The snow and frosts we have had recently have slowed our production immensely, as you would imagine. However production has not come to a screeching halt. Luckily we planted our winter Rye right before the snow came, so the slow melting really jump started our winter cover crop. We also have the cute little Easter egg radishes, beautiful turnips, and bright, healthy, lettuce and spinach still hanging on. It is so sad to see the garden turn back to the drab colors of the winter after getting used to the luscious green rows of tomatoes that are so full and tall that when you walk through the rows you feel like you are in a European hedge maze. Alas, we can no longer image this since the tomato plants have now turned brown and shrunk back to the ground. We are more likely to imagine a nuclear/apocalyptic scene at the garden soon. 

Everything is coming to an end in the garden yet our work is far from over. We are pulling all of the dead plants and reconditioning the soil with Yum-Yum, this amazing organic slow release fertilizer from a company in Tulia called Soil Menders. If you haven't heard of Soil Menders or Yum-Yum, you need to!  Our plants LOVE Yum-Yum! The plants that we pull up will be used for compost and will also be burned and put back into the soil. We have a lot of work to do before it gets unbearably cold, but we are excited to move into the next season and learn from it while preparing our soil for the spring. The winter is also allowing us to address projects that we didn't have time to tend to before. We are working on the rain water catchment system and getting the green house up and running and connected to solar panels! Once the weather forces us inside for good we will be refining our new nutrition education curriculums and lots and lots of reading up on other ideas that can be implemented in the garden next season. There is no shortage of work around here, but don't be a stranger. We can always use a willing hand in the garden, especially with these projects that need to be done before the weather changes. Or if you have any literature recommendations or tips you want to share with us, or you just want to come by, we would love to chat with you over a mediocre cup of coffee.  See you around!

Cara Young

The Garden Projects Manager