Last night the farm received a 2” blanket of snow leaving our fields tucked away underneath. We are waiting patiently for our first field plantings of the season, and yesterday marked the first bed preparation of the season. I prefer to work soil right before moisture. It helps the disturbance of tractor implements settle on the soil. With only a couple weeks until the first seeds are sown I am feel a little late in my preparations.
It is a real blessing to be able to do this work in a t-shirt, under the strong rays of high altitude sun only to have it covered by snow. I am grateful for the seasonal rhythms in this occupation. Like a blacksmith warming and cooling steel, we are forging a new year dancing along nature’s pace.
A farmer’s work is forecasting ahead. Today’s seeds won’t be ready for weeks or months to come. I spend my time planning ahead, setting our farm up to hit the small windows that pass. In this seasonal work it is easy to lose track of the present as our sights are constantly aimed at the horizon. When the labor can be enjoyed in the moment, rearing towards the future, this is a cherished feeling.
I find myself grateful towards the people who will choose to enjoy the food the ground has yet to grow. Whether through the CSA, farmers market, farm stand, or restaurants these crops will reach the mouths of people. Hundreds if not thousands of people. Growing an abundance of food connects us to so many forces both of nature and society.
Farmers are interpreters of land and bring our crops from the ground to the people. We speak in languages of soil, pollinators, water, and wind breathing creation into seeds to grow food. Each year we ask the land to provide. Offering what we can like cover crops, compost, or fertilizer and guiding the process of growth from seed to harvest. Each year is a gamble. Each year has its moments of beauty and destruction. Our job is to play the hand we have been dealt and grow the food.
I am forever grateful for everyone who makes this work possible. From the bees to the crowds at the market. From the rainfall to the restaurants who stand behind their values and provide our small town options of quality and freshness over mass produced mundanity. Because, while the farm functions on natural systems we require demand and capital to grease the wheels.
Growing with distinct seasons means preparing for warm days through artificial environments, the nursery. While snow lays outside, summer is starting under the protection of plastic. Nearly 100% of our labor has been focused on the nursery to grow crops destined for our fields and your gardens. Thousands of seeds are maturing as plant starts to fill the garden boxes of your neighborhood.
Farm News
You can find us this Saturday at Wolverine Press as we partner with Seeds and Bees from 10-1pm. We will have FREE SEEDS to giveaway plus the first few plant starts of the season. Come by and learn from true masters of pollinator gardens, collect pollinator friendly seeds, and share in the abundance of local growing.
From vegetables to flowers, perennials to annuals, we a building a foundation for your best gardening year ever. If all goes according to plan, we are set to re-open the farm stand doors on Saturday May 11th. Our dear friends Hoka Hey Kitchens will be serving food along with other garden focused vendors. Mark your calendars for a great weekend to come.
Thank you to everyone who has signed up for the 2024 CSA. The CSA begins on Wednesday the 15th with both fresh vegetables and plant starts to share. This will also be the beginning of our regular farm stand season hours.
A final reminder for today. I have started to offer farm and garden consultations for the next couple months. It all starts with a free 15 minute phone call to see if I can help your garden succeed this season, share ideas, and help implement actions. If you are interested, even in picking my brain for a few minutes, click the link below.
I am soaking up the warmth and love of that greenhouse photo with the family.