Winter Share Week 6; The tip if the iceberg

Brrr! Temps dropped significantly this week, which caused a shift in daily farm chores. Suddenly, water didn’t want to flow, tractors didn’t want to start, and fingers didn’t want to bend. We’ve been working on work-arounds all week. We’ve moved our veggie wash/pack station, including dunk tanks and spinner for greens and the big drum root washer, into our greenhouse. Meanwhile, morning chores now include plugging tractor block heaters in and giving them time to warm up before use. We did some 11th hour dirt moving to protect our new greenhouse retaining wall from frost heaving. And we’ve installed a light bulb in the CSA pickup fridge to keep the boxes from getting frosty.

All this is to say, winter farming is not for the faint of heart. As we build our infrastructure with an eye towards increasing availability of year-round local food, we have a lot to learn about the nuances and challenges of winter production. How DO you transport greens from the hoop house to the wash pack in sub-zero temperatures? What ARE the best gloves to keep your fingers warm, dry, and  dextrous? How soon CAN kale be harvested after a hard freeze? This is just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak! Next week Emily and I are excited to attend the New England Vegetable and Fruit Growers Conference, where a full day of classes and Farmer2Farmer workshops will focus on the topic of winter growing. We hope to learn from many veteran winter growers and get some hot tips on cold production 😉 Stay tuned for new ideas and innovative “farm hacks” to come!

Cheers, Norah and the Sweetland Crew

Week 6 Winter Harvest
Acorn Squash, 2

Sweet potatoes, 2 pounds

Potatoes, 3 pounds

Daikon Radish, 2.5 pounds

Rutabaga, 2

Napa Cabbage OR Bok Choy, 1 head

Lettuce, 1 head