The landscape and sky meld into a single color, white, and the thermometer reads 22 degrees. This seems about as inhospitable a place for growing things as it would be above the Arctic Circle. Yet in just a few short months, the bleached terrain will transition to dun brown and then to verdant green and become a flourishing, teeming garden full of earthly delights.
But what, I wondered, do all the farmers do during the bleak, short days of winter? Do they finally get a chance to take weekends off and sleep until 9 and then lounge around in their jammies drinking coffee and perusing the Northern Express? Hardly, according to Judy Reinhardt of Sweeter Song Farm in Cedar.
“We’re pretty busy,” she says. Judy and her husband Jim’s farm is an organic, community-supported agriculture farm (CSA) supplying over 160 families with organic goodies both from fields and hoop houses, including storage crops like celeriac, potatoes, and garlic throughout the winter season. But there is plenty to do in the “off” months.
According to Judy, winter is a time for upgrading the physical plant. “We’re adding a potting shed off the greenhouse and converting an old garage into a cooler and storage area. The upstairs will be an indoor pick-up area…”
This is also the time for seed ordering. “We order several thousands of dollars worth of potatoes and seeds,” says Judy. The seeds come from Fedco, which is a cooperative like Oryana, and Johnny’s. The hoophouse lettuce will be done by March, just in time to start planting early carrots and beets for June harvest.
Now is the time to take stock of last year’s activities, a task made easier by Jim’s good record-keeping. They look at what was planned, what was harvested, and figure out the coming season’s production. They also need to reapply for organic certification, an annual process that involves paperwork and an inspection come spring. One other paperwork task is to study the member surveys and post the results on their website.
The slower months are also an opportune time to meet with the core advisory group, select CSA members who provide their input as to what the farm should grow, how much to charge, etc. They meet with Chris, our produce manager, and plan what their contribution to the produce department will be. And in a cooperative spirit, Judy and Jim meet with other local CSA farmers to compare notes and discuss issues from the previous year, topics such the tomato blight that denuded most gardens last summer.
With all the winter work going into the farm, Judy and Jim still plan some down time. They will take a much-deserved 3-week trip to Italy in February. With such a busy, successful farm operation (they always have a waiting list) it seems like a good idea to get away once in a while for a fresh perspective. And the members are supportive. “People appreciate what we do very much,” says Judy.
Linda Grigg and Jim Moses are also busy at their farm in Maple City. “I’m taking stock of seed I have left and ordering more. I call it the Winter Garden. It’s in your head and everything’s perfect,” says Linda. They, too, purchase their seeds from Fedco and Johnny’s but also from Seed Savers Exchange and High Mowing Seeds.
The Moses Grigg Farm aka Forest Garden Foods, is famous for their shiitake mushrooms, which they’ve been growing since 1986. They have about 2500 logs in production for the mushrooms, and grow lots of greens, salad mixes, lettuce, kale, chard, etc. to sell at the Farmer’s Market and Oryana. They continue to provide onions to Oryana and make weekly deliveries throughout winter. And like Sweeter Song, it’s time to roll up their sleeves for some serious paperwork like taxes, examining last year’s production, and reapplying for organic certification, which must be completed before March when maple syrup production begins.
“Like everyone, we spend time shovelling and feeding the woodstove. We work on our house a little and take care of our chickens.” Although Linda and Jim are busy, she actually has time to do some reading for pleasure! “I’m reading ‘Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver,” she says. “And it’s nice to sleep in a little bit.”
So lest anyone think that farmers get to kick back and relax for 4 to 6 months when it’s cold outside, we now know better! We see the delicious and beautiful products of our organic farmers but perhaps don’t realize all that goes into it on a year-round basis. My hat goes off to all of you organic farmers out there supplying us with much-needed food and respecting the natural way of things.
