December, snowy skies and freezing ground are upon us. Within hours of our thanksgiving guests arriving at the farm last Wednesday afternoon we had them out in the blowing snow and darkening skies finishing up leek harvest—digging, pulling, and topping as fast as the snow was covering our work. We stowed the leeks in the walk-in, ready to dole out for months to come, and sat down to a warm and hearty meal that everyone was thankful for. We have just four more weeks in this year’s share (if you haven’t returned your forms yet for the winter share please do!). This year, both Christmas and New Year’s day fall on Thursdays. We will have pick-up on Friday evening both of those week’s. Mark your calendars.

James has been placing cedar posts in the not quite frozen ground along the northern wall of the bank barn this week—preparing a walkway back to the person-sized door in the csa room.

We plan to close up the big sliding door this year to make the space warmer and give our arms a break rolling the big door open and closed. Very future plans call for a pavilion along that side of the barn, in the footprint of the old lean-to—a covered space for gathering during the share and farm dinners, and a place for the big, summer harvests to fill when they are too big to fit in between four walls. Until then, a semi-temporary, sloping walkway.

I have fallen three weeks behind in sending farm photos. This week we catch up with a series of winter feed shots—corn, wheat and hay being gathered and stored to nourish us and the animals through the winter.

In the Farm Shares

In the veggie share: brussel sprouts, winter squash, leeks, kale, white, blue and fingerling potatoes, garlic, red and white onions, green, red and savoy cabbage, carrots, beets, wheat berries, whole wheat regular flour and pastry flour. Coming soon dry beans and shallots.

In the meat share: New chicken stock made from whole stew birds, fresh herbs and veggies! No salt has been added. Pork, beef, broilers and stew birds in the freezer. Lard and leaf lard for holiday baking.

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