December Harvest

Spinach and Leafy Head Lettuce

Ever since a visit to the high tunnel at Canticle Farm in nearby Allegany, N.Y. on a cold Feburary day a couple of years ago, I've had a goal of harvesting fresh greens in the winter. Canticle Farm grows greens year round to sell in their winter market held twice a month.
Though the solstice is still a few days away, our days of temperatures in the single digits and the lack of light and sunshine provided a test of the various methods employed to have a four-season harvest in our Crandall Hill high tunnel.
Yesterday's temperatures above the freezing mark offered me the opportunity to venture across icy grass to the high tunnel. As I unzipped the corner, ice showered down on my head. Inside I made my way between the raised beds to the interior bed shrouded in white row cover. I unclipped the filmy covering from the hoops and found what I had hoped - vibrant deep red and green leafy head lettuce, spinach and flat leaf parsley.

Three varieties of leafy head lettuce

Italian parsley and carrots

There was also a planting of carrots in the high tunnel, most of which I had already harvested. However the carrots you see were transplanted as I thinned the original planting. See the crooked roots?

More lettuce remains to be harvested in the coming weeks though one cannot count on much growth. The same holds true for the spinach. It will remain mostly dormant until there's more warmth and light.
This morning the sun is bright in the sky and I expect that though it's projected to be in the 20s all day, the sun will warm temperatures in the high tunnel to well above freezing.
Though I am not offering any of this produce for sale, we do have some beautiful organic potatoes available. Contact us directly to get your supply for the holidays. The red ones are particularly festive this time of year!