Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1419329
Food is a big part of fall, and farms play a signif- icant role in seasonal celebrations. Each fall, families plan apple pick- ing excursions with their eyes on baking homemade apple pies. And while Hal- loween is made even more fun when carving jack-o'- lanterns, savvy celebrants know that carving sessions are not complete without some roasted pumpkin seeds. The fall harvest is a great time to indulge in some freshly picked healthy foods. While the picking season may vary depend- ing on where you live, and specifically the climate in your region, the following are some fruits and vege- tables that might be ripe for the picking this fall. · Apples: Apple-picking season typically begins in late summer and extends into fall. Many farms offer a variety of apples, which may be harvested at dif- ferent times. For example, in the northeastern United States, Gala apples tend to be harvested in late sum- mer, while Granny Smith apples may be best picked in early October. · Beets: The Spruce: Eats notes that beets may be in season in temperate climates from fall through spring. · Broccoli: Fresh broccoli makes a healthy addition to any dinner table, and Pickyourown.org notes that broccoli can have a lengthy harvesting season. Early harvesting may begin in May in some regions, though it's still possible to pick fresh broccoli in late October. If you want to pick fresh broccoli, The Old Farm- er's Almanac recommends doing so in the morning when the buds of the head are firm and tight. · Cabbage: If you're looking to do some late fall picking, cabbage might be for you. The online resource Harvest to Table notes that cabbage can survive under snow without being harmed, making it an ideal late fall vegetable. Spoiled outer leaves can be pulled away after harvesting without affecting the quality of the remaining cabbage. · Peaches: People who can't wait to whip up a peach cobbler may need to do so before fall even begins. According to Pickyourown.org, peaches can be ready for picking as early as July in the northeastern United States, and the picking season generally ends around mid-September. The season is even earlier in places like Georgia, a state known for its peaches where the picking season can begin in mid-May and extend through early August depending on the variety. · Pumpkins: Thanks in part to Halloween decor and the popularity of pumpkin pie as a Thanks- giving dessert, pumpkins are synonymous with the fall harvest. And pumpkin picking season aligns per- fectly with each of these holidays, typically begin- ning in early or mid-Sep- tember and extending deep into October. Fall is a great time of year to pick fresh fruits and vegetables at a local farm. Fall harvest fruits and vegetables Symptoms of climate change are increasingly visible. Increased tem- peratures, precipitation variability, wildfire inten- sity, storm anomalies, and seawater intrusion into groundwater aquifers all pose severe threats to the wellbeing of human and non-human communities in our area. The impacts of climate change on the agricultural industry and the ability of agricultural communities to adapt to climate change are of major concern for our economic and ecological wellbeing. Adapting and changing practices locally is no longer a good idea, it is now imperative to less- en the impact of climate change to our businesses. Increasing organic matter in agricultural soils is a key strategy to mitigate some impacts wrought by climate change – with both on- and off-farm benefits. Farmers, sci- entists, and agricultural professionals have long recognized the benefits of increasing Soil Organic Material (SOM). While SOM often constitutes less than 5% of farmed soil by weight, it is the tiny su- perhero of the soil. SOM increases water infiltration and water holding ca- pacity, improves nutrient cycling and crop nutrient availability, enhances quantity and diversity of soil biota, and more. SOM is particularly important to building farm resilience to climatic changes as it reduces irrigation de- mands and buffers against precipitation variability. By holding water, SOM reduces leaching of water pollutants that can harm downstream communities. Overall, in these times of uncertain water availabil- ity, building SOM can support both operational economic viability and the ecological health of the region. Laura Murphy, soil scientist on staff with the Resource Conservation District of Monterey County (RCDMC), sug- gests that one simple way to build SOM in agricul- tural fields is to add com- post, a soil amendment that is primarily composed of organic materials. She says, "Implementing conservation practices in intensively managed vegetable production systems has always been difficult, but the applica- tion of compost can pro- vide producers with very much needed flexibility to increase conservation goals and simultaneously develop farm resiliency to the symptoms of climate change." While compost use in agricultural systems has been shown to be profitable for farmers, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) offers additional incentives to farmers who are willing to apply com- post to their fields. The state's Healthy Soils Pro- gram offers small grants to farmers to offset the costs of applying compost with the understanding that building SOM is key to developing a resilient food system in the face of climate change. The RCDMC will offer tech- nical assistance to farmers in the Salinas Valley who wish to apply for a Healthy Soils Program grant during the upcoming grant cycle. The use of compost in agricultural fields also diverts organic materials away from landfills, which itself is an opportunity to mitigate climate change. Food scraps, yard waste, landscape, and pruning waste, and other kinds of organic waste materials decompose in landfills and contribute to global greenhouse gas emissions. Local recycling programs such as Salinas Valley Recycles use industrial composting facilities to turn these materials into safe and stable compost, which can be used as a soil amendment. Local availability of compost offers a promis- ing opportunity to close the loop between wasted food and agricultural soil health, with the potential to create a food system that can adapt to, and even mitigate, the effects of climate change. Information about the Healthy Soils Program can be found at https:// www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/ healthysoils/. Farmers interested in applying for financial assistance for use of compost can contact Laura Murphy at laura. murphy@rcdmonterey.org for help with their appli- cations. Information about Salinas Valley Recycles' compost & recycling programs can be found at SalinasValleyRecycles.org. Building climate-smart agriculture with compost