Originally published September 2023 in the Napa Valley Register

By: Carine Hines

 

Do you feel it? The subtle brush of coolness on the wind. Do you see it? The distorted angle to sunlight, even at high noon, that colors the golden hills a deeper shade of “baked grass”. Do you hear it? The geese flying overhead and the crackle of late-summer leaves on plants in California. Do you taste it? The sweetest sweet of fruit and vegetables from the summer-hardened plants of late September. In their own way, these plants are the Greek heroes of the year, having survived April frosts and August heatwaves, only to land in late September when everything is… perfect.

 

What is the “it” we speak of, and feel, see, hear, taste? It is not summer, and it is not fall, it is shoulder season.

 

As a farmer, shoulder season is by far my favorite time of year. Of all the seasons, it ignites my senses stronger than any other time of year, filling it with nostalgia, accomplishment, relief, and joy. The shorter days bring nostalgia for the summer that was, the bounty that will end, and the pause of winter. And after the long “fog” of summer, when every moment is about accomplishing one task then moving on to the next, there is a sense of accomplishment for surviving and making it to the other end. Even though the idea that things are slowing down in September is actually an illusion (September is usually one of our highest grossing months), we still relish the relief that easier, cooler, and hopefully wetter days are ahead of us. Finally, there is the joy of harvest, bounty, and transitions that come with shoulder season.

 

Another word for shoulder season could be abundance. At no other time of year will you see so much diversity of crops at the stands of the Napa Farmers Market farmers. At my stand you can find melons bumping into winter squash. At the fruit stands you see a mix of second-wave figs, apples, and maybe pomegranates next to the last stonefruit. New greens start to pop up at people’s stands, with the deep photosynthetic glow of chloroplasts receiving the perfect amount of sun and heat. In other words, drop your jobs, drop your back-to-school angst, and come enjoy the best time of year at the Napa Farmers Market.

 

On my farm, we are just starting to clip winter squash to harden in the field before bringing to you. This September was a particularily cool start to shoulder season, meaning fruit such our melons and winter squash received plenty of heat in August to develop sugar, but can now take their time to finish ripening. The greens transplanted in the last and coming weeks will take us from October through January, and dot our sensing rows with bright patches of color. There is still so much work to be done, but it somehow feels more manageable.

 

At the Napa Farmers Market you can look forward to the changing seasons in produce, as well as the fun events of October. Enjoy these last warm and dry days of the year with your family to teach them about food, show them the meaning of community, and enjoy the fun activities of the market. This year Halloween will be twice as nice! Get dressed in your spooky best on Saturday the 27th and Tuesday the 31st of October for our Halloween Haunted Markets.

 

I will see you at the market, in all the glories of shoulder season!