This time of year, the to-do list seems never ending. Harvest season is the last little burst of energy the year has to give before it’s time to slow down and enjoy the hard work of our hands. On average, early September is still pretty hot here in the midwest, so we’ve still got a ways to go. Tomatoes are coming in full force, our fall crop of raspberries is beginning to produce, and cucumbers are still going strong. Bartlett pears are ready and apples are any day now, so after a few trips to our favorite farms, we will start canning apple and pear sauce which is absolutely my favorite autumn treat. It is also time to begin curing winter squashes and pie pumpkins for storage throughout the winter. My pumpkins were a fail this month (thanks, chipmunks) so we will be purchasing them from local farms. Late September is also when I begin to decorate for fall, and I’m really looking forward to our trip to amish country to grab some corn stalks, wreaths, pumpkins, and other decor. As you can tell, there’s A LOT to do this month so I thought it would be fun to give you a peek at what we’re going to be up to!

Learn how to render lard
Get a bigger freezer and stock up on meat
Purchase more cabbage and start another round of sauerkraut
Start a batch of fire cider
Make a batch of elderberry syrup
Make 4 Thieves vinegar tincture
Purchase another cold frame for growing throughout the winter months
Harvest, freeze, and dry herbs
Continue planting successions of fall crops like spinach, lettuce, radishes, and cilantro
Finish repurposing cabinet into more pantry storage
Can more tomatoes
Stock up on dry goods like rice, beans, flours, and oats
Can applesauce
Can pear sauce
Can more pickles
Purchase mums, pumpkins, cornstalks, and hay bales for decorating
Purchase pumpkins and squash and cure for storage
Plant bulbs for spring
Harvest potatoes
Pot up rosemary to bring inside to extend the growing season
Plant garlic
Deep clean and declutter the house and make it cozy
Dress the scarecrow for autumn

“ah, september! you are the doorway to the season that awakens my soul… but i must confess that i love you only because you are a prelude to my beloved october.”

— Peggy Toney Horton

September days are golden and warm, each hour packed to the brim with a bustle of activity—harvest, preserve, craft, create. But the nights bring a brisk coolness that beckons the rest that is soon to come. This season is busy, but what a sweet relief it will be to know that the rest winter brings was hard-earned. All of this is time consuming, but joy giving. I like to think of the Proverbs 31 woman— up before the sun in the morning…lantern burning long after the sun goes down in the evening. She senses the worth of her work and is in no hurry to call it quits. What a beautiful way to spend my days! I feel blessed. What are you up to this month of September? I’d love to hear all about it :)

May your harvest season be blessed,

Kaetlyn