WHAT’S UP ON THE FARM?
Precipitation in the past month: Snow: trace Rain: 0.3"
Happy holidays from all of us at BGF!
I know, I say it almost every winter newsletter, but I can't believe another month has already passed and now here we are looking at the end of 2021.
And what a month it has been with weirdly warm temperatures followed by the 2nd scariest storm I've ever seen (the worst being our tornado in 2019). I was terrified of what I would wake up to on Thursday morning, envisioning total high tunnel destruction, all the crops within ruined, but miraculously we found very little damage. I am still nearly speechless with shock and gratitude.
So what else have we been up to in the past month? We finished up the harvest season in the field just this week and have cleared most of the field crops and all of the row covers and hardware. We did leave a few hardy crops in place, just see how they fare if our milder than normal temperatures persist. You just never know! Our high tunnel crops are coming along nicely, though some days I feel like all I accomplish is opening all the row covers to let in the sunshine and then recovering them before the temperatures start to drop in the late afternoon.
We took advantage of the unseasonable warm weather to spend some much overdue time shoring up our small high tunnel, replacing all the lower lumber and the plastic on the roll up sides. I'm fairly sure these much needed updates contributed much to the high tunnel weathering the recent storm. We've also been transplanting assorted perennials and mulching the strawberries.
We are still harvesting and packing orders for our VegEmail deliveries every two weeks. It gets tricky with the colder weather and sometimes the walk-in cooler is the warmest place to pack and store orders, which seems a bit ironic but we don't have heat in the barn so into the walk-in we go! 
It's been a little crazy with our increased order volume so we are working on a plan to temporarily partition off a small area in the barn that we could heat for packing days. We have lots of parts from "retired" high tunnels and think we can put them back to work for this. It would be a huge boon if it all works out as hoped. The VegEmail orders been brisk enough that a couple of our crew members come in to lend a hand for harvest & delivery days. I really appreciate their help and company, otherwise I miss them all winter long!
Most of our other tasks these days are indoors. We recently finished our seed inventory and have nearly all of our seed orders placed. A few of our orders have already started arriving, so that makes for a fun mailbox run. There is something so full of promise in a new seed packet! The rest of the time we are planning and prepping, doing a bit of fiber work and jam-making and attending virtual meetings and conferences.
Speaking of planning, it is time to move forward on the 2022 CSA season. Given the past two year's unprecedented demand for CSA shares, we are reaching out early again this year to ensure that we are prepared for another rush on local foods. Veteran members should have received an email earlier this week with the details and a link to the sign up form. CSA members from 2021 will have until the end of January to lock in their spots and then we will open any remaining shares to our waiting list. If you are interesting in joining us as a new member this season, you can email us at mail@bluegatefarmfresh.com and ask to be put on the waiting list.
That's about it from us this month. Thank you for making it all the way to the end of the newsletter and for joining us on all our farming adventures. It is such a privilege to live in this beautiful place and to raise safe, healthy food for so many amazing people. We wish you all the joys of the season and a bright new year!
Happy holidays from all of us at BGF!
I know, I say it almost every winter newsletter, but I can't believe another month has already passed and now here we are looking at the end of 2021.
Most of our other tasks these days are indoors. We recently finished our seed inventory and have nearly all of our seed orders placed. A few of our orders have already started arriving, so that makes for a fun mailbox run. There is something so full of promise in a new seed packet! The rest of the time we are planning and prepping, doing a bit of fiber work and jam-making and attending virtual meetings and conferences.
Speaking of planning, it is time to move forward on the 2022 CSA season. Given the past two year's unprecedented demand for CSA shares, we are reaching out early again this year to ensure that we are prepared for another rush on local foods. Veteran members should have received an email earlier this week with the details and a link to the sign up form. CSA members from 2021 will have until the end of January to lock in their spots and then we will open any remaining shares to our waiting list. If you are interesting in joining us as a new member this season, you can email us at mail@bluegatefarmfresh.com and ask to be put on the waiting list.
Is a monthly newsletter not enough for you? Do you want to read more about our life on the farm and see more pictures? Follow us on Facebook at Blue Gate Farm or on Instagram at bluegatefarmfresh. CSA members can also connect with other BGF members to share recipes or ask questions on our FB community page at Blue Gate Farm Community.
If you have any questions or comments, be sure to let us know.
Best from the farm,
Jill & Sean (and the whole BGF crew)
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| Indigo, Luci & Sky |
