The summer garden is waning fast. The tomatoes are played out, and with nighttime temps in the 40s, the peppers and squash are in trouble. But the cole crops and spinach are loving this weather. The weekend was gorgeous, with bright sun all day and drying breezes. The ground needed this weather, and the plants are responding. Now if we can avoid the near freezing temps they are predicting for this coming weekend, we should be good until mid October.
Meanwhile, on the wholesale end, prices on many items remain stubbornly low, while other crops command a premium for weeks on end. I think there will be a lot of soul searching on the west coast after this season is over. Business as usual is not going to cut it for the traditional lettuce, broccoli, romaine rotations the giant farming companies use. They need to be more diversified, and they need to realize the local farming movement is here to stay. Chains will support the local farmers, and even if the volume is not as great as California, the effect will be multiplied as each area peels away from Salinas earlier each year.
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