Through the depths of winter?
Traditionally the first snow flakes remind us in October or November that winter is coming, and that it may be formidable. This year we've had no snow until today, the first of December. To say nothing of what that means for global climate change, I am certainly taking this if only as a visual reminder that we will indeed have some sort of winter. And as a winter farmer I am in fact quite okay with that... and probably relish in the fact that it will be a challenge.
It has been a beautifully sunny and warm autumn and late autumn. So much so that many of the greens have been busting at the seams waiting for the Winter CSA to get underway. To some extent it might be wiser (economically at least) to cut everything now and sell it now. But where would be the fun in that? Bringing fresh greens every week to market and to the Winter CSA program is about more than economics. Don't get me wrong, having the CSA component does help ensure that some of the economics will work out for us, and we continually need to tweak that component so that we can be a sustainable farm operation in that regard. But bringing health and smiles to everyone via fresh, nutritious greens through the depths of winter is another part of this sustainable farm operation that should not be overlooked. Because it is fun. That is not to say it isn't hard work, because it is quite a bit of that, and there are different challenges than hard summer work. But in absence of the longest of bitterest cold spells, we all shall be rewarded with some lush and alive greens each week of winter.
We certainly have been getting some nighttime temperatures dropping below freezing and installed the blankets some time ago. These are row cover fabrics that are suspended a few feet above all the greens planted in the ground in our hoophouses. They trap what heat is available closest to the plants while letting some moisture and light through. They can be annoying opening and closing during the daytimes when we get some sun but it is worth it as a winter farming method. They by no means guarantee that the greens won't experience freezing temperatures but can certainly diminish the length of time that the greens do experience freezing temperatures, especially if we get ideally warmer temperatures or sun during the daytime. So as the first snow flakes fly I take it as a mental transition. We know that we've prepped as much as we can seeding and maintaining the health of our winter harvest greens to this point. Our systems are in place. Now we await to see what kind of season mother nature will bring us this year and we will work with it.
A peak inside the hoophouses as of this past weekend:
House 1
House 2
House 3
House 4
It has been a beautifully sunny and warm autumn and late autumn. So much so that many of the greens have been busting at the seams waiting for the Winter CSA to get underway. To some extent it might be wiser (economically at least) to cut everything now and sell it now. But where would be the fun in that? Bringing fresh greens every week to market and to the Winter CSA program is about more than economics. Don't get me wrong, having the CSA component does help ensure that some of the economics will work out for us, and we continually need to tweak that component so that we can be a sustainable farm operation in that regard. But bringing health and smiles to everyone via fresh, nutritious greens through the depths of winter is another part of this sustainable farm operation that should not be overlooked. Because it is fun. That is not to say it isn't hard work, because it is quite a bit of that, and there are different challenges than hard summer work. But in absence of the longest of bitterest cold spells, we all shall be rewarded with some lush and alive greens each week of winter.
We certainly have been getting some nighttime temperatures dropping below freezing and installed the blankets some time ago. These are row cover fabrics that are suspended a few feet above all the greens planted in the ground in our hoophouses. They trap what heat is available closest to the plants while letting some moisture and light through. They can be annoying opening and closing during the daytimes when we get some sun but it is worth it as a winter farming method. They by no means guarantee that the greens won't experience freezing temperatures but can certainly diminish the length of time that the greens do experience freezing temperatures, especially if we get ideally warmer temperatures or sun during the daytime. So as the first snow flakes fly I take it as a mental transition. We know that we've prepped as much as we can seeding and maintaining the health of our winter harvest greens to this point. Our systems are in place. Now we await to see what kind of season mother nature will bring us this year and we will work with it.
A peak inside the hoophouses as of this past weekend:
House 1
House 2
House 3
House 4
posted by shannon at
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
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