Farewell to 2010 and HELLO to 2011. The “busy” season for Erickson Ranch has come to an end and the “slow” season is now upon us.
I do believe the slow season for the small farmer does not quite fit the category of ” slow” that most of us have become accustomed to. We are in the winter transition.
You may ask, “What is the winter transition”? Once Mother Nature decides the growing season is complete, the rejuvination season begins. It may not seem like a season to those that don’t farm, but winter is an essential part that completes the season of growing.
The current fruits and vegetables cannot tolerate the upcoming chill that winter brings and therefore become dormant or complete their annual life cycle. Winter is upon us and the seasons renew themselves.
During the Winter we certainly enjoy the holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas. To us, these are family traditions, and from our perspective, farming is a family event. To gather with loved ones is by far the only way to celebrate the true meaning of these holidays. Once the holidays have been celebrated the business of farming continues.
Pruning , preparing the fields/gardens for the next season, repairing equipment, ordering trees and seeds for 2011, making new u-pick beds, working on a business plan, marketing the business and planning for the future are bits and pieces of the “slow” season as our family business moves forward.
Despite the cold, foggy, damp weather the narcissus push themselves out of the soil and present their lovely blossems for us to enjoy as we work the fields for the upcoming season. The next beauty of our seasonal landscape are the daffodils. Their sun-bright blossoms never fail to make the orchards alive with their beauty. Their requests are few and their presence is anticipated without a doubt.
The season may seem bleak as we are awaiting the warmth of spring and eventually summer. The farmer awaits the upcoming spring and is ready to plant the seedlings for the anticipated growth of the warmth of the summer sun. Mother Nature guides the farming family as they prepare for the arrival of those that make the “out of the way” trip to Erickson Ranch and Suisun Valley for the home grown produce that are brought in from our fields to your table.