And the busy season has just begun

I've been too busy doing food system to write about it, it seems.   The week of the 15th I had four meetings - the Food System Alliance, the Food System Alliance Policy Committee, the        Community Garden Network, and our leadership group for the Sonoma Valley Gleaning Project.

I've just about finished the executive summary of our Sonoma County Food Action Plan, and sent off my food system news for the monthly parish newsletter.  Tomorrow I need to turn to more work on the release forms and some other handouts for the Gleaning Project.   Oh - and an edit of the policy and procedures document for the Committee of the Community Garden Network.
I somehow thought I had a week without meetings beginning today, but we are finally having the first meeting of the advisory board for the Interfaith Sustainable Food Collaborative on Tuesday.  So writing, one meeting, and some calls to locate where our first official glean will be are on the agenda for this week.  

Yesterday I took the day off and traveled to Laytonville for a birthday party.  Wouldn't you know I fell into conversation about the weather with a stranger and turned out to be talking to a fabulous gardener from Laughing Frog Farm.   Here's her web site http://www.laughingfrogfarm.net/
I look forward to seeing her again and talking tomatoes at the Heirloom Festival in September.

Meanwhile the garden is producing - four kinds of tomatoes, three of summer squash, peppers, basil, and beans, which went in late, are just about ready to yield their first green fruit.   Two weeks ago I got some inexpensive stone fruit at the end of the Friday farmers' market in Sonoma, and have produced three batches of jam: plum, mixed tree fruit, and the dark fruits of summer (plum-bing cherry-blackberry).   The blackberries aren't great this year - not enough spring rain means smaller, seedier fruit  - but what's there are ripening, and they are free.  
I love canning, and we'll be doing some preserving parties at Trinity, to share the knowledge.   Zucchini pickles are scheduled for our first workshop on August 11.  Zucchini - a sign of God's Extravagant Generosity!