It's still winter folks! Thankfully the lows this weekend have crept back up into the single digits (yay!) instead of negatives (boo!). In our climate we occasionally have negative temperatures in the winter but more often than not, it doesn't last long. This allows us to grow lots of cold weather loving crops in our high tunnels all winter.
All of the fresh salad, spinach, bok choy and cilantro from last week's share came from our high tunnels. Our high tunnels look like a greenhouse from the outside, but inside is open ground that we plant directly into like a garden.
I was feeling pretty nervous going into this weekend because all of our high tunnels are UNHEATED. Most of the time this doesn't bother me at all but -8 degrees was making me sweat (what a strange thing to say!).
All of our crops in the tunnels have at least 2, some have 3, layers of row cover on them to trap in any heat coming out of the ground. It looks like a white sheet but is a bit more breathable and allows light to reach the plants below. The row cover also helps minimize the damage that direct frost can have on plant leaves.
It's still going to be cold this weekend, but I think we can handle single digits, especially with some sun in the forecast. Cross your fingers that the greens pull through this cold snap!
See you Wednesday,
Farmer Chloe
