This is a beautiful time of year to be in the foothills of Mount Hood. The colors on the farm and in the nearby hills are a colorful reminder of the seasons of life. As we enter this, the fourth and final season of the year, we are particularly grateful for the bounty we've produced.

We just received our first batch of honey that our bees spent the summer producing. We expect one more batch to be drawn very soon as well. We've also harvested Ashwagandha root. The first batch is out of the dryer with the second soon to follow. Black Walnuts were harvested from the trees yesterday, and the hulls were separated from the nut and set in alcohol.

Next up: digging the Dandelion, Astragalus and Echinacea purpurea root out of the ground. Although fall is definitely here and the trees are rapidly losing their leaves, the Calendula flowers are as beautiful as ever. But the signs of the harvest coming to a close are all around: The shade cloth that was over the Goldenseal has been taken down. The days are shorter. The colors fading.

But the compost pile is still growing every day, especially with recently pulled weeds feeding it on a daily basis. Time to button down for the winter season. The greenhouses can keep everything safe and protected for the next few months, while the soil has a little rest.