The Shift into Spring
- Nan Braun
- 5 hours ago
- 2 min read
I am sitting here writing this with a hot mocha in my mug, the fireplace crackling, and looking out the window at gardens buried in snow. Living purely in the moment, it feels like spring is a lifetime away. We have not seen temperatures above freezing for weeks, and it feels like I should be as slumbering as the earth.
The truth is that even before the New Year turned, we were already starting to grow for the 2026 season. Currently, the grow rooms are bursting with life and thousands of baby seedlings- both produce and flowers. There are dozens of jugs buried in the snow in my backyard, seeds carefully nestled in soil getting their necessary dose of cold treatment, absorbing the energy of the cold frozen world so that they can burst forth with brilliant blossoms as warmth returns.
The very first seedlings will be planted in hoop houses under frost cloth, to provide abundant food for the community as early as possible.
In about a month, our new gardens will be opened and need to be planted. Seed Potatoes will be chitted and ashed before being laid in the soil.
We will wash the gardens with swaths of green as seedlings of lettuce, chard, cabbage, celery, and other early crops are planted into 100-foot rows.
The success of this endeavor will rely upon the efforts of our volunteers- folks who have no experience at all in the garden, as well as master gardeners lending their decades of experience. Volunteers who show up once for the critical act of planting thousands of seedlings, as well as those who return each week to nurture and care for them. As a community, we can do amazing things. Last year, a team of roughly 8-10 people not only grew and harvested all of our flowers, but also harvested and donated over 4 tons of produce from 3 plots. Imagine what we can do together as we nurture and harvest from 8 plots this year.
If you are not already a volunteer, please sign up now.
If you are not able to volunteer, please consider donating to support our mission
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