Updated on November 3, 2022 by Elizabeth
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Although a lot of November is devoted to preparation for Thanksgiving, time still has to be given to harvesting and planting. Planting? Yes, indeed!
Did you know? November 2 is the half-way point between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice. We definitely start to feel winter pushing its way here during this month.
Onions and potatoes are dug and stored. All the fall squash is packed and stored. Apples are picked and stored. Any pumpkins left are stored. We try to have some pumpkins left for our dedicated pie bakers who want a real pumpkin!
Outside harvesting is racing the weather. Bringing in broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and lettuce fills the CSA shares abundantly and stocks the farm market with great fresh vegetables.
The unheated tunnels are cleaned up, and then closed up for the winter. The heated tunnels are in the usual routine of seed, plant, harvest, repeat. With one more tunnel available for planting, we have expanded our plantings to include more escarole, scallions, and salad turnips, as well as all the usual suspects of lettuce, kale, chard, spinach. We are trying to expand our herbs as well. By spring, we will know how successful we were! We start more seeds every week.
In the meantime, Thanksgiving is coming. We have worked with a local farmer for over 25 years to provide you with fresh, all natural birds. The turkeys are only available by order. It is a way to support another local, small farmer.
Fortunately, there are plenty of potatoes and sweet potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower, and all the greens you want. If there is a recall, as seems to happen around this time of year, our greens are not affected.
The weather is always unsettled and unpredictable this time of year. We are happy to have so much area available under cover for growing for the next six months. This makes it possible to provide you with the best and freshest vegetables in all four seasons.
As it gets darker earlier and earlier, the plants slow down and so do we. We are grateful for the more relaxed pace of harvesting and the steady rhythm of the days. It’s a good thing to pause and enjoy the growing process, as it is slower than summer.
We are still picking raspberries and blackberries, holding on to those special berries for as long as we can!
The leaves show signs of turning brown and dropping, but the berries continue with great flavor until a freeze, about 28 degrees at night.
Thank you for your support of our family farm. We appreciate your desire to eat fresh, eat local, and eat well. Come see us at the farm market soon!
Growing beyond expectations since 1832.
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Find us at www.highlandorchardsfarmmarket.com.
Feel free to email with questions or comments to [email protected].
