It’s that time of year when the first frost of the season lurks in the night air, quietly planning the demise of the most fragile plants in the garden. According to the Farmer’s Almanac, frost or a “light freeze” occurs when the temperature on the ground drops to between 29 and 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Frosts can happen when air temperatures are a few degrees higher than freezing on calm, clear nights due to radiational cooling, which is basically a net loss of heat from the surface of the Earth.
Light freeze victims include tomatoes, sweet corn, peppers, beans, cucumbers, melons, and sweet potatoes. Winter squash (which includes pumpkins) is named for its ability to keep well into the winter months; it’s surprisingly tender when it comes to frost. A light freeze will kill the vines, and though the squash may not show any damage, its storage life will be shortened.
While James Whitcomb Riley may have waxed poetic about how it “sets my hart a-clickin’ like the tickin’ of a clock, when the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock,” he likely felt differently when he went to retrieve one of those frost-kissed “punkins” from his root cellar a few months later.
www.carlsonorchards.com
Pick-your-own McIntosh, Cortland, Gala, Macoun, Northern Spy, Red Rome, Jonagold, Mutsu, Red Delicious, and Empire apples (check Facebook daily for other varieties). Available in the store are McIntosh, Macoun, Cortland, Empire, Gala, Golden Delicious, Northern Spy, and Honeycrisp apples, along with locally grown winter squash, pumpkins, and chrysanthemums.
Store is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily; pick-your-own is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
www.doeorchards.com
Pick-your-own Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Macoun, Mutsu, Pink Lady, McIntosh, Golden Supreme, Cortland, Ruby Mac, Fuji, Jonagold, and Empire apples. At the stand, heirloom apple varieties Wickson Crab, Golden Russet, and Roxbury Russet, along with most of the varieties on the trees. Also at the stand are pumpkins, gourds, cider, and apple firewood.
Stand and pick-your-own hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
www.goodspiritsfarm.com
At the self-service farmstand this week: Organically grown raspberries, blackberries, zucchini, pattypan and crookneck squash, kale, collards, heirloom tomatoes, tomatillos, green beans, and butternut and other winter squash. Also available at the stand are the farm’s own honey and beeswax, berry jams (including raspberry, peach, blueberry, and blackberry), dahlia and zinnia bouquets, lavender hand cream, and local eggs (in the refrigerator in the adjacent shed). Raspberries and flowers may not be available if there’s a frost this week.
Stand is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
www.oldfrogpondfarm.com
Closed for the season.
www.westwardorchards.com
Pick-your-own McIntosh apples. Pick-your-own pumpkins with wagon rides to the pumpkin patch this (the final) weekend. Available in the store: Westward’s McIntosh, Cortland, Macoun, Honeycrisp, Gala, Ginger Gold, Golden Delicious, Jonaprince, Baldwin, Red Jonathan, and Roxbury Russet apples; mixed varieties of pears, Stanley plums, quince, regular, heirloom, and cherry tomatoes, lettuce, cauliflower, kale, broccoli, carrots, eggplant, winter squash, peppers, beets, cabbage, leeks, potatoes, shallots, and mixed herbs. Pumpkins, gourds, and corn stalks are also available.
Store is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; pick-your-own apples from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily; pick-your-own pumpkins Oct. 19 and 20, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
—Compiled by Joan Eliyesil