Farm Life Vegetables and Berries

Waiting

Winter has given way to spring with an icy gasp, blanketing the fields with a late snow cover and taunting us with one last blast of blustery cold weather. In the face of this affront, we have decided to remain zen, cooling our jets as we postpone the start of our first seedlings by a few days. Heating a greenhouse when the thermometer is stuck at -10⁰ is something of an exercise in futility. Fortunately, though, the forecast is calling for warm weather shortly, warmer than usual for this time of year even, which will allow us to start sowing soon : leeks and onions first, followed by root celery or celeriac, peppers, fine herbs and a few flowers. Starting up the seedling greenhouse is a high point of the season – built with a wooden frame, in hindsight we find wisdom in our contrarian whim, as we discover the benefits of using a material that absorbs excess greenhouse humidity. High point and very special moment, as we realize yet again that it is in this single contained space that almost everything we grow in our fields begins, a spring prelude to the symphony of the summer growing season.


Many of you have already signed up for your 2018 basket, but I invite those of you who have not yet done so to sign up sooner rather than later, to help us better plan the season. Basket deliveries will run from June 13 to October 25 for our regular programme (20 weeks) and to November 22 for our extended programme (24 weeks), while the farmstand season at Atwater Market will begin July 6 and end October 28 (17 weeks) – a programme that can be extended by picking an alternative pick-up location pre- and/or post-market season. Some of you have written to let us know that you are looking for someone to share a basket. Please let us know if you find yourself in such a situation : we’ll be happy to provide basket matchmaking services. And if you like sourdough bread, don’t forget that you may also sign up for bread baskets from Capitaine Levain, the local organic bakery in our small town of Stanbridge East. We look forward to seeing you all again soon.