Spring thaw

With the snow finally gone, I have been able to work out at the farm cleaning up the harvest supplies, sharpening tools, adding to the rock heaps, and obsessively plan where all of this season's crops will go. No matter how much I work on crop rotation during the winter, there are always changes to be made depending on cover crop growth and which fields are drying quicker than others. There is also the need to make room for new crops to trial and the last minute must-have seed purchases. In my efforts to make the farm as efficient as possible, I am always cycling varieties in and out of production. I grow a lot of crops on the farm, 50 is a safe number to throw out there, and many different cultivars of each. It's an interesting puzzle that fills me up.

Part of gearing up for this season is unpacking and laying out the irrigation lines that serve as the lifeblood for the farm. Last year was a dry year that devastated crops we were not able to keep irrigated. With sharpened pencils, I did some serious farm math this winter to make sure we have enough drip tape and hours in the week to keep everything irrigated should this year be even worse than last. However, I don't think Einstein could come up with an equation to keep me sane should this happen!

Farm kitty checking out the irrigation. 

I love Spring. It's not the intense colors of a season winding down, but dull, muted colors of a season just beginning. I let feelings of renewal wash over me in the bright greens, blues, purples, reds, and yellows that will soon be in abundance on my small farm.