Hello Spring lovers!  Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day already!  We recently spent an evening with some favorite farmer friends.  The farmer's freetime is coveted, and sharing it so close to the open days of the growing season was a real treat.  It is exhilarating passing along seeds we each saved, sharing growing experiences, and then walking through their cold frame and daydreaming.  Farmers are fabulous:  they possess the minds of the scientist and the artist. One moment they're discussing micro nutrients and organic matter, the next moment they're passing around poems they composed over the winter.   The evening flew past us, then we each began yawning, realizing we were hours past our normal bedtimes.  Sadly, we won't see them again till mid summer, at their Salsa Party.   They're headed toward a great spring schedule!

    Seed starting will begin in a few weeks for us.  We learned to grow in zone 5, and the farm's zone 4 conditions are a learning curve.  Last year I had all of the crops started too early, and they just sat in their trays waiting for GO time.  Many of our crops were not planted in the field until Memorial Day weekend last year.  We will definitely be using some season extension techniques this year, like low tunnels and floating row covers.  I am a big fan of direct sowing seed in the field, so this will alleviate some of the seed starting.  Zinnias are much better field sown, basil too!  Cardoon was a big surprise field grown, an enormous plant that I loved for its leaves in arrangements.  Potatoes will be going in the ground much earlier this year, hoping to plant at least two rotations.  The same story for onions. 

    Joe made a fabulous batch of winter squash soup today.  We are in love with storage vegetables.  The soup contained a Long Island Cheese pumpkin, Jarrahdale and Marina di Chioggia winter squashes.  The textures blended well and yielded a super nutritious concoction.  We always add a shot of cayenne or hot sauce for a surprise kick.  The seeds are great roasted with salt, and the three sizes make for fun eating.  We have three more winter squash left in the basement, so we rationed them pretty well.  They make great gifts to other food lovers by the way!

 

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