Read the news from Essex Farm directly from Kristin Kimball‘s blog below:

“I was thinking this week that our perception of cold is like our perception of wealth: entirely relative. We hit negative 18 this morning – a temperature that probably sounds torturous to my friends and family from below the Mason Dixon. But one of our members, Matthew, grew up on James Bay, where negative 40 was just a normal winter day. Matthew says that when his father comes down here to visit and temperatures are a little below zero, he’s comfortable walking around outside in a light jacket.

I am not that tough but I really do like the winter. No flies, no mud, no burning sun. And it gives me great pleasure to think of the funguses, blights, ticks and other baddies slowly succumbing to the cleansing cold. My daily uniform this winter is a serious set of long underwear, under a pair of light snow pants that I wear both inside and out, and either one or two jackets, depending on how deep the cold is. Also, hand warmers – a luxury that Matthew’s father would probably laugh at, but they take care of my weak spot and make me feel fairly invincible. Mark reminded me that it’s easy for me to say so, since I’m not outside for nearly as many hours per day as he and the full-time farmers are. To which I say, he’s right.

And I am glad the ewes are bred to begin lambing on April 1st this year instead of our usual February 14th. The ewes and I hope it warms up significantly in the next month, as shearing is scheduled for the first week in March….” Continue reading this Essex Farm Note.

Related articles

• Essex Farm: Winter Wonder (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
• Essex Farm: Let it Blow (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
• The Essex Sunburst (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)