While there’s not a lot of outside farming going on over the winter months, for us there’s quite a bit of paper (or computer spreadsheet) farming.  We use these months to formulate our production plan, including:

• Which crops we want to grow and in what quantities
• Which varieties of each crop
• Where to source the seed from
• The field layout
• The irrigation plan
• The rotation of crops
• The planting schedule
• Any supplies and equipment we need to order

We tend to buy our seeds from three primary sources: FedCo Seeds and Johnny’s in Maine, and High Mowing Seeds in Vermont.  All three have good selections of organic varieties.

We also use this time to get our infrastructure ready, including:

• Repairing tillage and cultivation equipment (e.g., installing new tines on the rototiller, purchasing new hoes and cultivators)
• Repairing and tuning the irrigation system
• Hiring summer help