Roots and Shoots

Farm News

As we head out of our last root crop harvest, sunchokes and celeriac, we cannot help see the buds on trees filling with water and sap, tempting fate. As fate would have it, we are expected to see cold temps and possible snow in the lowlands heading into the third week of February.

For many farmers on the east side of the Cascades, this is a challenging dance where temperatures are warmer than normal, and the fruit trees begin an early budding process. Cool temperatures are desired as they keep the process slow and hardy, but when you get a hard freeze, these tender shoots are susceptible to snap, and irrevocable damage can transpire. Many of the vineyards and fruit growers can move the colder air around with wind machines so that there is a little insurance, but it is a wait-and-see time of the year. On our farm, we do not have a great deal of fruit to worry about − only blueberries that are well established and do not start their budding process until late spring.

As we find ourselves eating between seasons and spring shoots have not arrived yet, we are still enjoying the hearty comfort soups and broths of kale, leeks and potatoes. These hearty staples will soon transform into our light spring mixes of herbs and greens, helping us to move into the longer days with more energy. We can all feel that we have increased our daylight in recent weeks as the sun comes up just after 7 a.m. and can linger to 5:30 p.m., giving us a full 10 hours of day (not the brightest sun of course). However, we can feel the swell of daylight increasing five to seven minutes a day! These natural gifts help us pull out of winter and shift our farmer thinking to always be thankful for the cycles. The digital age is ever increasing and encroaching into our everyday lives, and we need to remember these beautiful cycles that occur every year without any need or want for digital display. The eagles nesting now and committed to their next generation will look down upon our fields and lead the way in helping us to kiss the sky, unplug our devices, and return to our roots and shoots.

Don’t forget to find us on Instagram @fullcirclefarms.
– Wendy