Changing Times in the Garden

It's been a summer full of learning.  The weather was cooler and we had more rain than normal; the tomatoes were far less productive than last year and the swiss chard seems to be flowing endlessly.  As we come into our 5th year of gardening in this climate, we're seeing how much the weather patterns can change from year to year.  We continue to hear from folks who have been gardening and farming here for 20 or 40 years how much things have changed.  We're learning as we go, dancing with these smaller fluctuations and considering how our design might include the capacity to deal with such huge fluctuations; two days ago we hit 29 C and tonight they were calling for 4 C.  That's summer heat and the possibility of frost in a 48 hour window.  We're learning to live in these changing times, learning to grow more and more of our own food, and thinking about the long winter months.  We're keeping it real and it's keeping us humble :)  We're looking forward to hosting another Intro to Permaculture class here this month.  We're grateful to live and learn here, and to be able to share this place with others.  More garden photos to come soon!