New Leaf Organics

Snow makes it all look good

Nothing like a big snow storm the last week of April to slow things right down. Here we are running around like crazy trying to get the farm stand up and running, cleaned up and organized, and get early stuff planted in the ground; and then snow. This morning I feel like sitting back with that good book I’ve been trying to finish for 6 months now and a hot cup of tea. Of course I say this knowing that the “eye on the sky” guys tell me it will be sunny and 60 by tomorrow and everything will wait till then. 

Yesterday, Abe and Sarah had the rather laughable task of picking spinach for a Co-op order. Walkiing up to the spinach they could barely see where the beds were. They used a broom to wipe off the leaves before picking and then they kept losing the broom in the snow. They pretty much gave me a large disclaimer about the spinach saying they could barely even tell they were picking spinach not weeds. The joys of farming in Vermont are endless. 

Many of the people that I’ve run into in the last couple of days have asked how this snow storm will affect everything at the farm. When I answer this question I think about the little onion, lettuce, and scallion transplants we set out last week. We planted on a beautiful sunny 60 degree morning and then watered them in with a delicate rain shower; the perfect scenario. All I can say is I definitely did not picture this happening when we planted last week. I think all will be well, though we may lose the lettuce, with the onions, if the temperatures don’t drop and the snow does, indeed, disappear soon.  I am, for once, feeling really glad that we haven’t been in a rush to transplant things this year. Because we aren’t doing the CSA this season, most of our sales will be through wholesale and farmers markets that really don’t demand the same quantities of things early as the CSA does. f this storm had happened in any number of the last 10 seasons I wold be a lot more stressed out than I am today worrying about all our baby seedlings under the weight of ALL THIS SNOW.