Hello Common Thread Members and Friends,

Klara helping with the greenhouse tray inventory

We know the snow will still be here for a while but for us, winter is almost over!  We'll start the greenhouse up the first week of March and the growing season will begin.

We've been getting a lot done although we know it's just the beginning!  We've made a crop plan, ordered seeds and started ordering supplies.  We've learned more about farm accounting.  We've researched and purchased 2 tractors, a transplanter, and some weed control equipment.  We've hired three great people to be our apprentices this year: Samantha, Timothy and Tom (more about them as they arrive).  We're working on helping to start a Central NY farmer and apprentice network.  We've met most of our drop off site hosts and flyered in at least 10 different towns and cities.  We're getting ready to switch from the mostly desk work mode of winter to the mostly hands-on work of the vegetable farming season and looking forward to it.  

Hoophouse to assemble

Winter is also our best time of year for research and conferences.  Our whole family attended the Northeast Organic Farmer Association's Winter Conference where Wendy co-presented a workshop on Farm Apprenticeship programs and we attended workshops on winter growing, weed control, value added products, CSA systems, growing garlic, and several more (and Klara brought home a worm bin - a party favor one would only get from an organic farming conference).  A few days ago, Wendy attended an event sponsored by Slow Food Mohawk Valley: a live webstream viewing of TEDx Manhattan, Changing the Way We Eat. There were a lot of interesting presentations, which are available for viewing now online. 

Our Best, Wendy and Asher Burkhart-Spiegel

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