 I get asked occasionally, what keeps me busy during winter since we are not farming year-round? The simple answer is that I try to absorb the lessons of our previous season and integrate them into next year’s farm plan. For me, this means reading as much as possible to improve our methods of production, but it also means taking time to reflect, to listen to staff and volunteer feedback, and to prepare myself and our farm for the next set of challenges as Common Roots evolves.
I’m grateful for a dormant season that offers well-timed opportunities to integrate all we’re learning. As the farming book I am currently reading, Miraculous Abundance, attests, “favoring local food allows us to reconnect with the earth through local small farmers, who can become a real interface between urban life and nature. From these fruitful exchanges comes a shared feeling of gratitude.”
As 2019 comes to a close, I want to thank you for all the ways you have supported this fruitful exchange at Common Roots Farm. I am keenly aware that, without partnerships, Common Roots would not exist. It’s our partnerships with volunteers, customers, and donors that gave us a successful first CSA season, let us welcome more people with disabilities to the farm, and hire our first employee who also has a disability. We think it’s a fruitful exchange indeed that our healthy products result from collaboration between farmers of all abilities.
Right now on the farm, our cover crops are feeding our soil, next year’s strawberries are getting established, and we are preparing to create a native plant hedgerow around two sides of our farm. Yes, it’s the dormant season, but there’s still a lot happening, especially under the surface.
On behalf of our Board of Directors and farm team, we thank you for being part of this venture and we wish you and those you love a prosperous and fulfilling new year.
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