Gold leaves taste the deepest.

Hello from too long ago. Very shortly I will be posting the holiday schedule for V Smiley Preserves. Stay tuned for that. Regarding schedule, the biggest change is VSP will be at the Burlington Winter Farmers Market, which is SO IMPORTANT as it gives me a consistent direct market through the slow and quiet season, which in Vermont (when the winter visitors head up the mountains to the ski slopes) is even slower and quieter. It's a time of year that can terrify even the most planned and organized pocket book. Last winter was exceedingly challenging as my partner went through a long period of unemployment and at VSP I was launching a new product line with new packaging/branding AND moving kitchens to a much lovelier, positive, and more costly space. It was a hedging choice of hope that business for VSP would pick up, that we would find our feet, that there was a financial way forward in this very different-than-Seattle-the-place-I-started-the-business rural environment of Vermont, which is DIY to its core. Who, who, who out there needs some jam? At the moment, I’m spending a lot of head space on how much to push VSP during the holidays. I have the opportunity to be in 3 venues concurrently during the important shopping weekends that lead up to the Holidays. Can I afford to stretch myself and VSP this much / Can I afford not to try? I have to sort this out in the next week.

Meanwhile I’m basking in those tender hours between 8 and 11 am, a stretch of time I haven’t enjoyed at home or in my office, for months. Starting in April I worked 2-4 jobs a week on top of VSP production and selling. Probably, most relevant and exciting to the farm project here at home, I worked at a nursery, which made me crazy for gardening and wanting 1 of everything on the nursery benches. I developed a bad habit of bringing home plants, leaving them in the front yard and pointing Amy to them, “heeeey, can I interest you in planting those in the ground?” Earlier this month, 3 new redcurrants joined the currant forces that surround my mom’s house. It’s a force that leans in the blackcurrant direction, so this will up the redcurrant count to 7. Just 35 more to go.

Quince

October, at about its midpoint, is when the seasonal saturation of plant growth/sunlight/tourists/travelers/harvest/leaf turning/commerce/commerce/run/run/plant/share/repeat// almost abruptly unsqueezes and suddenly all of us seasonally-driven people/businesses are released. And where are we? IN A MONUMENTAL PLACE of some free time. And one more hot day. Another one is being doled out today with a promise of mid 70s on this leeward side of October. The box elder bugs on the south side of our house will be happy. One more day of sweet heat. I like summer most—though I’d like to skip the snake agreeing with me by way of daily afternoon snooze sessions on my front step—but I can respect what’s happening now. Especially when it gives fall raspberries with quince and these Albion Strawberries don’t stop trying.

Today to-do:

-build 5 batches of Elderberry Plum Jam

-process strawberries

-distribute strawberries into Strawberry Plum Jam and Strawberry Grapefruit Jam

-peel grapefruits

-put 6 oz jars downstairs

-count/pack yesterday’s production

-go eat dinner at ArtsRiot with Amy’s dad