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The INDEPENDENT, October 21, 2010
Can You Dig It?
WEATHER REPORT
SEPTEMBER 2010
By Schann Nelson
Columbia County Master Gardener
when we find some mature pink corn we chilada sauce this afternoon.
will have to shuck partially and dry some.
So what can you do with all those green
If we’re really lucky, we’ll get a few kernels tomatoes? Big huge slices of nice firm
Hope you were that will actually pop. We should at least green tomato really are good breaded and
able to enjoy the end up with some lovely pink dried corn fried. [Coated in flour, then egg, then sea-
our latest beautiful décor to gather dust for awhile. The ad- soned bread crumbs and fried in a frying
sunny
weather! ventures of vegetable gardening.
pan.] Green tomatoes make a wonderful
Though there were
Though my thermometer says that it got base for fresh salsa, can be cooked and
a million things I down to 24 degrees the other day, the canned into more durable salsa and they
should have been damage in the yard doesn’t support it ac- make wonderful enchilada sauce. Zucchi-
doing, I opted for tually being that cold. I still have some ni and tomatoes can be used after a light
driving
practice hope for the large geranium. Summer frost, just cutting the affected bruised look-
and cabin camping planted brasicas, especially Brussels ing parts off. SAFETY NOTE: Do not use
in Astoria. Being one day past deadline al- Sprouts, are just beginning to mature. The fruit or vegetables that appear rotten and
ready, I’ve put the laptop to work. I don’t frost improves the flavor of many brasicas, are already beginning to decompose. Be
think we’ll see much color this fall, even at and some varieties of cabbages and broc- sure to cut off all rotten, affected areas.
the summit only the vine maple has much coli can be harvested well into the fall with- This should go without saying because (a)
fall color. Hopefully things will dry out out frost protection, and longer into winter it would taste yucky and (b) it just does not
enough to get some of those chores done, with a bit of protection.
look like anything you want to eat.
a final mowing of the lawn, raking leaves
We have one tomato still in the garden,
Potatoes should come out of the ground
into great fluffy piles, pulling the corn and Manitoba, merrily ripening away in these as soon as plants start dying back, but def-
the last of the beans out of the garden.
sunny days under a frost blanket. Over the initely before the ground gets soaking wet
In my shady yard, I just wait for the first course of the last week we have brought in again. Apples can be a bit trickier. Once
frost. Then I pull all the corn plants, twist branches of Jet Star, and the tomatoes are they start to fall off, they can be gathered
out the ears and add the mass of vegeta- hanging on their vines in the house getting and stored in cool, but not freezing, tem-
tion to the compost pile. I’m usually sur- riper by the day, after a bit of time on the peratures. You need two of these loca-
prised by how much good sweet corn has porch having all the foliage (heavily affect- tions, at least, because you are not sup-
actually managed to mature. We’ll see, at ed by blight by this time) picked off. I plant- posed to store apples and potatoes close
harvest, which corn I planted where. I ed only four locally purchased tomato together. In either case, once picked and
have learned that the shade which creeps plants, but May was too early to stick them stored in boxes, both apples and potatoes
across this row of beds from 11 a.m. – in the ground without religious frost protec- will keep for quite a while, depending on
1:00 p.m. makes more of a difference than tion. One frosty spring night killed the tips the variety. The hardest part is constantly
the variety of corn.
of all four tomatoes, causing them to checking for moldy decaying fruit and re-
I should be able to tell the two varieties branch riotously and way too densely. One moving it immediately; once something
apart because one is an eating corn and of the Health Kick died young and the oth- starts, the whole box can go quickly. If you
the other a “decorative” popcorn. So, er was uncovered outside during last still have tons of apples, try to find some-
night’s frost, so I one with an apple press – the true taste of
I will be mak- fall is fresh pressed apple cider!
