The massive pile of 24 tons of compost we had delivered a few weeks ago can look pretty daunting when we have no tools of our own to spread it other than our hands and buckets but that’s where we were able to tap into the amazing farming community we have in the area.

Last Thursday we were able to borrow the compost spreader that Rainwater Ranch uses and use it to spread compost on most of the ground we will be using this fall to plant into.

Fortunately they were already ahead on spreading their compost so they didn’t need it for a few days.

Instead of shoveling the compost from the massive pile into wheelbarrows and then using a bucket to scoop it out and spread it, we were able to just shovel the compost into a compost spreader and then pull it with the tractor to get it all spread.

That saved us so much time and energy that we can now spend either doing other work on the farm or just taking that time off.

Previously we had just spread compost on the next few beds we were planting but now have everything in larger, organized blocks so we can do it all at once.

In addition to sharing tools and equipment it has been so helpful to talk through challenges we and other farmers are having as we likely are able to help each other solve them.

There isn’t many opportunities to get together with other farmers outside of the farmers market but we always try to go to them like the Peach Party that Good Hummus Produce had this past Saturday evening where we were able to catch up with other farmers and people involved in farming.

This past Saturday the Jenny Lester Moffit, the USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, stopped by the Davis Farmers Market to talk to a number of farmers including us.

She grew up in Winters on her family’s organic walnut farm and unbeknownst to us we met when we were very young which she remembered.

We talked about many different topics including how vital it is to have a strong farming community to have sustainable farms and access to food for the community.

Her visit was just ahead of it being National Farmers Market Week this week which is to celebrate the role farmers markets in providing delicious veggies and other items while also helping the farmers have a good livelihood.

So stop by a farmers market this week and maybe bring along someone who hasn’t been before.

The second crop of figs are ripening and we are going to start harvesting them today. They are much smaller than the first ones but pack just as much flavor into them.

After seeding the first fall crops in the greenhouse three weeks ago they are getting close to be ready to be transplanted in the field. After applying the compost we have started using the tractor to prepare the soil to be planted since it may be early next week when it happens.

Once we plant the first fall crops it will not be too long before we begin to harvest some of the quickest growing ones like the bunching greens and lettuce. With enough water the new plants can handle the stress from the heat and not have the issues that a spring veggie that grew all summer would have.

A big task we completed this week was pulling all the yellow onions out of the ground and putting them in the shade to cure. There are the onions that were planted in the spring so they have a stronger flavor than the ones that were overwintered.