You may be wondering what happens in the winter at the Farm. Well it is certainly NOT just sitting around waiting for Spring to come. After all, for us, we have hardly had winter yet! But that is another story. There are many winter projects at Foothill Farm - I have a long list that I am slowly chipping away at. Since we are a Farm still in the development stage, when the weather is good we try to accomplish tasks that increase our ability to produce - whether it is clearing and piling brush, cutting and stacking wood, organizing work spaces or whatever. There is lots to be done every day, and we do like being busy.
After the Holidays pass, we turn our attention to seed starting activities. The "propagation room" has been cleaned and organized. An inventory of seeds left over from last year, or collected during the growing season, has been conducted. We are still processing seeds from our annuals and perennials throughout the winter. One of the most fun activities (because of the anticipation of seeing things grow again) that we work on is the annual seed order. After we confirm our supplies on hand, it is time to go to the web, or the catalogs, to prepare our order for the coming season. I have been working on this off and on for a couple of weeks now. This is not just about picking a few seeds that look good in a picture. It involves researching varieties with consideration for days to maturity, heirloom status, availability, cost, and marketability. This year, we ordered seed from three companies (Fedco, Seed Savers Exchange, and Jung). We will be trying several new varieties in the garden this year, with an eye toward what works in our area, how good they taste, etc. The better ones will make it onto the farm stand as "starts" in subsequent years. Look for an expanded selection of vegetables and flowers on the farm stand this year, with squash, cukes, some new tomato varieties, a new short season Eggplant, additional flowers, and a few herbs. Of course we will have our Glorious Porch Marigolds again as well as the Large Bloom Bill Zinnias! Some seed packets of Foothill Farm generated seed will also likely be available.
Perennials will make their debut at the Farm Stand this year too! We expect to have a few varieties from seed, in 4 and 6 packs, and some larger perennials from divisions which occurred in the fall.
While it is not as busy in the winter at Foothill Farm, we certainly have a lot going on. Plan to come and visit the farm stand in the Spring and support local agriculture. Look for information on our Artisan and Farmer friends on Chestnut Hill this year as our community, and our involvement in it, continues to grow and prosper.
