What Farmers Do In Winter – wk 1

It seems that every conversation I have with folks around this time of year they assume that once fall hits in late October, the farm is out of work until next April or May. I love this misapprehension for it offers the opportunity to open the window a little bit further into the life of a small farmer.  Thus, each week we’ll include a peek into what farmers do in winter.

Week 1: The first assumption we should meet is that of winter. Our farm is in Chattanooga, a delightfully temperate Southern town blessed with winters mild enough to actively farm through. Therefore, we plant new crops August through October to grow and harvest from throughout the fall, winter, and early spring. We attend a farmers market year round, huddling close to our neighbors who bring cheeses, milks, meats, soaps, and grains. To be sure, farming, in even our mild winters, is an intrepid act. One fraught with frozen fingers, biting winds, and heavy, rain-sodden clothing. But we can grow foods and so we do.