November 14, 2024
The hustle and bustle around the farm has come to an end this season. While November kicks off the hustle and bustle of the Holiday season for most retailers, we welcome November with open arms as it signifies our time to slow down. A time to catch our breath. A time to reflect on the past season.
In no way does our work stop, however. There is plenty of work that remains, but our type of work changes and the pace slows down.
The Blessing of Nice Fall Weather
The unusually nice fall weather allowed us to finish combining corn and soybeans early this year, which was a great feeling. We were able to head into November with one less item on our to-do list, but to be honest, with the weather we have been blessed with this fall, the outdoor projects have been quite tolerable like planting garlic.
Each fall we plant garlic so that it can be harvested the following summer. Garlic needs cold temperatures to form large bulbs, as well as a dormant period (winter), before it grows in the spring and is harvested in late June or early July.
This garlic will be cleaned and broken apart and each clove will be planted, pointy side up. By planting the garlic in the fall, it allows the garlic to grow a hearty set of roots and larger size cloves for the spring.
Working on the "Nice To Do" List
These nice days have also allowed for lots of maintenance projects on and around the farm. Often throughout the summer, we just don’t have enough hours in the day to get everything done so only the most important items are completed.
It’s during the off season where we can complete the “nice to do” things like remove fallen trees that came down on our fields during summer storms, recover greenhouses that lost plastic during windstorms, and other annual maintenance projects.
Reviewing and Planning
It's also the time of year when our team comes together to discuss the overall year. We review all the surveys, we take time to discuss customer feedback, we dive into sales history and data trends, and then we get to work on plans for next year.
Jerry and Paul begin to list out what crops will be grown, where they will be grown, and then the variety selection begins. Over the next few months, the two of them will work together to finalize orders and make plans for the entire 2025 growing season.
