Winterizing the Farm and Spring Anticipation
As everyone buckles down to prepare for this upcoming freeze, our farmers are busy doing the same. With temperatures forecasted to be in the low twenties over multiple days, we are faced with tough decisions as we begin to winterize the farm. Our standard frost cloth creates a buffer of a few degrees, and as we learned in past freeze events this differential can be enough for some hardy winter vegetables to survive. The high tunnel provides an additional layer of protection and absorbs sunlight to create a much warmer environment. We are particularly hopeful that Spring preparations in the greenhouse will lend a bountiful wave of crops to plant post-freeze.
Bulk harvests are also underway to preserve vegetables that have reached maturity and will store well in the refrigerator for several weeks like cabbage, carrots, and fennel. We will also harvest a big round of bunched greens like chard and kale, along with lettuce, green onions and herbs. Due to the winter storm, our farmers will not be hosting the Farm Stand this Saturday morning. However, if you are stocking up your fridge and pantry, stop by the Grab-n-Go cooler to get your vegetable essentials while we still have an array of beautiful offerings.
Since our first Spring seeding, the high tunnel tomatoes and peppers have germinated and are well on their way to developing true leaves! This week we are excited to seed tomatoes that are dedicated to our field growing space. They include our same tried and true varieties of slicing and cherry tomatoes, along with a traditional sauce tomato, Granadero. This tomato is more dense and rich in flavor making it perfect for fresh sauce or bulk canning.
In Season: Baby Carrots, Spinach, Celery, Fennel, Green Onions, Green Cabbage, Parsley, Cilantro, Collard Greens, Curly Kale, Red Russian Kale, Tuscan Kale, Romaine Lettuce Heads, Swiss Chard, Arugula, and Radishes
