One of the things I appreciate about being a farmer is that the work is so varied throughout the year. Most of the year we are outside, in the elements, doing work that is often physically demanding. As we move towards winter, a bigger chunk of our time is spent in the warehouse washing and packing storage crops for wholesale, and of course for your CSA boxes. But for us on the Field Production Team (myself, Stefanie and Abby--pictured with me here--and Ellen), winter is also when we do all our planning for the upcoming season. This means a significant amount of time living the sedentary office life, sitting in front of a computer.
Personally, I'm always very excited in the beginning of planning season. I’m exhausted, and ready to not be wet/cold all day. It’s satisfying to close the book on the previous season and look optimistically towards the next one. You can take what you learned and make a better plan, and believe that this next time, you’ll have just the right weather conditions, you’ll nail the cultivation, and demand will perfectly match supply. And you know you’ll be wiser and more prepared for when, inevitably, none of those things happen.
Now, as January trudges towards February, our plans are being finalized and our bodies have long forgotten what it feels like to do physical work. Pants feel like they fit a little bit tighter and the warmth of the sun on your skin is a distant memory. Your brain hurts from looking at spreadsheets all day, and you can barely stand to sit for another hour. This is the time of year when I have to start reminding myself, things will change again before you know it.
By the beginning of March we we'll start seeding in the greenhouse, and our hands will once again be dirty. Then, in the blink of an eye, we’ll be in the fields, and we’ll be tired and busy all the time, and the thought of sitting at a computer all day will seem distant and strange. As summer drags on, we'll start looking forward to the slower days, and as fall turns to winter, we will want nothing more than to just be warm and sit at our desks again. Such is the cycle of farming life...and it is good!
Thanks for your membership with our farm, we're grateful to grow food for you!
Gratefully,
Ben Bisbach
Crop Manager
