We celebrated the Christmas holiday with our family in town from Tennessee, and there was so much warmth, even though we’ve had two freezing nights in a row. The cold marks the official end of our summer crops, even though they’ve all been pulled out of the ground or stopped producing. It should also knock back a lot of the bugs we’ve been battling—rust fly, flea beetles, and the ever-present flies that take over the farm when things are warm and wet. The cold doesn’t win the battle of bugs, but it does reset the board a bit.
The AI monitored birds got to the snow peas before we ever had a chance… truth be told, the bird buddy never was meant to keep them from eating the garden. We just wanted to name them. It’s frustrating, but it’s also part of the deal—birds gotta eat. The spinach is hanging in there, though it’s showing a fair amount of bug damage. On the flip side, the pak choy looks excellent and is having its moment in the farm boxes this week.
This Christmas storm left its mark. We lost a small willow down by the creek and a eucalyptus along the main road. The hardest loss was an old, loved, cottonwood that came down across our dirt road on Christmas morning at 6:45am—less than two minutes after Papa had just driven past it. Grandpa Mike planted that tree before Jeremy was born because it reminded him of the land he grew up on in Oklahoma. Thankfully, there’s still a young one on the other side of the creek we can watch grow up. Jeremy spent Christmas morning with a chainsaw, clearing the road to restore access to and from the farm. Good thing Santa flies, or we may have caught him!
We’re watching the forecast closely. Another storm is expected Tuesday night into Wednesday, with rain chances lingering most of the week. We’re bracing for more trees to come down. At the same time, we’re starting to look ahead—placing our seed order next week for the starts we’ll get going in the next two to three weeks. We’ll begin them in the dungeon, then put them into the ground once the risk of frost has passed, usually around the first week of April.
This Week’s Farm Box
Storage Tips
Roots: Carrots, beets → Fridge crisper, loosely bagged. Remove tops if attached.
Greens: Arugula, lettuce, mix greens, pak choy → Wrap in a towel, place in a bag, keep cold.
Fruit / Citrus: Persimmons, lemons, oranges → Counter for 2–3 days, or refrigerate for longer storage.
Squash: Honeyboat → Store whole at room temp. Once cut, wrap and refrigerate.
Alliums: Red onion → Cool, dry place with airflow. Once cut, refrigerate.
Herbs: Parsley → wrap base with paper towels, place bouquet in water in the fridge
