Ever so slowly, little green buds emerge from the oaks, and temperatures tiptoe towards temperateness.

Summer is over; there are many ways to tell. Late season greens such as kale and spinach will remain abundant, melons are finally coming into their own, and garlic will soon be planted for next year.

The display of pulleys and levers was stripped bare. The ground was muddy. The fair was over.

Before this Friday, I had never been to the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Fair.

To farm is to care for the land, to cultivate it, to honor it.

Walk outside, and the air is wet. Touch the ground, and the dirt is dry.