Sale Cooler is Back! + Seasonal Eating, Carrots, Sunchokes, Cilantro, & More!

Sale Cooler: Broth Bones, Pet Bites, & More!

The sale cooler is back! Join us at The Corner Farmers Market this Saturday and rummage through our sale cooler!

You can find broth bones and supplies, pet snacks, little meat tidbits, and more!

Seasonal Eating—Our Human History

You’ve probably heard of seasonal eating—eating food that is recently, locally harvested. Seasonal eating also includes storing some foods for later consumption but taking advantage of the ripening seasons of various fruits, and vegetables and enjoying their abundance when they yield during the year.

Seasonal eating is more than just a modern fad, it’s our human history. In the pre-modern, pre-refrigeration era, it was the only option, and taking of advantage of resources during their harvest seasons was a matter of survival. Winter was always a lean time—a time to eat stored and preserved foods and a time to look ahead eagerly to the first greens of spring!

The first greens of spring are still, to this day, celebrated in many cultures and carry economical and cultural importance, so much that these greens occupy a nearly magical place in societies. First greens like fiddlehead ferns in New England, hostas in Japan, and the famous and beloved ramps of our region (Appalachia) herald the beginning of the season of bounty and the end of the lean times and of scrappy survival.

Farmers know this cycle all too well, and even in our global, agricultural economy folks who choose to support their local farmers also know the cycle and see it in action. Right now at our table and at the farmers market, veggie selections are lean and most often you find tubers like sweet potatoes and carrots that store well from fall harvests. Some greens are available, but growing these requires a lot of extra care and time compared to growing the same crop in the fall or spring!

Right now at the Corner Farmers Market you can also find lots of preserved foods—foods that lock in the vitamins and minerals of spring crops that aren’t available right now. In human history, some of the greatest culinary delights have been born from discovering new ways to preserve foods over winter—like fermenting, drying, salting, making jams, and even confit meats. Products like frozen grass fed beef, and pasture raised chicken, pickles, goat cheese, jams, dried teas, and more are all available right now at the market in this middle-of-winter time and can carry us all through until the first greens of spring arrive!

If you’ve ever stopped by our table at the market, we thank you for bearing with us in the lean times and joining us on this seasonal eating adventure!

Winter Farming: The Inside Scoop!

As you all know, winter is always the leanest of time for fresh, local food. The vegetables that we are harvesting now were planted in the fall and overwintered, since vegetables are difficult to grow in the winter months because of short daylight and cold temperatures. For example, the carrots that we harvested for Saturday’s market were planted in September and the greens that we’ve been harvesting were planted as early as October-December.

Overwintered vegetables often bolt and go to seed around this time because of day length, changing temperatures, and other factors, which is another complication! In the colder temperatures vegetables are protected with row covers but sometimes frigid temperatures destroy an entire crop, and there’s nothing a farmer can do. When you support local farmers in the winter, you’re supporting an effort that takes nearly twice as long as vegetables grown in the spring and summer, with a few more challenges along the way. We appreciate you so much for that! ❤️

Sunchokes are a special winter treat because they can be harvested now and throughout the winter, so that we have fresh, unique tubers to enjoy before spring. Microgreens are also a fun, nutrient dense option for those of you interested in growing your own. We offer seed starting kits with LED grow lights that can make this dream possible, and since microgreens are grown inside, winter conditions don’t affect their productivity.

Now is also a time for consuming meats raised during the growing season. We raise our pastured birds only in the growing season—not over winter. The birds are harvested after consuming lots of plants and seeds, processing nutrients that fortify and enhance the meats. Time spent on pasture and in the sun make our pasture birds an excellent option over the lean winter time!

Now on the farm, is also the season for pruning, planting, and planning for the spring. We’re planting some spring crops and plotting out the entire year—what we’ll grow and raise and adapt and add. We’re also pruning fruit trees to maximize their tree health and crop yield. If your fruit trees are in need of pruning, now’s the right time! Contact us here or via email at kwhomestead@gmail.com to schedule your pruning.