Hi,

This is Juan Mirón writing to you as Co-founder and Chief Purpose Officer. Welcome to Fall and the monthly Source Report, a resource that has previously been an internal conversation with our HOMI’s (staff) that we’re now expanding to our community. Our hope is that you learn more about the farmers and purveyors that our food comes from. Bienvenidos.

About a month ago, it seemed like summer was here to stay - with the hot days and sunny weekend activities it was allowing us to enjoy. Well, the mornings now are pretty brisk and the warmth of our cozy beds try and keep us there a bit longer. But the smell of fall in the air and the bounty it brings are worth the change.

NEWS & SEASONAL TRENDS

Turkey season is upon us and in case you have not heard, there will be an unfortunate shortage of our feathered friends. We placed our order through West Coast Meats over six weeks ago just to get the chance of ordering a limited amount of turkeys. Why, you might ask? Well, avian flu cases soared this year.

The New York Times reports that 7 million turkeys (about 3.6% of the nation’s total) have been wiped out by the serious bird flu known as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). As a result, turkeys will cost more and be less available for the fast-approaching Thanksgiving holiday. The last avian flu outbreak was in 2015 and about 50 million birds were affected, according to USDA data.

So in case you are a diehard-turkey-for-Thanksgiving-dinner type of family, I just came across a Whole Foods newsletter, and they have a big inventory (not surprisingly, *cough* Amazon) and you could jump on that sooner than later.

FARM WORTH READING ABOUT

Weiser Family Farms is a farm that holds a dear place in Kevin and my food-loving hearts. We met Weiser Farms as one of the early pioneers in the San Diego farm-to-table movement. They provided the majority of the produce used at The Linkery, and I served as the liaison between the two. Back before Specialty Produce or Santa Monica Farmer's Market (SMFM) began collecting produce from many local farms to sell in one place, Kevin and I would take it upon ourselves to make trips out to these kinds of places. We drove a small Honda Element around the various San Diego counties, loaded with a harvest from each stop, and excited to make use of this exceptional fare for months to come.

This year, we have had the pleasure of using the delicious honey nut squash, fingerling Russian potatoes, and a medley of beets from Weiser Farms as part of our current menus. They have proved, yet again, to be a local delight.

GET IN ON THE GOODS

Specialty Produce and their Farmer's Market section is hands down one of the best one-stop shops to get artisanal products. They procure pasta, cheese, packaged sauces, and a plethora of produce from farms located in the Central Valley all the way down to San Diego. The next time you are near the airport, stop by and check it out!

MIHO GARDENS: 

The summer did provide us with lots of tomatoes, basil variety, peppers, lettuces, and a single melon - which I'll take as a win for its first year. 

I recently planted lots of fall goodies from my favorite nursery, City Farmers in City Heights, which is definitely worth checking out. Its a hidden gem that not only has the best variety of plants, trees, and feed for animals, but also a sprawling garden, petting area with goats, chickens, donkeys, and a cow! If you get hungry, Nate's Garden Grill is connected next door and on Sundays they play live Bluegrass music. I highly recommend this as a family or friends activity.

I'm super pumped to see how the fall plants do this time around. I'm hoping to harvest some arugula, beets, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, edible flowers, frisée, purple mustard greens, rapini, shelling peas, spinach, swiss chard, and watercress.