Is winter over? Did it ever arrive? Is it safe to say spring has sprung?

We’re not sure, so we’re treading carefully. That means not seeding ahead of schedule, but taking advantage of the opportunity to get a jump start on field prep. Though the first step in field prep isn’t actually prepping the fields—it’s servicing the tractors. