When you set your mind to it

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How are you with procrastination? I personally not only got top marks in procrastination, I make sure I maintain my procrastination skill level. Use it or lose it after all.

Our outside crew is either right on top of things… or they’re not.

The high tunnel was falling in the procrastination column. But last week, the guys decided that this was the week it was going to go up.

And up it went.

All week they were busy piecing pieces together on the ground, in between normal day-to-day activities. And Friday afternoon those pieces went up. We now have 20 ribs and it’s starting to look like a high tunnel! (the ribs are the metal bars going from one side and up and over to the other. This is what will keep the plastic up off the plants and that we’ll attach lights, fans, heaters, etc to.)

The crew is – rightly – very proud of it and wanted to make sure I took a picture to show you.

And since they are good at their job – and very humble as those are their words, not mine – the plan is to have the plastic and doors on by the end of next week.

So, here is the new tunnel with the ribs installed. Admiration and accolades accepted and encouraged.

The finished tunnel in the back (behind the tractor) has the tomatoes we’re picking the most from, all the hot peppers, some sorrel, and a bit of ground that’s being prepped for future planting.

The finished tunnel on the right has tomatoes, tomatoes, and more tomatoes. Some of which we’re still picking from and some of which… we’re not. When tomatoes are done, they’re done!

Lots of little seedlings are being babied until they’re ready to plant right now. A slew of them are cut and come agains that we’ll pick from all winter long. These seedlings are mostly lettuce, kale, collards, and swiss chard. Plus a few others… that I can only guess at what they are because the guys don’t tag anything (complains the person who still hasn’t figured out what varieties of beans she planted in her own garden ’cause she didn’t tag anything…).

Did you know that you can overwinter kale and collards? Continue picking until the daytime temperatures don’t get above freezing. That’s usually the end of December for us. Then you leave them alone until spring – no watering, no covers, just ignore them. Once it starts to warm up and the days get longer, the plants will start to grow again and you can harvest again. It’s a nice way to get a few harvests in before your spring-plantings start producing.

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Some seasonal inspiration:

​Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Onions​

​Raw Turnip Salad​

​Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Sausage, and Broccoli​

​Tangy Braised Cabbage with Apples and Onions

​Oatmeal Carrot Cookies

Open Mon-Fri 9-6, Sat 9-5. Closed Sunday.

Closed Sundays & Mondays starting after Christmas.

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