February Blog

It’s hard to believe it’s February with all of the warmer weather we’ve been having, but here we are. At the start of the month, we observed the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox (also known as Imbolc in Celtic traditions). The days are getting longer, and thanks to the warmer days, we’re starting to see some of the early harbingers of spring. As the days get longer, our farmers are looking ahead to the spring planting season. Most have already done their crop planning for the year, sorted their seeds, and are starting to plant seeds indoors to transplant later this year. The tempo might be slower in the winter months, but farming is a year round job!

What spring and summer fruits and vegetables are you most looking forward to this year? For me, it’s usually around this time of year that I start to look forward to the fresh crunch of raw asparagus. It just tastes like spring– and how I imagine the color green to taste. :) Until then, I’m still relishing the abundance of winter storage crops like root vegetables, winter squash, and evercrisp apples, alongside plenty of fresh greens. Lately, I’ve been enjoying lots of soups and salads- which allow winter veggies to shine. Check out this potato soup recipe from Perkins’ Good Earth Farm this weekend, and serve it alongside a green salad with winter sweet carrots, hakurei turnips, microgreens, and some thinly sliced apples. You’re in for a simple and satisfying meal, with ingredients that can all be sourced locally- even in February!

Cheers to eating seasonally in the thick of winter!

Virginia Pleasant, Co-Executive Director