THE OPTIMISTIC FARMER-September 2025
- theoptimisticfarme
- Sep 1
- 4 min read
2025 September Edition
Tall and (Small) Tales from the Great Basin of Northeast Nevada
It is September and things are looking peachy! If you were lucky this spring and the blooms did not freeze, you may find yourself with an abundance of peaches. There are so many things you can do with extra peaches starting with giving some away! If you stick washed peaches in boiling water for a few minutes it is really easy to peel the skins and process them for canning, making pies and cobblers, or even dehydrating them for a delicious and 'good for you' sweet treat! Don't forget to plant the seeds if you want more peach trees down the road!
News from the Garden
Well, the beginning of the berrrrrr months show us signs that is it time to wind things down and actually start thinking about winter! NOOOOOOOOO, it is not even fall yet, is probably what is going through your head if you have read this far down into the blog, and you are right it can be sad to see another gardening season come to a close. To make the winding down process easier it may help to remember, the work is never all going to be done, and you can always find things to smile about, if you look hard enough. When the snow flies, which it usually does in the coming months, we at least have our memories of gardens past and dreams of gardens future!
Innovations and Ideas
It is fun, the holidays are coming faster than we think, and again September usually means we have a bounty that we need to figure out what to do with...so this cool idea is both pragmatic and adds a fun pop of color to your fall decor. Imagine natures Christmas lights in September!!! Hanging peppers to dry is a good way to help preserve your extras for winter meals and if you dry them in some strategic places, you can add some whimsical decor to your fall motif!
Inner Work
This is a difficult thing to wrap your head around, but it is interesting how it works!! Looking up to verify Margaret Atwood was not some sort of crazy serial killer, it does note in her bio that she was a middle child, so that may explain it!
Plants in Science:
It is true that honey is not a plant, but without plants there would be no honey, so this month we look at honey and science! Bees forage nectar from plants and after they do their magic, scientifically speaking, the bees add enzymes and after a bit of processing in the hive, honey is created. You have likely heard the adage that a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down; however, a spoonful of honey a day may help reduce the need for the medicine. The website link below says that taking one spoonful of honey every day can have numerous benefits to your health.
It mentions that honey is also one of the oldest wound treatment and healing agents, applying honey to a wound activates an immune response that fights infection, it will also stimulate white blood cells, which help fight infection and disease, and it begins to repair damaged tissues! Honey has shown promise in studies to help with diabetes and cancer management; it can promote heart health and is a great source of antioxidants. Another fun fact about honey is that it has an amazing shelf life, it will last longer than we will! If you find your honey has crystallized simply put your container in warm water and you will be back in 'bee'siness.
Last, but Not Least: Freezing, not yet, but soon!
The beginning of September is always a good time to think about cleaning out your freezer, why September you may ask, the answer is so you can fill it up again. Let's face it if you are even a small-time gardener you likely have a freezer full of fall harvest bonanza! A plethora of vegetables and fruits will freeze nicely and if you use them up on a regular basis adding to your winter soups, casseroles, and stews you can use them up before freezer burn does its damage. Herbs can also be frozen and used in many recipes down the road. One easy way to preserve herbs and use them later is to freeze chopped herbs in olive and/or coconut oil in muffin tins! Once frozen, you can pop them out and use whenever you need to sauté vegetables, fry up some chicken or added to your favorite pasta for a light meal. Below is an example of muffin cups filled with parsley and olive oil, then frozen in the freezer. When ready to use simply pop out and add to your pan. During the freezing process, herbs tend to sink to the bottom, so you can add some more chopped herbs on top when they are nearly frozen or just turn them upside down to find the treasure trove of herbs.
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