought the tastiest things were under the veggies.

So I replanted and tried bird netting. But most interesting, I read that it can be effective to leave human scent around the planted area, so I left a dirty work shirt out there…so far so good. No further raids after 2 weeks…

Rain, Rain, Come Again…Soon!!

The most important first was the heavy, heavy rains that came in early October. After years of atypical drought years, we were hit with the atypical heavy, early storm. It got a lot of things growing, was great for the fall/winter planting, and really helped make the soil more workable; however, it was a lot of water all of a sudden, and our erosion control in the newly developed vineyard required a lot of attention. Kudos to Ted and the crew who were out in the pouring rain laying straw to keep things under control…

Overall, it’s been a particularly nice time to be planting kales, chards, garlic, lettuce, spinach and the like. Wet soil, warm days, cool night—a great parallel to our early spring weather for a different profile of crops.

Onward to Autumn

So, it has been an active, productive and plentiful time here at RMH. We’ve had some fun parties (more on that later) and have really geared up for spring 2010 plantings of our vineyard, and organic flowers and veggies.

But, we try not to forget what a great time of year it is right now and the important perspective that this seasonal, balanced transition can bring if we’re mindful enough…

Happy Halloween!

~Timothy

RMHing Launched!

2009-09-23T13:27:00.000-07:00

A Harvest Moon from Wikipedia .

Brad launched this blog site on September 22. Interesting to me because that was the first day of fall, the autumnal equinox. (Equinox Fun Facts)

First, I have to say. The equinox is not. That is, though the word equinox comes from the Latin words aequus (equal) and nox (night), the day and night are NOT equal on the 22nd. This actually occurs at our latitude about the 26th of September. (Interestingly, the day of our fall party, but more on this later, AND halfway to the harvest moon.)

The sun seems to drop lower and as it crosses the equator (of course, due to the earth’s movement, not the sun’s) and the days shortening. It’s interesting to me as a time of transition because it feels like a real seasonal shift. Growing up, I used to mostly notice the change in the light as it became more golden, but now, as a “gentleman farmer” I’ve become aware of other changes as well.

First, the heat of the day is different. Though we’ve been in a heat advisory with days in the 90’s nearing 100, it just feels different—not as intense or direct. As I’ve been working outside, it feels almost pleasant, hot without being blazing. (Yes, yes to all of you who know me thinking I probably wasn’t wearing sunscreen…I know, I know…)

The plants start changing too. Some of the main summer crops like squash and tomatoes, though still productive, do start gearing down. Oh, don’t get me wrong, the summer squash is still producing and the tomatoes and winter squash are still ripening and curing, but the plants start acting like people do on the Friday of a work week…there, engaged, but thinking about quitting time.

Also, for the first time I’ve been starting my own seedlings for the fall garden, so it’s very significant to me that I am working with cooler weather crops like greens, lettuces, and broccoli. This effort has really forced me to plan further ahead that I might typically. And, whereas spring starts need to be protected from the cold and early frost, fall starts need to be protected from the heat and sun.

It’s also interesting because since summer crops are still growing and producing, I need to start making decisions about what will be sacrificed to make room for the new batch of fall crops. It’s a bit brutal really.

The melons were an easy pick. After gorging on watermelons, sharlyn and casaba melons the last couple of months, it’s pretty clear those vine are becoming spent and won’t be making a lot more fruit—gone. The pumpkins are getting bigger and still have some productive time to make good Jack-o’-lantern-worthy fruit (though, the New England Pie vines have started giving up fruit)—stay. Tomatoes have gone wild and will just be left to their crazy tangle of productive stems. (I don’t prune them much.)

So, take some time to notice the autumnal changes occurring around you, and maybe try and take some time to connect personally with this time of year. Make a mindful decision of what the fall means to you, in your life, and what significance you bring to the time of year.

I’ve learned that it is far too simplistic to see it as the beginning of the slide into winter. It really is a vibrant and transitional season and the perfect time to be planning what changes or transitions you want to make to have a productive fall and winter.

Happy Equinox!!!

~Timothy

A work in progress:

Musing on the Equinox
The certainty of summer heat diminishing;

Nature commences ready for winter’s imminence.

The sun draws on intensity lapsed;

harvest moon truly at half-mast.

We gather today at autumn’s waking;

To harvest fellowship of our making.

Part of the 2009 fall pumpkin harvest at RMH.