~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Inter-dependence !?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
While some decided to escape the maelstrom of urban life by visiting the farm to pick Apricots, our family did the opposite, we left the farm, with friends from out-of-town, to enjoy an urban getaway in San Francisco. The city attractions however (D.Young Museum, Golden Gate Park, and Fireworks), wore off pretty quickly and I was anxious, after only 24 hours, to get back to the farm and catch the tail-end of the Apricot U-pick event. At 1 o'clock most of "you"-pickers were already come and gone, probably at home, processing the freshly picked treasures.  Judging from the amount of fruit left on the trees and the final tally of sales, more than 200 eager pickers must have walked through the orchard. A great big thanks, it is your participation that made this another very successful and enjoyable Live Earth Farm event. Also, many thanks to Molly (farm intern) and her boyfriend David (2nd year intern at the UCSC Farm & Garden) for setting up and doing such a wonderful job hosting in my absence. 

I have to smile realizing how a former city dweller like myself, can so quickly experience "farm deficit disorder".  Moving away from human made urban environments of high-rise offices, shopping centers, and apartment complexes, the last 15 years of farming have helped me reconnected with the surrounding natural environment, learning to trust my instincts and impulses and not only follow the arbitrary rules, habits, and restrictions dictated by today's often dominant urban culture. Cities and farms, are two worlds that often are at odds with each other. Most of us, I am sure, are inclined to break down these barriers and probably support the idea that Farms and Gardens become places to help rebuild and link the natural and human made environments. I can envision one day when we not only have one U-pick a year, but maybe one every week, creating the possibility of a more sustainable balance, where food becomes a wonderful vehicle for creating a more secure and stable future, one where we celebrate not only our independence but maybe more importantly our inter-dependence. 

 Wouldn't it be smart if we as a people wrote declarations of "inter-dependence," where the land, rivers and oceans were protected from exploitation, creating long-lasting bonds of mutual enhancement where humans are functioning members, rather than conquering invaders. As a farmer my treaty with the land is to listen, hear what it says, understand what it can and cannot do and continuously improve my own shortcomings in this mutual dance.

- Tom

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is a slow down in Summer Squash. Next week every share should get Golden Beets or both red and golden. Also more cucumbers on the way and maybe first cherry tomatoes in 2 weeks. Instead of red potatoes we'll switch to yellow potatoes (Yellow Finns or Yukon Golds), wonderful for roasting. Apricots may last another week and Plums a week longer. We are setting up stakes underneath our apple trees to support the increasing wait from the growing fruit. Gala's should be the first one's to ripen by the end of August/beginning of September, still a long "summer" ways away....

Notes from Debbie's Kitchen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Debbie is away this week; please click here to go to her recipe database. She'll be back on the job Week 16!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~