Farm & Garden Notes: Hello, January

Happy New Year! As 2015 gets underway, we would first like to convey a heartfelt thanks: we have been delivering our weekly boxes filled with fresh, seasonal fare and housemade provisions for a year now! We could not do it without you and truly appreciate your enthusiastic feedback and support. To our new 2015 subscribers, welcome! We cannot wait to share the best of the farm with you in the year ahead.

As we wind down from the busy holiday season—we are so pleased you enjoyed our floral arrangements and gift offerings, it seems Nonna Pat’s basket is becoming a holiday staple for many, thank you!—here at the farm it is now a time for planning. Seed catalogs are beginning to arrive and orders have been started for more raspberries, currants and potato sets, as well as bare root trees to plant in March. We spend many evening hours curled up in the kitchen, hot tea in hand, planning the lay-out of the gardens, reading up on last season’s notes on improvements and favorites to plant again.

Our resident farm animals are staying warm and toasty in the barns, snuggled up in extra straw to weather the cold nights. We are hoping to add to our brood this year as we prep our champion buck Jasper to breed with the milking goats; on drier days, we try to get winter garden chores accomplished during daylight, such as pruning the apple and pear trees. But, the kitchen is where most of the action is these days as we test new recipes and perfect old favorites—like our signature risotto or rich, flavorful pasta sauces—to share in the year to come. Here’s to good growing and great eating in 2015!