Inclement Weather Farm Update
I want to address the extreme cold that our region is facing over the next few days. I know that all of us have a lot to do to prepare our homes, so I feel selfish worrying you with all of the concerns facing the farm. However, I think it is important to present the worst case scenario about the next month of farm shares, since we have promised to provide amazing vegetables for you every week until March.
Our plan is to harvest this week for the next two weeks of farm shares. I wanted to be upfront with all of you, because it’s an unwritten rule that everything is harvested fresh the week our shares are delivered. We will utilize our walk-in cooler, and tomorrow we will wash everything we harvested yesterday and today. By storing the washed and dried greens in a sealed, plastic tub, we can really extend the shelf life. I’m sure all of you are familiar with how long our fresh, bagged greens last. We will also be forced to harvest a good many of the radishes and turnips. I was hoping to spread their harvest out for longer, but hopefully the younger successions will survive.
I am asking that if you are not out of town for the holidays, please do not skip this week or next. We need your support, now, more than ever. We are extremely fortunate to have a lot of vegetables going out in the farm shares, and folks have really been helping us through ordering on our website. No doubt we will have some waste, but we are trying our hardest to not throw away months of our hard work and time.
We are not worried about our plants dying, however, the 4 day exposure to sub-20 degree temps will likely damage a lot of leaves. Therefore, we have to harvest as much as possible, so that in 3-6 weeks time we can begin harvests of leafy greens again. This cold comes at the worst possible time. Not only are we at the lowest point of sunlight for the year, so regrowth is the slowest, but a lot of plants haven’t reached full maturity, as we expect weather like this in late January and February—when regrowth is 30-50% faster.
The worst case scenario is that after this week and next week, we are extremely low on salad mixes. We will have plenty of turnips, radishes, carrots, shoots, and jams. If the salad mix crops are badly damaged, then we will have to root crop our way through a few weeks of farm shares.
We used every dime from the first week of farm shares to order more row cover. We ordered on Thursday, and were reassured we would receive them in time, and paid for two day shipping. I called the company this after, and they said the distributor has not even processed the order and that we would receive the row cover on 12/27. Y'all, as I was googling "argibon distributor in Louisiana", I almost started crying, just wallowing like a hog in self-pity. As my eyes started to burn and swell, I could clearly envision all the crops left uncovered to succumb to the cold, Northern blast. BUT, I found a wholesale row cover distributor in Ponchatoula! I was able to order two rolls, that can cover 15,600 square feet total. The best part is, they carry a thickness that is not available on the website we have traditionally used for row cover. The new row cover will protect crops down to 8 degrees!! In a way, what I thought was going to be a disaster, now has reassured me immeasurably that we are going to make it through this weather event. We have a ton of row cover, but because it is only rated to protect down to 19 degrees, so we were going to have to double up on a lot of rows.
We have done everything in our power to protect your farm shares crops. But there are some factors in farming that are just out of our control. The temperature change on Thursday will be extreme. It seems we always come out fine on the other side of these weather events. But dadgum, leading up to them I am riddled with angst going through every one of the “what ifs”. This one has definitely caused a few sleepless nights.
I really look forward to checking back in with y’all next week, after all of this is over. I really hope I have good news for everyone!!
Merry Christmas!
Getting past all the doom and gloom, I wish that I had a more uplifting farm happening for this week, considering that this season is all based on Joy and singing. Through all the chaos and emotions this week as brought, I had a few moments of gratitude that have helped ground and keep me on a constant path forward. The most pivotal event in my entire life was the professional opportunity to own a farm. Please don't take this lightly-without our farm share members, I really can't even begin to imagine how Current Farms would have survived these past three years. Your farm share membership is not only the heart of our farm, but it's soul as well. This Christmas and New Years, the best gifts I have received are your support and belief in Current Farms. My wish is that you all have a wonderful time with your family and loved ones this weekend, and maybe you can even share some of the harvests from your farm share with them!
Sincerely,
Conrad Cable
