THE OPTIMISTIC FARMER-November 2025
- theoptimisticfarme
- Nov 1
- 4 min read
2025 November Edition
Tall and (Small) Tales from the Great Basin of Northeast Nevada
First things first...clocks go back tonight, don't forget!
Starting the third berrrr month and things are definitely cooling off in the garden, but if you played your cards right, they will be heating up in the kitchen! If your freezer is stocked with carrots and potatoes make a soup, casserole, or stew! Did life give you a bumper crop of peppers, check out the delicious Chile relleno casserole recipe on the more recipes tab! New recipes for peach pie and a delicious Mediterranean salad have been added! The good news is aphids, and other critters, are heading south for the winter!
News from the Garden
Today we are going to talk about green tomatoes, sometimes the growing season is just not quite long enough in these parts and at the end of the season you find yourself with an abundance of green tomatoes. Of course there is the popular fried green tomatoes, but did you know you can make green enchilada sauce with green tomatoes and you can also use up some of those peppers!
Innovations and Ideas
It is always fun to try to grow some different and even exotic things in the garden. Did you know saffron, which is the most expensive spice in the world comes from the crocus? While most crocus make their appearance early in the spring, the saffron crocus is a fall blooming flower, and you can see the saffron threads just ready for the plucking. Saffron crocuses grow from corms, which are basically the bulbs! Because it takes so many crocuses to produce saffron and due to the labor-intensive harvesting that is required, saffron is the most expensive spice in the world, one pound can cost between $500 and $5000! Luckily only a little bit is needed in most recipes, so add some to your paella today!
Inner Work
For inner work this month try to experience émerveillement, émer-what you may ask? Émerveillement is a French noun which means having a surge of wonder! A moment where you catch your breath when the world astonishes you even in the quietest of places. It is a feeling of smallness in the presence of something vast and feeling happy in the humbleness of the moment! Tap into your inner child and catch a snowflake on your tongue, because we know it is just a matter of time until it is flying!
Plants in Science: Cold: Friend or Foe?
If you live in the high desert of northeast Nevada, you know what it means to be cold, the question for today is cold a friend or foe of the gardener? A lot of people may not want to hear this, but cold is a friend and some plants and trees actually need a cold spell in order to produce! Commonly known as chill hours, this is the total number of hours between 32- and 45-degrees F that an area receives on average, and wouldn't you know it chill hours are essential for certain plants! Depending on the variety, grapes may need from 100-500 chill hours, peaches 200-1,200, apples from 200-900 chill hours are needed every winter in order to optimally produce. So, when researching what fruit trees to plant in your zone make sure you are familiar with the chill hours that will be needed! Northeast Nevada usually gets plenty of chill hours for most trees, however it is something to consider before planting if you live in the southern or banana belt portions of Nevada.
So, for fruit and for people it is important to chill from time to time, the moral of this story is in the coming months take some time to chill and when you do, know that it is a good thing!
Last, but Not Least: Planting in November....can it be?
Awwww, you finally clean up all your garden tools, clear out the sprinkler lines, and clean up your flower beds, time for some rest and relaxation and you come across an article about the top cold hardy annuals to plant in November!!! Hold the phone, what in the world can be happening? Yes, it is true there are flowers you can plant in November that will actually bloom in the spring! They are generally more cold hardy plants that self-seed, so spreading seeds in November is basically just doing what nature does. Iceland and Breadseed poppies are two examples, also snapdragons and Queen Anne's Lace! If the ground is just too frozen or if you are just not in the mood, it is also safe to plants these in the spring. If you do want a leg up though, try to spread some of these seeds in late fall and they all make great candidates of winter sowing.
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