The first days of October mark a quiet shift in rhythm across Adirondack farms. The heat of summer has passed, with nights being consistently cold now.

The wild urgency of September’s harvest rush has begun to soften, and now farmers find themselves straddling two worlds: the abundance of late-season crops and the looming tasks of winter preparation.

October is a threshold. The air carries a crispness that hints at frost. Leaves ignite in color along the edges of fields, and barns fill with the last crates of cold storage crops. For farmers, this is both a season of gathering and of letting go.