From Garden to Kitchen: Fall Harvest
The Farm Journal would be remiss to not include notes about our fall harvest from the gardens. Of course, the pumpkins are the brightest seasonal harvest item and peppers are still producing in greens and reds, but as the rest of the farm’s colors are changing, we know our gardens will, too.
Yesterday, we had a family gathering that included kids, grandkids, and cousins and the majority of the ingredients used in the massive meal shared came straight from the farm. Some of the Southern comfort food dishes featured our garden-grown potatoes, collard greens, peas, peppers, onions and squash - served alongside pork (from the farm) and fried chicken.
It was the kind of meal that reminds you why all those hours spent planting, watering, weeding and tending the gardens are worth it. John is especially the main muscle behind the gardens, with more hours than we could count spent laboring over soil tilling, seed starting, watering, organizing, planning and even a little dreaming; because, John’s original vision for the gardens included sharing quality, untainted produce with his family - and soon enough, the community. And while summer may be behind us, our East Tennessee gardens aren’t quite ready to call it a year.
The Gardens Keep Giving
One of the best parts of gardening in East Tennessee is watching the seasons change while the garden continues to surprise you. Spring planting gives way to summer’s abundance, and just when you think the growing season is winding down, there’s still plenty to bring inside.
This year’s harvest has included bell peppers, tomatoes, okra, basil, potatoes, peas, squash, onions and a plethora of greens for cooking up a delicious batch of collards. We’re also continuing to harvest peppers even as Fall settles in.
Right now, our collards are still growing, the pepper plants are giving us their last offerings and the tomatoes are hanging on longer than we might have expected. We’re enjoying every last bit of it. Gardening teaches you to appreciate these moments - you can make your planting schedule, keep an eye on the weather and do your best to care for every plant, but nature has its own timeline.
Rather than rushing the season along, we’re happy to enjoy what the garden has left to offer.
Making the Most of Fall Gardening in East Tennessee
Fall gardening looks a little different from summer gardening. The days grow shorter, temperatures begin to drop and the garden gradually shifts from warm-season crops to plants that can tolerate cooler weather.
Here in East Tennessee, our climate gives gardeners an opportunity to enjoy an extended growing season, although the timing of the first frost can vary from one year to the next and from one part of the region to another. Cool-season vegetables are particularly useful during this transition period.
Collards, kale, spinach, turnips and certain varieties of lettuce can grow well in cooler conditions, making them worthwhile additions to a Fall garden. Many gardeners also plant radishes and other quick-growing crops while temperatures are still favorable. Our own collards are still going strong, and we’re looking forward to enjoying them while the season allows.
Of course, Fall isn’t the time to forget about the summer garden entirely. If your peppers and tomatoes are still producing, there’s no reason to pull them simply because the calendar says autumn has arrived. Keep harvesting ripe produce, monitor the forecast and make plans for protecting or removing plants as colder weather approaches.
The key is to pay attention to what’s happening in your own garden. Local temperatures, sunlight, soil conditions, and the varieties you’ve planted all influence how long your crops will continue producing.
A Little More Life for the Last of Summer’s Harvest
When a garden produces an abundance of vegetables, knowing how to use and preserve them becomes just as important as growing them.
Fresh peppers can be chopped and frozen for future meals, while ripe tomatoes can be cooked into sauces or preserved using appropriate canning methods. Potatoes can be cured and stored under suitable conditions if you want to keep them for later use. Leafy greens can be harvested as needed, giving the plants an opportunity to continue growing when conditions allow.
Herbs deserve attention, too.
Basil is one of those summer favorites that can be difficult to say goodbye to when temperatures begin to fall. Drying some of our basil gives us a way to preserve a little of the summer flavor for the months ahead. We’re also drying other herbs - cilantro, thyme, rosemary, and still have some goldenrod as well. Our greenhouse comes in handy for drying herbs, helping us make use of what we’ve gathered as the seasons change.
Whether you’re preserving vegetables for winter meals or drying herbs to keep on hand, these small efforts help to stretch the garden’s bounty beyond the growing season. They also offer a practical reminder that harvesting isn’t always the end of a plant’s usefulness. Sometimes, it’s the beginning of something else.
Following the Seasons, One Harvest at a Time
For our family, gardening hasn’t always been just about filling baskets with vegetables - as mentioned earlier, John’s vision for growing food was rooted in sharing with this family, and eventually, with the community. But it’s also about the satisfaction of growing food, the lessons that come from working the land together and the opportunity to share what we’ve grown - knowing it came from a place of determination and love.
Yesterday’s family meal was a perfect example of it all coming together.
Gardening also reminds us that abundance doesn’t have to equate to perfection; rather, it’s about appreciating what the land provides and making the most of it.
As Fall settles into the area, we’ll keep watching the gardens and gathering what we can. We’ll also begin looking ahead to the next growing season, taking what we’ve learned this year and carrying it into the month ahead.
That’s the rhythm of a family farm. There’s always something to tend, something to harvest, and something new to learn. For now, we’re grateful for the food on our table, the hands that helped grow it and the family that gets to enjoy it together.