Change of location for NAMI meetings think
ing a batch of en-
The Columbia County Affili- month at 5:30 p.m. – but meet-
ate of NAMI will change the lo- ings will now be held in the Co-
cation of their meetings as of lumbia River Fire & Rescue’s
November 2. The date and administrative office board
time will remain unchanged – room, 270 Columbia Blvd. in
on the first Tuesday of each St. Helens.
V ERNONIA F OURSQUARE C HURCH
S T . M ARY ' S C ATHOLIC C HURCH
DATE TEMPERATURE PRECIP.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
HI
LO
70
81
84
66
64
68
62
64
62
64
69
72
73
74
67
68
67
68
68
58
63
67
59
68
76
69
81
71
73
84
56
43
47
49
49
39
54
43
53
42
41
41
49
49
51
58
58
53
54
55
49
44
40
46
43
51
52
61
47
47
AMT.
.01
--
--
--
T
T
.05
--
--
--
--
T
--
--
.02
T
.33
.32
.18
.12
T
T
.05
--
--
--
--
T
--
--
Temperature and precipitation
amounts are from the official
U.S. weather station at the Ver-
nonia water plant. Measurable
precipitation in September to-
talled 1.08 inches.
Church Directory
Ancient Earth Farms
Grow it yourself or buy it here ready to eat
Closing for winter
We will have eggs available throughout
the winter. Call to set up pick-up times.
503-789-5597
We will re-open in April,
weather permitting.
18209 Keasey Rd.,Vernonia
www.ancientearthfarms.com
Carl Pense, Pastor
850 Madison Avenue, Vernonia
503 429-1103
Sunday Worship Service: 10:30 a.m.
Children’s Sunday School
Rev. Luan Tran, Administrator
960 Missouri Avenue, Vernonia
503 429-8841
Mass Sunday 12:00 Noon
Religious Educ. Sunday 10:30 a.m.
S EVENTH D AY A DVENTIST
V ERNONIA C OMMUNITY C HURCH
Larry Gibson, Pastor
2nd Ave. and Nehalem St., Vernonia
503 429-8301
Morning Worship, 11:00 a.m.
Sabbath School 9:30 a.m.
957 State Avenue, Vernonia
503 429-6790
Sunday Worship 9:45 a.m.
Children’s Church (Blast!) 10:15 a.m.
Nursery 10:15 a.m.
High School Youth 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday Prayer 6:00 p.m.
Preschool: Open House soon
A SSEMBLY OF G OD
Wayne and Maureene Marr
662 Jefferson Ave., Vernonia,
503 429-0373
Sunday School 9:45 a.m.
Morning Worship 11:00 a.m
F IRST B APTIST C HURCH
359 “A” Street, Vernonia
503 429-4027
Sunday School 9:45 a.m.
Sunday Worship Service 11:00 a.m.
Wednesday Prayer Meeting 7:00 p.m.
V ERNONIA C HRISTIAN C HURCH
Sam Hough, Minister
410 North Street, Vernonia
503 429-6522
Sunday School 9:45 a.m.
Sunday Worship 11:00 a.m.
(meets in Youth & Family Center)
Home Group Meeting throughout
the week at various locations
P IONEER B APTIST F ELLOWSHIP
John Cahill, Pastor
939 Bridge Street, Vernonia
503-429-1161
Sunday School 9:45 a.m.
Sunday Morning Worship 11:00 a.m.
Wednesday Prayer 7:00 p.m.
N EHALEM V ALLEY B IBLE C HURCH
Gary Taylor, Pastor
Grant & North Streets, Vernonia
503 429-5378
Sunday School 10:00 a.m.
Morning Worship 11:00 a.m.
Nursery available
Wednesday Service 7:00 p.m.
C HURCH OF J ESUS C HRIST
OF L ATTER D AY S AINTS
Marc Farmer, Branch President
1350 E. Knott Street, Vernonia
503 429-7151
Sacrament Meeting, Sunday 10 a.m.
Sunday School & Primary 11:20 a.m.
Relief Society, Priesthood and
Young Women, Sunday 12:10 p.m.