With another night of bitter cold ahead we are finding peace and solace in the fact that the outer fields are for the most part protected and put to bed. Last week we spent nearly every above freezing daylight hour harvesting what bounty remained outside. Yesterday, the last of the garlic was mulched with leaves and what bare spots remained in the fields were covered to protect the soil from Winter’s relentless assault. With the outside veg harvesting all but a memory we now turn to the tunnels which will receive our undivided attention, both harvest and otherwise for the next 4 months or so.
The life of the Winter grower inside the cold weather oasis that is the high tunnels is a strange paradox. It is a life filled with blessings and struggles, a harsh environment a times while at others a warm place like no other on a cold Winter’s day. When night time temps are low enough and days are sunny there is the twice daily ritual of covering and uncovering the veg. This protects them from the cool night air and allows them to breath and absorb the warmth of the sun. Arguably the quality and flavor of Winter produce far surpasses that of their Summer counter parts. And of course some things like spinach and claytonia just can’t be grown successfully out of season. Yet, growing enough to last the Winter is a task which challenges even the best of growers every year. And then the harvest, how can we forget that. So easy and so plentiful at first. But as the Winter drags on and scarcity shows it’s face the task of harvesting too becomes something not for the feint of heart. Luckily for the Winter grower we have more to keep us warm than just our insulted overalls and the micro climate created by the tunnels, we also have the unwavering support from all of you The Good Food People.
That support was especially evident this past week as we came off a rare week of no farm sales. Despite a cold Friday it was great to see both new and familiar faces at our Friday open farm shop hours, 3-6 in Middlefield. On Saturday we officially moved inside for the New Haven farmer’s market. Now running one hour later from 10-1. After such a cold week it was nice to thaw out on Saturday morning and of course great to see all of you. If you made it out to either the market or the farm shop you may have noticed a couple of different items on the table. A good friend of the farm, fiber artist Lily Stabile has been working tirelessly for a few years now cleaning, processing and hand spinning yarn from our very Jacobs sheep. The initial limited run has been popular and only two skeins remain. Also SLG crushed cayenne pepper flakes are now available both online and at market. These peppers are our favorite cayenne Arapaho, hot and flavorful, use sparingly a little goes a long way.
Have a Great Week