Snow and cold are important contributors to farm health. During the winter, the farm renews and regenerates for Spring.
Some Farming Benefits from Snow
Snow brings needed moisture to the soil. Because the snow tends to melt slowly, the soil is more able to absorb the moisture from snow than from rain.
Snow keeps the soil from drying out. Those winter winds dry out the top layers of soil just like they do your hands. The snow is like a glove for your soil protecting it from those winds.
Snow brings more nutrients to the soil. When it falls through the atmosphere, it collects nitrogen and sulfur. Even though rain collects these too, the way that snow melts makes it easier for the soil to absorb the nutrients from the snow.
Some Farming Benefits from Cold
When the cold comes at times we expect, it is a good thing.
Some plants need the cold, especially freezing temperatures, in order to grow later in the season. Strawberries are one example that we eat; tulips are another example where we feast with our eyes. (Teresa grew up in Florida so she never saw tulips in a yard until she was an adult.)
Cold temperatures can help give a reprieve from some pests.
When the cold comes at times we expect, it is a good thing.
Beauty of Winter on the Farm
We think the farm is beautiful all year round, each season and each day holds its own beauty. See below for some pictures from the 2023-2024 winter so far.
