As the season picks up, I’ve been thinking a lot about…how short it is. Around here, we only have four months between last and first average frost dates, which means five months of fresh local veggies (six on the outside). This bothers me. Is eating locally-grown just a seasonal, novelty act…then it’s back to the supermarket for the rest of the year? I have all kinds of daydreams and plans for extending the season, most of them somewhat expensive and involved, like a large root cellar for a year-round supply. One of the things I have been doing, and decided today to make more…formal this year, is recommending customers to other local growers who offer things I don’t. For example, two spaces down at the market is a family farm, mother, father, daughter growing several acres of potatoes (in the pic, at last Saturday’s market they had stored spuds for eating and growing). It’s not a big operation, but they do offer 50lb bags in fall, a quantity I can’t provide at this point. I figure, anything that makes it easier for people to eat what they want, like truly local food, is…good! No tiny farm grows alone!!
Hi! I discovered your wonderful blog recently & have been reading it ‘backwards’ over the last few days. I’m finding it really interesting!! I found it a bit astounding that your growing season is only 4 months, I am very fortunate in Tasmania, Australia to enjoy all-year-round vegetable growing. Our warm growing season basically lasts from October to April, and I grow tomatoes, beans, peas, capsicums, eggplant, lettuce, corn, pumpkins, squash, cucumbers, (sometimes melons), celery, strawberries, raspberries & blueberries. Once all these are finished I can plant cabbages, cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts, broadbeans and onions. There is a natural crop rotation between warm & cool season crops so it works out really well. In Canada, when do you grow your cool season crops? I can’t imagine it would be all that easy, because you get such large snowfalls! Whereas here in Hobart we get frosts, but by the time they come the cool season crops are quite established & sturdy.
Anyway basically what I am getting at, is that there is always something in season at the markets or in the garden, and while the variety is a little sparse during winter, there’s always something fresh to eat. I should try preserving some tomatoes for sauces & stuff, or maybe bottling roasted capsicums.
Great blog, keep up the good work!!