November is here and so is the chill! It's finally time to break out those sweaters and hot cocoa and snuggle up for the fall. Although daytime temperatures will mostly remain in the mid 70s, a few days will drop into the high 60s and we should expect a few nights in the low 40s and high 30s near the end of the month. Light showers should begin around the 25th but a majority of the month should consist of light clouds or sunny skies. Now that the heat of the Summer is long behind us, this is perfect weather to attend some local events, visit your local farmers' markets, and most of all get into the garden!

Within the practice of permaculture, there are many principles that guide the way of thinking. These principles dictate everything in a design from something as broad as where entire systems are placed in a landscape, to something as specific as how a certain plant is placed in the ground. These principles have been designed to be dynamic and all encompassing so that they will work with every climate in every location for as long as humans inhabit Earth, which is why they are so important to the way that permaculturists and ecologically conscious people live their lives. In each monthly newsletter, I'll be explaining briefly a new principle of permaculture to help share this information with our community, so that hopefully you can continue to share the information. Our goal at About And For Sustainability is to inspire empower and support our community, and part of that is expanding our education and helping others to understand sustainable solutions for everyone, even if you don't have a garden! So without further adieu, we present to you the principle of stacking functions.

As the Summer heat finally stars to die off, many of us are once again ready to get back into the garden. Now is the perfect time to start fresh with a new Fall garden, and we're here to help you do just that. below we've included a list of what to plant now that the days are getting shorter, as well as which perennials that you may already have are ready for maintenance. 

- Now is the perfect time to plant root herbs like shallots onions and garlic to have a beautiful harvest next Summer
- Now is also the perfect time to plant cold loving crops like greens, as these can be harvested partially and left to continue growing throughout the season
- Asparagus and Peas can also be planted now. Though asparagus won't produce a yield for a few years, it is well worth the wait and will continue to produce for decades into the future
- Finally, the beginning of Fall is a great time to plant many varieties of fruit trees
- As the days start to cool, now is a good time to remove shade structures from your plants. The transition to greenhouse growth is coming but might not yet be totally necessary
- Squash, apples, beans, peas, and cabbage are all ready to harvest, here we have a delicious soup recipe that makes it easier to share all of these beautiful vegetables with your neighbors
- Although there are few deciduous trees in Southern California, any dead leafy plant matter that is trimmed from perennials can be a great source of carbon for your compost bins
- Finally, in preparation for the upcoming wet months, make sure to install rain barrels in order to catch as much rain water as possible to supplement your garden in the dry months. Now is also the time to ensure that your property is ready for any flooding by ensuring that the land is properly graded and mulched, we never know when the rains could be a lot heavier than we expected!

Despite the fact that Fall is here to stay, October in San Clemente is going to be beautiful bright and sunny. With a monthly low of 47° near the end of the month, there is still no concern for any frost or loss of plants due to the cold. The first week of October holds a chance of light showers with clouds and high humidity, but by this month's first weekend the clouds should subside and the Sun should shine through. About 10 days of light clouds may roll in around the 16th, though chances of precipitation are still low. This would be a great time to harvest crops and establish a rain system to prepare for the upcoming winter showers.

We are excited to announce 4 events at the About And For Sustainability Headquarters this month! All events are open to the community, and reservations can be made here. Below is a list of these events and their descriptions, and we welcome you to attend all that you can! We are committed to strengthening our community not only through education but also through interaction and continued support. These events will also be posted regularly on our monthly calendar, feel free to print it out and post it on your wall at home!

Here we have an event that is open to the public. This is a description of the event, including specifics about everything that needs to be known in order to attend.

As the days start to get shorter, it is time for the carrots to come out of the ground and the squash to come off of the vine. Here we have a beautifully hearty soup that incorporates all of the most delicious fall vegetables into a cohesive meal for your whole neighborhood to enjoy!

Here at About And For Sustainability, we are dedicated to inspire empower and support the community in their journey to create a more sustainable future. It is for this reason that we have decided to put together a monthly newsletter, to keep you up to date on important things happening not only in your community, but also in your garden. Here we will include a calendar with moon cycles, day lengths, important gardening deadlines, and holidays. We will also mark your calendar with upcoming events hosted by About And For Sustainability so that you never miss an opportunity to grow with your community. We will also include a brief summary of what to expect in the weather for each month to keep you more in tune with your environment and more proactive about your work in the garden. With an understanding of the upcoming weather and moon cycles, we will also include a guide with everything that should be done in your garden, including pruning, fertilizing, planting, harvesting, and much more. Each issue will include a recipe or two that uses fresh seasonal fruits or vegetables from your garden so that you never have to wonder what you're going to do with all of the food that you're growing. We will also include a few other fun articles that will change month to month so that there's always something new to come check out. So come on by near the end of every month to see what we've put together for you! All of this information will be available right here on our blog, or sign up below for monthly updates via email. We can't wait to share this with you!