Winter Break

Saturday was Bugtussle's 4th winter CSA drop-off, though with the weather the way it was, it felt a bit more like spring than late January. January is always good for a tease, though, isn't it?

Snow had kept the family from being able to travel down the last few weeks, so this was our first drop since late December, and the patrons seemed joyful, yet ravenous for some fresh vegetables. Running a farm without electricity, or heated/cooled vegetable storage, never lacks for its challenges. There is a big hill one must first traverse to get out of the driveway and if it is iced-over, your chances of success are slim. Why don't you park the van at the top of the hill, you ask?––because that's what I asked. Well, the sweet potatoes and winter squash are at the bottom, in a green house, trying their damnedest not to freeze and ruin. So if you loaded them first, then parked the van at the top of the hill, they'd freeze overnight and ruin. This sort of conundrum is perfectly reflexive of the type of problem-solving dialogue constantly required to run a farm––off the grid or on––and it definitely keeps things interesting. Luckily, this week, January wore its April face.

And look at this food!

Spinach (not pictured)
Kale (not pictured)
Turnips
Sweet potatoes (Golden Nugget)
Butternut squash
Parsnips
Peanuts (Tennessee Red Valencia)
Pasture-Foraged Eggs