Poets often lament the fickleness of spring, but it is autumn in The County that holds the greatest capacity for surprise. We all know what to expect, but are less and less certain of its arrival date.
This fall seems to be trying to apologize for the unremittingly cold, rainy, and grey spring. The season has graced us with blue, nearly cloudless skies. Winds have been moderate. At most, early mornings and late evenings might provide reason to carry, though not necessarily don, a light sweater when we venture out to admire brilliant stars.
Subtle signs of seasonal change are upon us; a blinding east/west commute directly into the sun and skeins of Canada geese unravelling across the sky. The great birds shout raucous imprecations at their leaders and disloyally loop back to join other long V-shaped funnels of discontent. Is it the route selected or, like small children in the back seat watching yet another McDonald’s disappear in the rear window, are they disconcerted by the fact that they are passing over green fields with no opportunity to partake?
Songbirds that set up nurseries in our back yards last summer now squabble like “snowbirds” piloting their RV to its winter Florida home. In the clear night sky, we once again spy Orion marching from horizon to horizon across a dark velvet bowl. Welcome back, old friend; we missed you.
Bees forage indifferently on the last asters and goldenrod. Poultry and pigs may resent shorter days and diminished success rooting in cooler soil. However, other livestock on pasture are enthused by late-season warmth. They make one more rotation through still-green pastures with unfrozen water sources and bug-free resting spots under a tree only slightly tinged with orange leaves. They chew reflectively. Ruminants and horses go for hay only when the last dormant grasses are consumed, fussing noisily, “This is all?”, suspicious we are saving the best bales for ourselves.
For vendors at the Presque Isle Farmers Market on Saturday mornings in the Aroostook Centre Mall parking lot, this seasonal grace period has been a blessing. What wild imagination would have pictured walking through our plots now, picking ripe tomatoes? Like stealth bombers, we slipped past the last full moon under an insulating layer of clouds sealing in the earth’s radiant heat. The resulting absence of a black frost enabled us to continue to gather beans and greens.
We procrastinate on picking winter squash and pumpkins, allowing them more time to transition to sugar-sweet flesh. Growers boldly plant rows of crops with lightning-fast maturity dates…maybe one more round in the absence of high tunnels, but two or more under plastic.
Loyal customers, too, eagerly gather fresh salad greens from our stands. They shop for seasonal fruit, corn, and broccoli. They purchase root crops like carrots, potatoes, turnips, and onions. They stock up on jams, jellies, and preserves. They leave with bulging reusable shopping bags and huge smiles. We urge you all to come and get the good stuff while the getting remains good.
The Presque Isle Farmer’s market’s chair/president for the remainder of the season is Deena Albert-Parks of Chops Ahoy farm in Woodland. For information about participating or visiting the market, contact her at deena.albertparks73@gmail.com.
