2013 appears to be ending much the way it started. The first week of January our fields were frozen every morning; by the middle of the month, sunny and warm afternoons were breaking records. December looks set to do the same. Both months — normally among the wettest of the year — were close to rain-free.
Over the years that we have been doing our CSA, we have put together a mosaic of annual and perennial crops to enable us to pack a diverse box of produce all year round. There is no question that our winter season — December through March — is far and away the riskiest endeavor, due entirely to extreme weather. This year is no exception. Last week’s freeze was the most prolonged that we have seen in twenty years — though thankfully not the coldest.
The primary beneficiaries of our winter season are our employees, who would otherwise be unemployed for a quarter of the year. To many of them, the winter season means the difference between making a decent living and just getting by.
Of course, we also believe that our customers benefit from the continued supply of healthy and fresh seasonal organic produce through the winter. It certainly seems that way, since we actually deliver more weekly boxes in January than we do in July, and regularly have to put new subscribers on a wait list in mid-Winter.
All that said, we really hope you will stick with us through the winter of 2014. Many of our crops suffered severe damage, but most of them may recover completely or partially depending on how the weather treats them for the next month or so. We will give them a nice two week break and try to enjoy it ourselves.
We wish you all a happy holiday season and thank you for your support of our farm in 2013. See you in January.
Pablito