THE OPTIMISTIC FARMER-October 2025
- theoptimisticfarme
- Oct 1
- 4 min read
Updated: Oct 2
2025 October Edition
Tall and (Small) Tales from the Great Basin of Northeast Nevada
Here in the great basin fall has started out beautifully, mild weather, cooler evenings, leaves turning reds, yellow, and orange, however it is a fact that winter is closer than yesterday! When you live in an area that experiences all four seasons, you learn to love the unique wonders that each offer. For fall it is harvest, pumpkins, cinnamon, check out this edition's Plants in Science section for a deep dive into cinnamon.
News from the Garden
October is a fantastic month to celebrate gifts from earth! Even though this time of the year you may think, if I see one more zucchini, I think I am going to lose my marbles, it is also a good time of year to relish in your harvest. Speaking of relish, that is one thing you can make from the abundance! Peppers and tomatoes are good for salsa, and you can even freeze some and throw it in a crockpot pot roast down the road!
Innovations and Ideas
When life gives you crab apples, make crab apple vinegar? If you find yourself with a bucket of crab apples and your experimental side just has to try something, making crab apple vinegar may be worth a shot! The process is as simple as can be, the ones pictured below are simply rinsed and the leaves removed, stems and seeds are still intact. You can weigh them down with weights or a Ziplock bag filled with clean rocks. Cover the container with cheesecloth or other breathable material and tie down the cover. The crab apples pictured first below have been in this jar for about 10 days and the second picture is the juice that was extracted. Honey was added, which is optional, and now the potion is fermented 4-6 weeks just in time for some holiday crap apple vinegar! Crab apple vinegar has several uses including salad dressings, marinades, or add to homemade mayonnaise!
From left to right: Crab apples by the bucket, first fermentation, second fermentation
Inner Work
For inner work this edition, let's consider resilience, which can be defined as the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficult times and situations, in gardening gardeners are always looking for plants that are resilient. Some fun ways to improve your resiliency include taking care of your body, practicing mindfulness, accepting change, and keeping things in perspective.
Plants in Science: Cinnamon
Sugar and spice and everything nice, this time of year is usually a time for both. The following deep dive is into Cinnamon, a very popular spice in baking and the aroma, well what else really needs to be said? Did you know that cinnamon is actually from the inner bark of trees from the genus Cinnamomum? Cassia cinnamon is the most common type sold commercially and is used in many delicious recipes including cinnamon rolls, pumpkin pie, rice pudding, and coffee cake to name a few! The trees that produce the bark that is used to make cinnamon are a type of evergreen and four countries account for a whopping 98% of the worlds production China, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka! The cinnamon tree is a tropical plant, so it loves warmth and humidity!
There are many species of the cinnamon tree, so if you become a connoisseur, you may see Ceylon cinnamon, which is known for its superior flavor, Cassia or Chinese cinnamon mentioned above, and Loureirii, more commonly Saigon or Vietnamese cinnamon which features a strong flavor and aroma and may come at a premium price. Long story short cook something delicious with cinnamon this fall season.
Last, but Not Least: Winter is Coming!
In the most optimistic way possible, winter is coming is a fact! Hate it, love it, tolerate it, whatever you choose it is coming. So, in an effort to avoid bad situations, by not putting yourself in situations that may turn bad, make sure you make winter preparations! The most ideal would be to find yourself in a warm locale while natures does its work, practically speaking though, take a few minutes this month to check your windshield wiper fluid, do your wiper blades need replaced? Do you have an emergency kit in your trunk, are your tires good? Snow has definitely been known to fly in the great basin in October, so don't think it only happens to others and won't happen to me! On the flip side winter season can be glorious, more relaxing vibes, family gatherings, fun holidays, snow on the trees, you get the idea! So, while you are checking your ice melt supply also check your sleds and gloves, because winter is coming!
Really truly last, but not least, the blog cannot be concluded without a least a few winter prep gardening tips! First if there are plants that you need to bring into either your house or garage for winter be thinking about which ones, watch the forecast, and figure out where you will find room! Plant any fall bulbs before the ground gets too frozen. Lay some mulch along your flower beds to help hold in moisture and provide shelter for the good bugs over winter, if you can use fallen leaves that is a double bonus. Also get all your garden tools found, cleaned, and prepped for fall pruning and spring which is really just around the corner!! If you are a winter sower, this month is also a good month to get your milk jugs prepped for planting in a few months.
Hello Optimisitc Farmer,
I enjoy your writings so much!
Informative with a sprinkling of wisdom
And humor. Could you please help me decide what to plant in my area of the Black Rock Desert? So far moss roses are all that is really working and the little palm trees you can buy at garden shops
Thank you!🐜🐜🐜.