Ever seen an anxious ant? Well, that's any farmer right about now. We have been such productive workers that all our winter chores and housekeeping projects are tackled. Outside of the balance of dealing with weather, we are anxious to start tackling spring’s never-ending to-do list.

Sometimes, we aren't so lucky and the winter projects drag right until spring - some even left uncompleted. Other times, like this year, we lucked out and our efficient work ethic has us looking around for lingering tasks until the shift of seasons. The only thing that stands between us and the spring temps is four more questionable days of low temps, snow, sleet, freezing rain, and whatever else mother nature can pack into the short stretch of time.

This week, mornings have started with us ice skating across patches of frozen water to check houses and the shop. By noon, we are left with mud, muck, and puddles. It’s been one of the grossest few weeks on the farm where every problem seems to float to the surface. But, we know what's on the other side and our craving for warm weather has become almost unbearable. Come on spring!

 

Battling the issues of today also has to be balanced with planning for tomorrow. Next week, the game changes. The weather pattern starts resembling spring and the crops seem well aware of the impending sunshine. Not to say we won’t get another round of winter in March, but the shift to spring is definitely in the pipeline. As we walk the fields making sure they are prepared for more winter weather, we already see signs that with upcoming mild days. Signs that signal thriving plants.  

I also have an update on the daffodils! This crop is looking great! While we didn’t meet our V-day goal (we will work on this for next year), we WILL have them earlier than ever before and we are learning how to better manipulate the bloom timeline, and the climate most suited to force them out. They were recently booted from the seeding cooler and are now residents of tunnel 3; I think they will like it there. I will keep you posted on the progress, but I already plan to bring out the last wave from the buried row next week so we can compare.

The first few anemone have made an appearance in the shop, and the hellebore are just beginning to bloom. Spring is on our heels - finally! We are getting into a routine of checking our earliest crops (cherry branches and pussy willow) while trying to prepare the property for a bustling spring (reads: gravel, I need lots of gravel.) We document what worked for us along the way, as well as ideas we may want to try next year so we don’t forget. Having spring finally show up in the 10-day forecast makes every single conversation a little more anxiety-filled because it will be a mad rush to get plants in the ground. 

We also have some new farm faces joining us next week and the work in our spring flower beds will begin. HALLELUJAH! The weather looks great, the help will be here, and the magic of another spring season will begin. We just gotta get through this week so we can go back to being happily busy little ants.

- xoxo Jess