Farm-ily,
Are you hunkered down, ready for the possibility of a snow day? Whether this Nor’easter is a boom or a bust, we’ll still have veggies to harvest and shares to pack. That’s one of the reasons we love our Winter CSA season: continuity. No two weeks are alike, but winter is governed by the same cyclical progression that we see year-round.
The start of the cold season is really just an extension of the abundance of fall. Shares are piled high with leafy greens, most of which are still grown out in our fields. My first winter farming, I remember being astounded at how many veggies are hardy enough to thrive in a mid-Atlantic November! Harvest days now require winter coats and gloves, but there is plenty to harvest. As the daylight grows shorter, the bulk of our shares will shift from the rich greens of brassicas to the rainbow colors of roots, tubers, and storage crops.
On Monday and Tuesday, we brought in the last of our storage cabbage and scallions, signifying the final field harvest of the year. Our newly enlarged high tunnel will continue to the provide variety in the coming weeks, but the fields that aren't lucky enough to be tucked inside a cozy greenhouse have been put to bed until spring. They’re blanketed by protective cover crops like rye, vetch, oats, tillage radish, and peas to fix and mine nutrients, feed the microorganisms in the soil, and prevent winter erosion. In some plots, the stubble of our last harvest remains to serve the same function. In others, overwintered crops like garlic and onions wait patiently beneath a blanket of mulch for the warmth of spring.
Only time will tell if the meteorologists’ predictions for the coming winter weather are accurate. We’ll have to wait for groundhogs and shadows to see if the month of March will come in like a lion and out like a lamb. Whether winter is meek or merciless this year, our Farm-ily will still eat well. Winter, it turns out, is as unique and delicious as the seasons that follow behind it.
Important Reminder: CSA will take a two week "Holiday Hiatus" following this week’s share distribution. We will distribute as usual this Friday, December 18th. There are no pickups or deliveries the week of December 25th or January 1st. You’ll receive your next email reminder to customize your shares on Wednesday, January 6th for pickup or delivery on January 8th.
Eat Well, Be Well, and we’ll see you in the New Year!
Ashley, Collin, John, Alexandra, Gabe, and Finn the Farm Dog - Your Winter Willowsford Farm Crew
