The Driggs Farmers Market is winding down, one more Friday left next week. Whenever I can give our local organic farmers my business over Broulims imported produce, I do with pleasure. Today I picked up some fresh spinach (we make our salads with it now, over lettuce), some green onion things (she called them something else) and a greenhouse tomato.
When I stopped at the liquor store across the street, Larry had a box by the door full of excess tomatoes from his greenhouse, that he was giving away. I snagged the biggest one and he told me it’s called a Mortgage Lifter because of the size and saleability. It’s the one on the left. I’ll slice them both up this weekend and determine which one I like.
While on the subject of organic, Steph wants to rake up leaves again, before the snow.
I present this:
Earth, among other things, is fantastic at recycling. Whether through the water cycle, or the slow process of decomposing plants and trees back in to rich soil, the Earth wastes very little.
When leaves fall to the ground, they begin to break down and eventually create a rich humus on the forest floor that absorbs dew and rainfall. This nutrient rich ‘sponge’ acts as a continual source of nutrients and water for trees and plants, helping to promote life and plant health in the next spring season.
It is not difficult to conclude that while the falling of the leaves protects the trees through winter, it’s likely that trees would not survive as well without the rich layer of dead leaves through the warm spring and summer months. In this way, trees natural cycle provides health and sustainability for itself year after year.
Saturday update: I just sampled both tomatoes and the market tomato won. Larry’s was delicious, but the market tomato was amazing! The lady that sold it to me said it was grown down by Swan Valley with Miracle Grow, so it wasn’t organic. Who cares!
