Winter is quiet and beautiful time on the farm. Although at times, we do long for coastal California or a tropical beach in Central America.
There is something about the stillness here that makes you wonder if the lush plant growth and raucous bird and insect songs of the last summer were possibly just a dream.
But the hope of the coming spring stirs the blood of every farmer. We find ourselves drawn to the latest seed catalogs, ordering new fruit trees, brushing the cobwebs off cold steel equipment, and figuring out crop rotations. Regardless of the slight uncertainty that this time will ever come.
When it does happen, spring 2014 will mark the start of an exciting year for us. Our berry patches will be completely planted with blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, currants, and gooseberries. Asparagus and herbs go into the ground. We will fill out the remaining 20 trees to make our heirloom fruit orchard 120 strong. And, while the little walk behind blue bomber "tractor" still occupies a special niche on the farm, we are bringing a bonafide 4 wheeler- a Ford tractor on board to add a little muscle to the operation. We also hope to be installing 2 mobile hoop houses to extend our growing season.
So perhaps in the dog days of summer, when our planned projects are all firing simultaneously, we will look back fondly on these dark, quiet and long-shadowed days of winter wondering if it was all just a dream.
There is something about the stillness here that makes you wonder if the lush plant growth and raucous bird and insect songs of the last summer were possibly just a dream.
But the hope of the coming spring stirs the blood of every farmer. We find ourselves drawn to the latest seed catalogs, ordering new fruit trees, brushing the cobwebs off cold steel equipment, and figuring out crop rotations. Regardless of the slight uncertainty that this time will ever come.
When it does happen, spring 2014 will mark the start of an exciting year for us. Our berry patches will be completely planted with blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, currants, and gooseberries. Asparagus and herbs go into the ground. We will fill out the remaining 20 trees to make our heirloom fruit orchard 120 strong. And, while the little walk behind blue bomber "tractor" still occupies a special niche on the farm, we are bringing a bonafide 4 wheeler- a Ford tractor on board to add a little muscle to the operation. We also hope to be installing 2 mobile hoop houses to extend our growing season.
So perhaps in the dog days of summer, when our planned projects are all firing simultaneously, we will look back fondly on these dark, quiet and long-shadowed days of winter wondering if it was all just a dream.
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