Yesterday was the autumnal equinox, placing us squarely in the fall season. The sun now slants rather than bakes. As the days grow shorter, I’m moving from an existence of sun, sweat, and tomato sandwiches to one of crisp morning walks and coziness.

The garden, also changing, continues to surprise me. Though I predicted that last week marked the end of tomato season, a few more fruits have ripened on the wilting vines. I also harvested the first few butternut squash; not the orange variety I’ve been eagerly watching, but volunteers that sprouted from the compost pile, a classic tan variety I grew last year. Sometimes the best plants are ones we didn’t sow.

Tomorrow at the farmer’s market, then, you can expect a few more tomatoes, the first of the butternut squash, lots of garlic, and perhaps a few herbs (thyme, oregano, rosemary – the basil is, sadly, done).

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As you can see above, I picked some jalapenos the other day! Due to the dry summer, I didn’t get the bountiful crop I enjoyed last year, so I won’t be selling any of them fresh. Instead, they’re all going in the dehydrator so I can finally make more hot salt!

Mist hangs low over the ground this morning; on my prebreakfast walk, a doe and her two fawns materialized like slender ghosts. Spiders have decorated my front porch, lawn, and garden with their glistening, intricate webs. They’re a good six weeks early for Halloween, but I’m enjoying their beauty nonetheless.

The tomato vines appear tired and may have contracted a disease (it’s hard to pinpoint which one) thanks to insect damage creating entry points in the fruit. Yields tend to decline as the season draws to a close, anyway; we’re just coming to the end a bit early this year. Tomorrow – or possibly next Friday – will likely be your last chance for ripe tomatoes! I’ll wait at least until next week to begin picking green ones, I think (mmm, fried green tomatoes).

The bean and zucchini beds have been cleared out, and I sowed winter rye in the first two beds. They look barren now, but in the coming weeks verdant blades will sprout, and by winter I should have lush patches of rye holding the soil in the beds until early spring, when it will be cut down to provide nutrients to young vegetable seedlings.

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The garden is still producing, though, with the jalapenos finally ripening en masse, and I hope to get them in the dehydrator this weekend. That means you should see hot salt return to the market soon!

As the jalapenos swell, the butternut squashes are beginning to turn from green to orange, and the sweet potatoes remain a mystery under the soil. I’ll harvest the latter two in October before frost threatens, then let them cure to sweeten their flavor and ensure they store through the winter. I have brassicas (broccoli, collards, kale), too, struggling along under row cover, though time will tell how my little experimental patch turns out.

At the New Market Farmer’s Market tomorrow afternoon, you will find what might be the last of the tomatoes, as well as plenty of garlic, some fresh herbs (basil, rosemary, thyme), and the usual handmade items. We might have a new vendor joining us, so come welcome her to the market! As always, keep an eye on the farmer’s market Facebook page for weather updates.

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There’s not much to report this week, in the lull between summer and autumn. I’m still harvesting tomatoes and have a mound of garlic all cured, cleaned, and trimmed. Jalapenos will (finally) go in the dehydrator soon in preparation for a second batch of hot salt.

Although first frost is still a month away, I’ve begun the first step of putting the garden to bed for winter, clearing out brown and drooping plants past production. Next comes raking, then scattering winter rye seed and sprinkling it with old hay to prevent runoff while it germinates.

The garden isn’t done growing yet, though, as the butternut squashes continue to swell and begin to ripen and the sweet potato vines hint at the harvest to come. If all goes well, broccoli, collards, and kale might show up in October as well.

Late summer is also a time of preserving, and last weekend I finally finished canning tomatoes: sauce, salsa, and diced. They sit in neat rows in my pantry alongside a few jars of dilly beans and dandelion jelly. An abundance of basil means two bags of pesto cubes in the freezer and a jar of dried, crumbled leaves in the spice cabinet. Of course, the freezer also contains beans, shredded zucchini, and more tomatoes (whole and diced).

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Come visit the New Market Farmer’s Market tomorrow afternoon to scoop up some of these flavorful heirloom tomatoes for yourself before the tomato vines decide they’re done! I have plenty of garlic, too, as well as practical hand-knit and -crocheted items like scrubbies, dish cloths, and skillet handle covers.