In the shortest month
Friends, we are in the second half of the shortest month of the year. In our family we always joke that the shortest month somehow also manages to feel like the longest. By February, it can feel like all the wonder and magic of winter has worn off, and we start seriously itching to be outside more, moving our bodies more. My son recently wrote a poem for school about how much he dislikes winter at this point of the year. Mud played a big role in the imagery.
But, I suppose it is fitting that we’re turning our focus back outside now and wanting more, because more is on its way. Our days are starting to feel much longer — we no longer arrive home from afternoon activities in the dark. Daffodils are already up and blooming on the south side of our house. Our hot house is starting to fill up with growing starts.
Knowing that spring is truly right around the corner for us here in Western Oregon, I’m savoring the cozy parts of winter. The kids and I always have a puzzle going. Hot chocolate gets poured a lot. We’re reading a lot and talking about books.
And, this weekend I got to attend my first farming conference since before the pandemic: OSU’s Small Farms conference in Corvallis. Farm conferences have always been one of my favorite parts of winter — they provide an opportunity to reconnect with farmer friends and get new ideas for the coming season. The Small Farms conference is one of my favorites because of how it brings together a large diverse group of farmers from all over the region. It’s not just veggie growers — there are people with small dairies, vineyards, meat operations, and more. Even though we may grow different things, there are important overlaps in how we think about our farms and how our smaller scale affects our relationships with our land, employees and customers. This year, I was primarily there to represent Growing for Market magazine and podcast. I handed out hundreds of free copies to farmers and gushed about what is truly one of my favorite farming resources. Everyone seemed in good spirits and happy to be around so many other farmers.
I plan to go again next February, but then I’ll be there to share about my farming and parenting book! I can’t wait to share more about my book with you soon too … we’re currently working on all the final details of the layout, content and planning the publicity. (Here’s your regular reminder that so much love and work goes into the books you eventually buy at the store or check out from the library!) Next month I think I’ll have a cover design to share with you, but for now here’s the official title (drum roll) …
Farm-Raised Kids: Parenting Strategies for Balancing Family Life with Running a Small Farm or Homestead. 🎉
YAY! Having a title makes it feel even more official! We also have a planned release date of October 29, 2024. On one hand that feels like a long time to wait, but on the other hand, there’s a lot of work yet to do!
Much more news about this and more next month … but for today I’m going to keep this newsletter simple, which seems fitting for this late winter month.
Recently on the podcast:
Since my last newsletter, I’ve had one new Growing for Market podcast episodes drop:
Paul & Angela Neufeld (Kingfisher Farm Market) and I talked about the slow evolution of their farm in suburban British Columbia and what it’s like to operate a commercial farm on shared land.
You can listen (and subscribe!) on any podcast app or go to the GFM website to listen or get more info from the show notes for each episode. New episodes are released every Tuesday — my co-host Andrew’s interviews are also fascinating!
Before I sign off, I wanted to share this sneak preview of a fresh post I’m going to share on Instagram soon. In the full post I’ll be providing more tips on how to roast winter vegetables, but the primary goal is to remind people that there is still lots of great seasonal food to eat this time of year! Soon we’ll be eating fresh spring greens, but I’m still enjoy cozy roasted vegetables.
As we wind down February, may you too be finding joys in this month of mud and gray skies. Even though my outdoor-loving spirit struggles this time of year, there are so many wonderful things happening in February too. Perhaps you’re digging deep into learning about Black History or celebrating the Lunar New Year or placing seed orders and sowing your first seeds … or all of these things and more!
What keeps you going this month? And, what are you looking forward to in spring?
With gratitude,
Katie