Years ago,a good friend observed that except that we depend on Farmers for our food, the draw of Farming could be classified as an Addiction! I admit that coming out of my winter's rest, I am ready and itching for more ups and downs, betting that this will be our best year ever, never mind the self-inflicted abuse I am about to endure. Over time I have recorded several observations and time honored superstitions that guide my growing decisions, so it's not a total crap game!
First, between November 10 and February 5, we are below 10 hours of daylight, and if the plant is not 75% mature with a strong root system, it will not grow; If one runs out of product as I always do, there is no recovery. I am located in southern Eaton County. The closest area with the same Latitude and weather conditions is Lysogorskaya, Russia, which is 5,649 miles away, so I compare our weather patterns with Portland, Maine...close enough! Our meteorological end of winter is February 28. (Yea!) We have a rain and snow total of about 40 inches/ year. That means some sort of supplemental irrigation will be needed. Our "warm season" is 3.7 months, or May 26--September 17, so if you want to eat during the 3.3 cold months, November 30--March 9, I need to learn how to grow in a protected environment (Hoop Houses). And I have more to offer, but just one more: plant the first potatoes on Good Friday. How's that for a moving target?!
