This week is bringing a California Christmas storm to Lompoc and northern Santa Barbara County — the soaker hose nozzle kind, not the mist hose nozzle kind. We’re looking at two to three inches of rain on the first night, followed by a couple more over the next few days. If it comes down quickly in our north–south canyon, that means lots of runoff, potential for power outages, floods, and damaged crops. In these kinds of storms, we keep the rain jackets, headlamps, and muck boots by the front door in case we need to head out in the middle of the night to power up the generator for the baby chick brooder. If it comes down slowly, we will have sticky, soaked soil, and a gentle reminder to stay inside and enjoy the holidays.

It’s a short holiday week here. We have family visiting, and many of our team members are home with theirs. That part feels right. The animals don’t take holidays, so they’ll still be cared for every day — feed hauled, water checked, eggs gathered, cows milked — rain or shine. And magically, strawberries can still be picked on the shortest day of the year, and still bring an epic smile to our faces!

We checked in on our propagation project this weekend. If you remember, we were experimenting with willow water as a natural rooting hormone for lavender and rose starts. The science was sound. The execution was excellent… until it wasn’t. A heat sensor was moved, and never replaced, which meant the heat mats never shut off. The starts cooked like a Christmas ham. It’s a frustrating loss, especially for the kids who participated in the experiment. But it’s also a classic farm lesson: systems only work if every small piece is in its place, and regular oversight of anything growing is essential.

But the silver lining is that the winter solstice was yesterday, and we added more Christmas lights to light up the night! Starting today, crops will begin maturing a little sooner, soil will dry out a little faster, and the hours available to us to work will become a little longer. This week, we’ll take the rest.

Slow weeks like this are why storage crops matter, like winter squash and onions, why simple meals win, and why sometimes the most productive thing you can do is rest – because work in the wet soil is toil! We hope your box helps carry you through a slower holiday pace — whether that means feeding a full house or keeping dinner low-key and warm.

Happy Holidays from Megan & the Dare 2 Dream Team ❤️💚

This Week’s Farm Box

Values are based on farm stand and regional farmers market pricing for comparable produce.

Storage Tips

Roots: Carrots, beets, kohlrabi → Fridge crisper, loosely bagged. Remove tops if attached.
Greens: Arugula, buttercup lettuce, cabbage → Wrap in a towel, place in a bag, keep cold.
Fruit / Citrus: Persimmons, grapes,oranges → Counter for 2–3 days, or refrigerate for longer storage.
Squash: Butternut→ Store whole at room temp. Once cut, wrap and refrigerate.
Alliums: Red onion, shallot → Cool, dry place with airflow. Once cut, refrigerate.