December-Out to sea
The tide is retreating. A subfreezing outlook as far as the forecasters can see stipulates the ebb of our farmwork. Daylight hours are dwindling too, and some days the heavy drapery of grey clouds blanket the earth so thickly that the houseplants beg for more natural light.
When I woke up this morning, my weather app predicted snow showers, and so I wasn't surprised to see that the farm was cloaked in featureless grey obscurity. No starlight penetrated the atmosphere. But by the time the coffee was brewed and I headed to the kitchen to pour my first mug, I thought I caught sight of the field on fire in my peripheral view. A double take revealed a raging sun burning the horizon, casting a pink hue upwards. "Red sky at morning".
Bring it on. It's Thanksgiving break and we have a tree to decorate, granola bars to make, and a puzzle to piece on the kitchen table. Let it snow outside our windows to beckon in the winter season. Let it snow to insulate the baby carrots still in the ground which we plan to harvest as a sweet finale for holiday orders at the end of the month. Let it snow so that we may revel in the grandeur of the four season life and one of its greatest offerings.
Fallen snow will melt off of the roof of our heated growhouse and taper down into icicles which the kids will find a way to dislodge and collect in their mittened hands. Inside the mini greenhouse we force shoots and microgreens to grow for a bit of fresh winter production. The tide is artificially high in this little space plunked in the middle of the dormant farm. And the scent of photosynthesis surprises me as I peel down my layers to a tshirt and let my skin breath it all in. It's a sort of farmer sauna, and I consider it my daily dose of therapy.
When the kids return to school on Monday, we will begin our December task list of cleaning up the gardens and resetting the last two high tunnels which still have vestiges of late fall tomatoes and peppers withering and spent. I welcome some vigorous, physical work after a week celebrating my baby sister's wedding and then a big Thanksgiving feast. It's time to come back down to earth...get these hands back in the soil. This farm has always offered me what I need: a refuge and an outlet for my body and mind.
And in this season, when the tide is low, we are as far out to sea as we get around here. Catching up with ourselves, with our people, with the farmhouse projects, making more room for spontaneity and spending our weekends with the kids, seeing where the days lead us. Because one winter will come when we are making travel plans to see where the kids' lives have taken them. For now, we will take advantage of lowtide, we will not prioritize productivity, and we will enjoy this moment in time.
Updates from the farm:
-Online Ordering: This month we will offer online ordering and pick up in the Oakwood Market parking lot (22 Orchard Drive) as follows:
Saturday, December 13th 10-11:30am
Christmas Pick up Tuesday, December 23rd 4:30-6:00pm
Saturday, December 27th 10-11:30am
*If you're gunning for some kaleidoscope salad mix. We aren't able to offer pick up on December 6th but will be delivering to our Dayton area DLM locations and it will be at their stores by Wednesday, December 3rd.
-Our Menu this month:We will be offering beets, watermelon radish, cabbage, carrots, shoots, microgreens, kale, kohlrabi, ginger, and possibly more produce. Additionally we will have our granola, bread, granola bars and weekly baked goods on the menu.
-Christmas Preordering:Christmas week preordering is live. We are offering french silk pie, apple crumble pie, rolls, scone kits, sourdough and cranberry walnut sourdough this holiday :). You can preorder your bakes on our Christmas Preordering page now and the week of the holiday we will load produce onto the page when we know what is available. Don't worry! We will send a notification email out so that you can tack on some produce to your order.
Thank you for reading.
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