This week, we ‘celebrate’ the anniversaries of the Lockheed Fire (Aug 12, 2009, 7:16pm) and the CZU Lightning Complex Fire (Aug 16, 2020, 3:30am). Both fires took big bites out of the Molino Creek Farming Community, but the second was worse. At one point, we had seemingly hundreds of fire fighters at the Farm during the Lockheed Fire, which burned a little over 7,000 acres including 270 degrees around (and through) the farm. It was 10 days before we saw any professional support for the 86,000-acre CZU fire but at one point we had 5 people helping out- mostly it was just 2 and then 3 of us. That fire burned right through the farm and all around it, destroying a duplex and a single-family house and all of those people’s stuff…as well as fences, water lines, a Collective garage full of tools, and a family’s storage shed. Generosity poured forth from a large community of kind friends and we quickly had a great big pot of money to do repairs, so we have hardened our water system and fences against the next fire. And still, we scuttle around to prepare for what might be a fire like even tomorrow. It is a stressful time of year, especially with the climate change driven storm systems that keep creeping from the tropics into California, dragging Zeus and his lightning bolts around. Somehow, we charge on…just a bit more polish on fire hydrants and water risers…must still test fire hoses…must still learn the portable pump…and there’s so much more vegetation to clear!

Ripening Apples

During our regular Saturday working bee last Saturday, some first-time-visitors chomped into the Gala apples and said ‘yummy!’ The sugars are developing. Mike Eaton donated a brix meter, so we can get all scientific about the harvest this year (thanks, Mike!). The pomaceous orbs are swelling fast and developing their characteristic colors. It may be an early harvest year….we’ll see. Normally, Gala apples aren’t really, really ripe until the second week of September. The birds ate all of our first crop of Gravenstein apples close as they are to the forest edge and there weren’t really that many anyway- next year those trees are looking likely to make their first big crop. Due to uneven watering in early Spring, we have many trees starting to blossom (again) as we get the ground much more wet to accommodate water needs for ripening fruit.

Avocados

Saturday was a Big Day last week- we harvested 400 pounds of Bacon avocados! That was a Big Surprise – those delicious fruit were hiding in the foliage and bucket after bucket emerged as careful eyes spotted and picked them….just in time! We sold our first case of avocados at the Palo Alto market right when we were picking this new batch and 70 pounds of those are going to market next Saturday. Community Orchardists made it possible for a bunch of schoolchildren to eat locally grown organic guacamole at the Pacific School for the next week or so as Mike and Charity delivered around 100 pounds of fruit. Everyone is raving about the taste of these things: we’ve done well! And, this is only the beginning…the trees are very young. Next up – lamb and carmen haas…and after those…pinkerton and reed. We’ve got avocados coming on through February!

More Ripening Fruit

The stupendously, luxuriantly beautiful Two Dog Farm winter squash patch is showing its colors. Bright red-orange red kuri and the more subtle butternut squash fruits are poking out between the wilting leaves. And, the dry farmed tomatoes are starting to get so laden with fruit as to seem out of balance with the number of leaves: shiny, pale green fruits will start to blush orange, soon.

Birds!

It seems we have a new raptor- a sharp shinned hawk- on the farm. This one is terrorizing the quail, buzzing the band tailed pigeons, and making the other birds all a titter. Speaking of band tailed pigeons…the flock today approached 100 birds, the most I’ve seen on the farm. The feast of the cover crop seed is helping feed a lot of birds and the birds in turn are making that seed into fertilizer for the future as they spread their guano around and about. The quail have been having clutch after clutch after a rather late start. There are little fluffy ones about- barely able to walk. 

Other Items

Judy’s sunflowers are looking nice. There are other flowers in her patch as well as bright displays in the Home Garden because of Sylvie’s proclivity for growing things. The black walnut trees scattered around the property are starting to be laden with almost ripe nuts. There are heavenly scents coming from Citrus Hill where oranges and limes are starting to blossom. I got to see a fence lizard a little over half out of its shedding skin. The coffeeberries are ripening and attracting fruit eating birds. While much grows dryer and dustier, some of our mowed fields are showing new signs of life as native bunchgrasses with their deep roots grow long, green leaves.