Well yesterday was the day we look forward to each year with mixed emotions, the end of our CSA season. By now we are wore out and are looking for being able to slow down just a little bit. On the other hand we will not be providing for our friends until next year. In past years it has also meant a tremendous drop in our income until next spring. However theColumbiamarket first started staying open until the last of November a few years ago which helped. Then last year they had a winter market which gave us income for the full year which was a big help for we were scraping bottom after 3 wet years and lower income. The winter market is both a blessing and a cursing because while it is nice to have an outlet for winter high tunnel production it also ties up your weekends all year long. We have our winter high tunnel production up and going so I’m looking forward to how we fare this year. Last year we didn’t get the plastic on until late so our crops were not as far along as they should have been going into winter.
Last week I told you the verdict was still out on are attempt to save our green beans. Well the verdict came in this week and it wasn’t what we had hoped. When had put the water on them twice with good success and I thought we had it made. The weather started calling for a freeze again Friday night so I got up about2:30amand my thermometer had about 33 so I went out and turned the water on again. The only problem is that we were leaving for market at5:30amon Saturday for our last market. I didn’t want to leave the water on till we got back so we turned it off as we left but the temperature said it was right at 32 so I thought we had it made. We had a meeting after market on Saturday and when we got home it was to some very droopy green beans. My dilemma now is that I’m not sure if I didn’t start the water soon enough and the cold had already damaged the beans or if they didn’t freeze enough ice on them to protect them after I shut the water off. They say that football is a game of inches and sometimes farming is a game of degrees. This week I think I got the third degree.
Your friend in farming bringing you food with integrity
