October 20: Garlic Anniversaries

8 of the rows of planted garlic

October 20 is a very special day to us. It's our wedding anniversary. Yet it also marks the height of garlic planting time. And if the garlic is not in the ground on time; we'll be sorry in the spring. So...as with the few days before and after our wedding, garlic must get in the ground. Now, when the garlic cloth comes out of storage, we know it's time to celebrate our anniversary. The first year we grew it like this was the year we were married and extra time had to be spent cutting each hole in the cloth. Now, three years later, we reuse the same cloth after having cleaned it of  weed seeds. We do this all summer using various methods including letting the chickens loose on it.  Each strip of heavy fabric weed barrier has two rows of holes, made by cutting a "T" shape. It is secured by garden stakes as well as soil to hold it down in the heaviest winds. Our biggest and best garlic heads are separated and one clove is planted by hand in each hole. They will stay in the ground all winter until they are harvested when 2/3 of each stalk are brown; this year it was early July for us.

It's truly fall: pumpkins and corn on the cob

Vince and Pieter "lost" in the corn maze

When we think of the idyllic "fall on the farm," we think of pumpkins, hayrides, and corn on the cob. We have two of those- corn and pumpkins, but for the hayride, we ventured to Bob's Corn to get lost in the corn maze (when Vince was leading) and experience other such novelties as can be found on a farm where the farmer (Bob) has an exorbitant amount of energy for entertaining and the business is agritourism.

Pieter in our cart of Caruso Farm Pumpkins

While agritourism isn't in the plans for our own little farm, we did grow pumpkins and sweet corn.  Our corn turned out wonderfully, although the season was a little slowed by the wet spring, as experienced by farmers in all parts of the state.  Finally, at the end of October, we have sweet, tender ears of corn that we can be proud of. This year we only grew giant pumpkins as opposed to smaller sugar pumpkins that we grew last year. Now we know- there is a demand for both- and we will grow both to sell next year.  Visit our soon-to-be sister in law's blog if you ended up with a giant pumpkin and want to do something with the "meat" after you carve you jack-o-lantern. Yes, pumpkin is so much better fresh than out of a can! In fact, I didn't even know pumpkin came in a can (or cake in a box, for that matter) until college.  But I digress: Molly's blog is full of yummy pumpkin recipes. Click here or go to our RECIPES page for the individual recipes.  Here is the tip for successful baking with fresh pumpkin: 1 3/4C pumpkin = one 15oz can of pumpkin. It took a while to figure out that formula- especially when nearly all pumpkin recipes call for canned pumpkin.

Turn out the lights...the market's over (and it's getting dark, anyway)

Mom and Dad washing lettuce

 "They say that all good things must end...turn out the lights...the party's over" Not sure why this Willie Nelson song was going through my head as I thought about what to write about the end of the market season. But we'll go with it. Yes, this is Anna writing.

With the month of October comes an end to the market season and shorter days. We will say that we weren't really sad to sleep in a little longer on that first Saturday of October rather than hitting the alarm at 5am, slipping on headlamps and boots and heading out to the garden to harvest and pack for the market. We did have our help well trained, though. Just as the light came up they (Mom and Dad) arrived to pick, wash and carry under the backdrop of a beautiful sunrise. (That's the romantic farm-life part of market days.)

We also had relatives from Holland come to help for a few weekends too.  Well, I won't be so conceited as to say they came to Washington just to help us, but once here, help they did. Walter and Jaap showed up bright and early without complaint, and Danielle and Nel supported us at the market- and we figured out a few Dutch translations for vegetables along the way. Now- on to fall garden cleanup!

Jaap harvesting squash blossoms

Walter cutting dill