There’s nothing like a couple of months with below freezing temperatures and snow covered ground to make a farmer look forward to the season of slipping in cold mud. And that is how we are feeling today looking at the 10 day forecast. Despite the best efforts of those scheming groundhogs around the country, it seems cupid has sent us a little warm up this year with his love arrow. With temps above freezing and not too cool at night it’s time to get back to doing all those things that you just can’t when in the midst of a polar vortex. We’ll be direct seeding, watering and transplanting as if our lives depend upon it this week trying to plant as much as we can and get ahead of the season.
As many of you know the past weeks we’ve begun the momentous task of seed starting for both the main season to come as well as the weeks and months just ahead. Hundreds of trays of soil blocks have made their way from seeding table to germination chamber and are filling our grow room and spill over tunnel. Luckily one benefit of mixing soil, making soil blocks and seeding trays is that often it takes place in the warm and sunny nursery and can feel nearly luxurious on a cold Winter’s day. This breakneck pace of seed starting won’t be letting up anytime soon and before we know it the empty nursery tables will be a lush green canopy of everyone’s favorite veg.
Beyond celebrating the warmer temps farmers across the nation(especially small market gardeners) are celebrating National CSA week. One look at the selection at market or on online and it’s clear to see that Winter is the slowest time of year for farmers, yet as many of you can guess this is a time of year when we are spending a lot of money in preparation for the coming season. The Community Supported Agriculture model is designed to allow those Good Food People like you to invest in farmers they support, by paying up front for this coming season’s bounty, which helps the growers stay solvent in a time of low cash flow. Here at SLG we do offer a CSA but it is a little different than the traditional 3-4 months of weekly boxes. Our flexible market credit CSA allows you to shop at your convenience while still having all the benefits of a traditional CSA, DETAILS HERE. Whether it is through us, one of the other great farms near you, or both. If you have been thinking about joining a CSA or just finding out more info this is the week to do it.
Have a Great Week