I cannot believe how time compresses and flies at the end of summer.  It is the time of year when schedules all collide (vacations, folks going back to school, harvest, etc.) with weather and the shortening of the daylight hours.  The air is getting crisper at night and fall is definitely in the air.  Of course, this is probably the same feeling you all get too.  One that our ancestors have danced with since before recorded history.  Time to get the pantry filled and the woodpile stacked in preparation of winter.

I have been getting reports and reminders that seed crops from regions all over the country are suffering.  You all have probably noticed it in the quality, quantity and rising costs of purchasing groceries.  Between spring rains, hail, and floods that in some areas lasted into summer, and the heatwaves and droughts in other areas, farmers have really faced challenges thrown at us my Mother Nature.  There will be shortages, crop failures of some varieties, and cost increases.

On the subject of harvest, we are doing pretty good here.  The cooler summer weather allowed the plants to thrive and put on very heavy crops.  Our biggest challenge, however, is that the cooler weather means that although tomato plants are loaded, maturation is behind the curve and we are just now starting to harvest seed from the early to mid-season varieties.  I am getting a bit nervous about the late season varieties as our first frost could be any time and if the rains set in, cracking and rotting will happen faster than ripening.