THE OPTIMISTIC FARMER-October 2026
2026 October Edition
Tall and (Small) Tales from the Great Basin of Northeast Nevada
Oh, October, how we have missed you! Pumpkins, harvests, corn mazes — the kickoff of the holiday season starts with you, and we are ready for it! Football is in full swing, and opportunities to use your abundance of tomatoes, garlic, onions, and peppers to make some salsa while watching the game could be on the table!
News from the Garden
It's official: cold nights are going to happen, and the winding down of the growing season is on the horizon. As an unexpected (or right-on-schedule) frost takes out your tomatoes, peppers, and squash, give some thoughts of appreciation to all they taught you this year! You can also throw out some spinach seeds for a late fall harvest, and remember that now is the time to plant garlic and many flower bulbs! More on planting in October later in this edition!
Wise words from an unknown source on the internet:
At some point you realize it was never about the tomatoes! It was about learning the soil, watching the weather, noticing the insects, failing a few times, trying again, and realizing somewhere along the way that growing your own food teaches you a heck of a lot more than how to feed yourself!
Innovations and Ideas
Many times, nature is full of ideas and innovations, usually arriving right on time! Days are getting shorter and cooler, and the flower beds need some mulch! Abracadabra, a pile of leaves appears! Need some grapevines to make a cool wreath? Hocus pocus, what do we have here? A grapevine ripe for pruning! Pinecones lying around here and there? Shazam! Cool sunflower decor to add a pop of color to the upcoming winter months!
Inner Work
Shout YES to what you do want! Dwelling on what you don’t want or don't have only keeps what you do want out of your bubble! Be picky about what thoughts and attitudes you allow in your bubble!
Plants in Science: When life gives you grapes
Fruit trees were bare for the most part this year; however, the grapes did not disappoint! All sorts of scientific concepts come into play when you are faced with several buckets full of Concord grapes! Grape jelly is the go-to concoction to use up an abundance of juice. The pulp can be made into fruit leather, and the juice is sweet and delicious to drink, often with no added sugar! For the more scientific types, there are always experiments in fermentation: winemaking, or maybe a delicious grape vinegar! Be it the process of yeast converting sugars into alcohol, allowing for clarification, knowing when to let air in and when to keep it out, or final bottling, adherence to basic scientific principles is key. Maintaining temperatures, sanitizing, record keeping, watching for fermentation to end, using airlocks — if you like science, you should like grapes!
Last, but Not Least: Still planting
October planting seems at first glance like an oxymoron for those living in the Nevada high desert, but surprise, surprise, surprise! There are a ton of things you can plant in the fall months and many things you should!
Flowering Bulbs: Tulips, crocus, daffodils, ranunculus, iris, and lily’s are all okay to plant in October!
Garlic should also be planted this month or next month at the latest!!
October seeds to sow: Spinach, Swiss chard, small carrots, radishes, wildflowers, and cover crops!
Admittedly October is more of a cleanup and mulch month, however it is good to know you can still plant for some late fall, early spring and next summer surprises!
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