A farmer's winter life

I get asked a lot what I do with myself in the winter. The short answer is a glorious "a lot less than in the summer!!" but even seasonal vegetable farming is at least 1/2 time work all winter long. Here's some of what I spend my time at:

Crop Planning

• SO MANY SPREADSHEETS - CSA share plans, greenhouse seeding plans, field planting plans, crop rotation plans....

Fertility and Soil Health Management

• analysing fall soil tests
• researching soil health techniques & strategies
• calculating amounts for each soil and plant amendment
• ordering & sourcing amendments such as compost, micro-nutrients, and other foods for plants and microbes

Sales & Marketing

• strategizing revenue streams for the upcoming season
• developing CSA registration forms and managing registrations
• flyer design & delivery and other promotions
• responding to queries from members & potential members
• website overhauls, facebook posting etc
• selling any remaining storage crops...bit by bit...

 

Labour

• advertising, interviewing & hiring interns & staff
• coordinating volunteers
  

 Finances

• budgeting, budgeting & re-budgeting
• taxes & bookkeeping clean-up from the previous season...ugh
• you might be shocked how much time it takes to track & deposit CSA payments from >200 members!!

Tools, Equipment & Supplies

• researching & purchasing new equipment & tools (BIG JOB!! It's shockingly hard to find appropriate equipment for a small-scale farm)
• maintenance and repair of existing tools & equipment
• ordering field supplies like row cover, bins, irrigation bits, seedling trays etc

Continuing Education & Dreaming....

•  this year, 4 organic sector/eco-farming conferences, various workshops and a heap of books
• dreaming, scheming, strategizing, re-focusing, re-conceiving... all that great energizing stuff!

Chores

• takin' care of the ladies!
• managing the cooler so the storage veg don't freeze, dry out or overheat!
• keeping a 700' laneway cleared of snow!!

 And, of course, a part-time job off farm & - thankfully - still lots of blessed, blessed rest.