Winter on the Farm: Winter CSA ’13 ” Delivery #4 ” Last Box

 In CSA Newsletter

Winter Brussels Sprouts

A common question we are asked by customers, members, friends, and family alike is… “What do you do during the winter?”

First and foremost, we continue to wash and pack food. We do this through our CSA and markets right up until Christmas time. We actually sell food 52 weeks a year, but January thru March this is mostly through wholesale accounts.  This year we may try selling at the downtown winter market.

In the early winter, we work to clean up all of our buildings so that we can be ready to go come spring time. The greenhouse, barn, pack shed, and tractor shop all benefit from deep cleans and reorganization after the hectic growing season.

Most of our other winter tasks are office work.

Here’s a quick list:

  • Data entry – labor hours, harvest data, etc.
  • Field rotation planning
  • Crop planning & Seed ordering
  • CSA pricing and registration roll-outs for next season
  • Taxes & Employees W-2s
  • Budgeting & Infrastructure decisions
  • Employee Interviewing
  • Customer survey analysis
  • Educational presentations (We give about 4-5 each winter to other growers)
  • Process CSA registrations

Beyond these annual duties, we try to attack our wish-list to-do lists.  You know, things around the farm that we just can’t quite get to during the busy season.  Often we also have winter infrastructure projects to plan.  This year?  We are adding on a storage shed for equipment to our barn. AND we are installing SOLAR POWER!  This winter we will be installing panels to both our shed and house in order to reduce our carbon footprint. We are very excited about this!

Skiing by the Brussels Sprouts

Outside of our winter duties, we take it easy.  We work way reduced schedules and spend more time with our girls.  Mike has a season pass to Tyrol Basin to snowboard. I go to they gym for yoga classes and lap swimming.  And when the snow is good, we cross country ski around the farm. We have these back 4 acres of wetland that are quite magical in the winter.  It’s quiet and lined with spruce.  Sometimes if we are lucky, we can catch a glimpse of coyote.

By the time we’ve done holidays with family and family vacation (this year Puerto Rico… $330 flights direct from Chicago!) it’s February.  We turn the greenhouse on each year March 1st. And then off we go again!

The winter always flies! But it’s also always just long enough. We rest our bodies, rest our land, and come out on the other side ready to grow again.

We thank you for your support this winter season and hope each of you has a wonderful holiday season.

Cheers and happy veggies!

Mike, Cassie, Zea, and Edie

 

 

In the Box:

  • Beauty Heart Radish (2-3 ct.)
  • Beets ( 5 lb.)
  • Carrots (5 lb.)
  • Celeriac (1 ct.)
  • Onions (5 lb.)
  • Red Cabbage (1 ct.)
  • Red Potato (5 lb. – store in fridge)
  • Rutabaga (1 ct.)

Winter Delivery #4: Wednesday, December 18th ” REGs only ” FINAL BOX