Tomato harvest is NOW! We are picking tomatoes every day now.

Each year we plant the row of tomato plants in a different section of the garden. Last year the row was on the far left. This summer it is on the right side, but closer to the middle. Crop rotation helps to maintain soil structure and nutrient levels and to prevent soil infesting pests from getting a hold in the garden. When the same crop is planted in the same place every year, the soil will deteriorate as the same nutrients are used over and over again.

I love having birds visit our yard. We love to follow the progress of nest building and baby birds hatching in the trees, bushes, and sometimes in the hanging fern or geranium. But birds will ruin quite a bit of ripe produce, especially berries and tomatoes. Tim has various types of scarecrows set up to scare them away, but they still make their mess often. Often, I’ll spot a perfect tomato– what a delight!– but as soon as I pick it, I’ll see a hole where Mr. Birdie beat me to it. These bird-pecked tomatoes can be used immediately after you cut off the damaged, bird- pecked part. Tim is always making cucumber and tomato salsa during the summer, so usually it will not go to waste.

Some tomatoes are not quite ripe, but if left on the plant, they might get pecked before tomorrow’s picking. So they are left on the porch to ripen, or when it is very hot outside, we bring them in to get ripe on a tray.

It is so rewarding to pick tomatoes and other vegetables, but that is just the beginning.
All the produce gets washed in the kitchen sink and then we set it on a towel to dry.
We gather baskets and containers to fill with fresh produce. Now that we have so many sizes of Jumping Daisy product baskets, finding containers is never a problem.
We save a little for ourselves and the rest is put in baskets to share. If it’s the weekend, we can carry it all to church on Sunday and there give it away to friends, especially seeking out the people who we know really love it.

Tomatoes like this, straight from the garden, are only available for a few months. The freshness and the flavors have no equal. Tomato lovers hate to see the tomato summertime end, because then we will only have supermarket tomatoes available for fall, winter, and even spring.

Let’s make some fresh salsa or fix up a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich for lunch.
It’s good Y’ALL.

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Interesting text in Exodus concerning letting the land rest from cultivation
Exodus 23:10-11
10 “For six years you are to sow your land and gather its produce, 11but in the seventh year you must let it rest and lie fallow, so that the poor among your people may eat from the field, and the wild animals may consume what they leave. Do the same with your vineyard and olive grove.”

Matthew Henry Commentary
“23:10-19 Every seventh year the land was to rest. They must not plough or sow it; what the earth produced of itself, should be eaten, and not laid up. This law seems to have been intended to teach dependence on Providence, and God’s faithfulness in sending the larger increase while they kept his appointments. It was also typical of the heavenly rest, when all earthly labours, cares, and interests shall cease for ever. All respect to the gods of the heathen is strictly forbidden. Since idolatry was a sin to which the Israelites leaned, they must blot out the remembrance of the gods of the heathen. Solemn religious attendance on God, in the place which he should choose, is strictly required. They must come together before the Lord. What a good Master do we serve, who has made it our duty to rejoice before him! Let us devote with pleasure to the service of God that portion of our time which he requires, and count his sabbaths and ordinances to be a feast unto our souls. They were not to come empty-handed; so now, we must not come to worship God empty-hearted; our souls must be filled with holy desires toward him, and dedications of ourselves to him; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”