The small family farmers of our region are making way into Indian summer, preparing themselves for a good hefty second crop of corn, lettuces, early kale, pumpkins, beets and carrots. I was standing in the middle of Wild Bill's Patit Street Organic Farm today, admiring the rows of different leaf textures, deep burgundy lettuces, subtle green hues of sage, basil and floppy squash leafs.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a noisy blue jay landed on an adjacent fence post. I said to him, "hello, little dinosaur," and when I turned around to walk to the front of the garden, this bird flew up and dive-bo...