There are signs that the season is ending. Our green lawn is replaced with yellow leaves. There is a zip in the morning air, felt again the moment after the sun sets. There was a magnificent showing of Northern Lights the other night. The tomatoes are developing thick skins. The garden leaves are yellowing and drooping, begging reprieve. And the tired watering can sprung multiple leaks in defiant obstinance, kicking the bucket before our very eyes.
We’ve been digging and processing. The dehydrator has not stopped. The newly built onion drying rack was overwhelmed the moment after its completion. Similarly, I’ve been advised that regardless of the dimensions, the ‘’shed of optimism” is guaranteed to be too small …
I learned the other day that there was once a communal root cellar in Dawson. And of course, there were multiple other root cellars, both personal and commercial. Now, the only large-scale root cellar that I am aware of is at Kokopellie Farms in Sunnydale.
It’s another example of how perfectly logical approaches to regional sustainability are quickly forgotten in a world of expedient transportation. Do we have to wait till the transportation becomes compromised before regenerating some of those time-proven skills?