It’s hard to believe when looking out into the empty canopy of trees that just days before the woods still seemed alive and teeming with the vibrant colors of Fall foliage. Much like the now exposed landscapes of the forest on the farms too things have transformed. Quiet and empty, now mostly void of all the laughter and toil that fills the air and fields during the main season. Though the urge to plant, prep and repeat is still as strong as every, all the tunnels are nearly full and outside plantings are few and far between. Of course we are in a slight lull now having completed most of our Fall tasks, but before long as Winter’s icy grip moves in the work and challenges of the cold will keep us more than busy.
Yet, even in this so called slower time of year there is much to be done, just perhaps a little more breathing room. We are now in the final week of our scaled down November crew so with some extra hands still around we won’t be wasting anytime. As always you Good Food People have to eat and as such us growers gotta get out there and bring in this week’s harvest of fresh veg for the markets. Adrianna, Bowen and Jen put quite a dent in the 2026 Great Garlic planting getting 230 of the 400 pounds we intend to plant in the ground last week. Most certainly the furthest along with garlic planting that we have ever been. Hopefully we’ll get another 150 or so pounds in the ground this week in Durham with the remainder getting planted later in Middlefield. The Middlefield planting will be the second time we have implemented a cover crop, to sheep grazing, to garlic planting in one of the tunnels. Once the garlic is planted we will then do one of the strangest feeling things on a four season farm, remove the greenhouse plastic. Riddled with holes and patched up to survive this past season the usable life of this cover has passed so we will intentionally uncover the tunnel. The garlic planted inside will be fine and the soil will get the benefit of precipitation throughout the Winter and Spring. Then come Summer post garlic harvest, we will recover the tunnel something that is easier and better for the plastic’s lifespan if done in the Summer heat. Tomorrow we will be completing the last direct seeding outside for the year, our overwintered carrots. Planted now they grow enough to survive the cold but not enough to put on any size. They remain seemingly tiny little sprouts until late Spring when they will quickly put on size, probably just in time for the opening of the Madison Farmer’s Market.
Which by the way only has two more Fridays remaining in the season. Following this same schedule our Friday farm shop in Middlefield also has two remaining days of the year. That makes this Friday the 13th and next the 20th the final Madison Farmer’s Market and Middlefield Farm Shop days of 2026. The Madison Market also ends one hour early these last markets with the early sunsets, 3-5. The Middlefield farm shop will remain open 3-6 these last two Fridays. Of course preorder pick up will remain open throughout the Winter for both Friday and Saturday on farm pickup.
Have Great a Week