BGF NEWS - January 2024 - VOL. 51, NO. 3

What’s up on the farm?

PRECIPITATION IN THE PAST MONTH: RAIN: 0.5"
                                                                  SNOW: 26.00"

Happy New Year from all of us at BGF!

As is common on a farm, the weather has been the big story in the past month. We received a full winter's worth of snow from January 7 through January 18th (annual average snow for our area is about 26" and we got 24"). It seemed a bit overwhelming at the time but we tried not to complain too much. All this snow hasn't made up for the dry conditions in 2023, though, as we are still classified in a severe drought. So I'll probably kick myself (or someone else will kick me) but bring on the snow! We will happily pass on the extremely cold weather though! That is no fun for anyone and definitely makes chores more challenging.

We managed to miss the first big snow, as we made a quick trip to Colorado to visit family and friends there. Due to the weather (and the interstate closing), we had to extend our trip a couple of days and we are VERY thankful for family and farm crew who made it possible for us to be away, not to mention family that hosted us and made us feel welcome even though we were there longer than intended.

We had plenty to catch up with as we arrived home in time for the deep cold and second big snow, followed by yet more snow! Ah well, I did say we need it. That cold was something else though! Even with the insulation of several feet of snow around the high tunnels most of our greens crops were at least damaged, if not killed outright. Disappointing but not entirely unexpected. While it means a decrease in available greens for our winter VegEmail customers, it also means we can likely turn those beds over earlier for our spring crops.

Amid lots of snow chores we've been occupied with a number of indoor activities as well. Mid-winter is conference and meeting season for farmers and we enjoy the opportunity to learn, share and network with other farmers in the state virtually and in person.

The seed orders were all  placed earlier this month and most of the seeds have arrived. The next step is sorting and storing everything so they are easy to find. Seed starting season is close behind! We've been working on some cool new plans for the upcoming season and one of those new projects includes expanding our microgreen offerings for early spring. So now that the seed for those crops has arrived we can start playing around with them. Stay tuned for other exciting announcements coming soon!

And speaking of coming soon...The growing season is just around the corner and that means CSA signup season is in full swing! 

There's just 5 more days for veteran members to reserve their spots. Current CSA members from the 2023 season should have received a reminder email last week with the new sign up information (if you didn't get yours, check your spam folder or be sure to let us know).  All remaining CSA spots will be opened to the public on February 1. If you aren't a CSA member but are interested, shoot us an email and we'll get you on the waiting list! Remember, the sooner you sign up, the easier it is for us to plan for the season.

VegEmail deliveries continue on the winter schedule of every other Tuesday in Des Moines at Peace Tree-Des Moines Branch and in Knoxville at the Grand Theater. We will continue to do these sales every two weeks until the first of May as long as the weather allows. If you aren't receiving the VegEmail order form and you would like to, just fill out the form here: VegEmail Sign Up

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.

That's about it for now. If you have any questions or comments, be sure to let us know.

Best from the farm,
Jill & Sean (and the whole BGF crew)