With school back in session and weather still agreeable, October brings fairs, farm stands and markets that mingle trinkets and treasures with early-fall produce. Beyond the fun, these gatherings offer roots and insights into the toil behind our food sources and the land and people that sustain communities.

Here are some practical choices deepen that connection: shop in-season; bring reusable bags and jars; and ask growers simple questions about their practices, soil care and seed saving. Be sure to enjoy the bounty—excess tomatoes become sauce or salsa; bruised fruit turns into freezer jam; peels and stems feed the compost. Leaving asters and goldenrod in bloom keeps a nectar bridge for late pollinators.

October also suits small, satisfying projects: sharpen mower blades and hand pruners, top-dress beds with a light layer of compost, check screens and weatherstripping and set aside a bin for leaf mulch. A porch picnic or neighbor potluck under the late-afternoon sky rounds out activities that honor the season’s work and make space for simple connection.

 

Patti Beres is the owner of Be Green Pro LLC, sustainable landscape services, in southeastern Wisconsin. Call 262-361-4034 or visit BeGreen.pro.