Over the weekend the temps plummeted to a high of 26 degrees from a low of -4 F. I was working in the greenhouse. I had to open the pass doors at the gable ends of the greenhouse because it got so very warm and uncomfortable to work in. It was all about the sun gaining strength.
We can really measure and see the growth changes by early March in the seedlings and plants. There is nothing so miserable as working amongst the greenhouses on a grey day with mixed precipitation, but when the sun is out the plants and humans are really buoyed by the warmth. They say you can hear the sound of corn growing in the field on a hot July night, but it is nowhere near as dramatic as watching the daily changes in the seedlings and small plants in the greenhouse in March and April.
We are seriously underway here transplanting in the greenhouses. The pack house rootwasher has been stowed away and replaced with a soil mixer and flat filler. Mike is loading up bins of hanging baskets and pallets of flats when he is not attending all the minor repairs. In our ancient fleet of greenhouses. Sarah, Allie, Anne and Ellen have been checking in rooted cuttings as the deliveries arrive in between transplanting pots and hanging baskets. I am still taking vegetative cuttings and will seed the annuals in stages this month while most of the perennials have already emerged in their seed flats. Mud season is sometimes inconvenient, but the excitement builds as the days heat up and the little plants begin to stretch and fill out. Best of all there is fresh maple syrup down the road! It really is a great time of year on the farm.
As we have just completed our washing and packing of the remaining carrots and potatoes from the fall 2025 harvest. We are now beginning to give some thought as to the crop plan and rotations for the 2026 growing season. We are running a bit behind in some of the chores we usually have dialed in at this time of year. This is mainly the result of having had to commit so much extra time and energy with the after effects of the devastating early December fire at Ray and Jennys farm in Cornish. You never can appreciate the time, money and effort it takes to deal with a home fire, and it will certainly continue to be a time and emotional drain on us all this summer. Yet I don’t see much in the way of frowns on the faces about me, and with each mud season the slate gets wiped clean. It’s all good.
The calm before the storm...? Not so much as you might think....
We look to the summer and the fields with many questions relating to the costs of our inputs. Costs of greenhouse plastics, pots and fertilizer has spiraled again. How much will the price of fuel escalate due to the situation in the gulf? Much of our fertilizer supply and costs are directly related to sources out of country. Will they fluctuate upward and be affected by tarriffs? What role will the weather play in crop planning and production? I remember reading in the Wall Street Journal about how stock fund projections and growth were measured in investment firms. One firm literally put together a stock fund by throwing darts at a listing of all S and P and Dow Jones Stocks displayed on a cork board wall. They threw darts randomly at the wall and where they landed determined the makeup of the fund. Then they watch the “dart fund” performance. They found over time the random “dart funds” performed as well as the portfolios designed by the brain trust analysts. Sometimes I think that farm planning is a lot like that. It was a farmer whom told me that regarding farm strategy it “is what it is” and “will be what it will be”. From where I sit at the moment it seems like maybe the best strategy on how to approach planning the season will be to set up a dart board..
There is no question in my mind that the cost of food -like the cost of most things in the marketplace- will continue to escalate, despite what our Dear Leader tries to tell us. I am actually pleasantly surprised that the cost of produce in the grocery stores is as reasonable as it has been this winter. And thus far the quality and variety has been pretty good as well. I am astounded at the price of fuel at the pump over the winter, but it seems to be going up this week, and we will see how much the new gulf war will affect that price of all our fuels. Yet, I frequently pinch to remind myself that living in New England is the best place to live and farm in the country. I actually feel that way. But I also have to remind myself that I was loading the woodbox twice a day from Christmas through Valentines day, and frequently complaining (as were my old bones) about the cold winter. Some sacrifices have to be made.... I am off to check a greenhouse. So far no opening dates for the greenhouses have been set, we are still trying to come to grips with the early termination of Daylight Savings Time. I personally like morning light rather than evening light. It makes me feel guilty to come in at a regular hour to make dinner when others are still working. I will have to rework my nap schedule. If you have any questions about the participation in the various CSAs you can find right here, click the link below:
Bye for now.....