The Farm Diaries- December 2017

It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving has come and gone and that we’re officially into the month of December.  I love this quiet and reflective time of year and I also love that the farm is still producing so many wonderful vegetables. The roots are tastier than ever and the greens are still cranking! We’ve already had a little dusting of snow but that hasn’t affected many of the crops still out there. We’re still eating a great variety of veggies and I’ve been loving cooking up all our favorite late season dishes. Hearty pastas, stews, and salads have kept us going over the past few weeks.

It’s hard to believe that two weeks have already passed since we loaded the Tumbleweed Farm trailer for the last farmers market of the season. The final market is always bittersweet because on the one hand we’re mentally and physically ready for a break but we’re also sad to say goodbye to all of our amazing costumers and fellow vendors.

Taylor and I are incredibly proud of the 2017 farm season. It was one of the most difficult growing seasons we’ve experienced but somehow, through drought, fires, and crop devastations we managed to keep trucking along and produce some damn fine veggies! It wasn’t easy, and this season tested us in more ways than we’ve been tested in years passed. However, here we are, the first week of December and I can proudly say this was our most successful farm year to date. It may have aged us faster than I’d like to admit, but damn, I’m so proud of us!

This winter Taylor and I have some projects that will keep us busy on the farm but for the most part we’re really looking forward to having 2 solid months of  rest. Sure there’s a few daily chores that are necessary but for the most part Tumbleweed will be put to bed. As we’ve grown with the farm seasons we’ve matured enough to realize that killing ourselves for 9 months out of the year just isn’t sustainable. Our bodies are tired and our minds need a little more rest too. Luckily, 2018 is going to be a year of growing our crew and we’re really excited to have 2 farm hands join our family. I think next year we’ll even get to take a day off each week!! Oh the possibilities!

Evenings at the farm have been occupied with plenty of board games, warm fires, tea and Netflix. Even Henry is taking full advantage of this slower pace of life. He’s slowing down quite a bit these days but he’s very happy and content with his new role of “this looks like a great place to nap.” He’s the best and it’s both heartwarming and a little sad to watch him age. If you’ve been reading this blog from the beginning you know that we got Henry as a rescue when we lived back on Hutchins Farm in MA. He came from an abusive situation and was a challenging dog for the first year. However, he quickly won our hearts over and has turned into a wonderful companion. We can’t imagine life without him and I’m treasuring every day we get to cuddle with this giant bundle of love.

As we head deeper into the holiday season I wanted to let folks know that if you’re searching for the perfect gift for your foodie loving friends that my local bookstore will mail out books (worldwide) to whomever you want to gift the book to. You can even request a personal note that you want inside the book from yours truly and I’ll personally write any message you want. Dishing up the Dirt is also available on Amazon however it’s currently out of stock (only for a few more days) because my book has officially gone into its SECOND print! I’m beyond grateful for all of the support. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has purchased a book for themselves or someone they love. And I hate to ask this of you, but if you own the book could you please write a review on Amazon (even if you didn’t purchase it there). Reviews help more than you know and the more reviews the book has the easier it is for folks to find me. So thank you in advance! You can write any review here. On that note–there was a small batch of books that went out earlier in the year with a faulty binding. The issue has been fixed but for anyone who has had trouble with the binding please email andrea@dishitup.wpengine.com and I’ll forward it to my publisher and they’ll mail you a replacement.

I hope that wherever this post finds you that you’re enjoying the holiday season. Taylor and I are taking a quick trip to the east coast to visit family but I’ve got some tasty recipes still coming at you while we’re away. Stay tuned!

That’s all the news from the farm for now. Happy December from the three of us!

The above photos were taken by my fabulous friend Kate Schwager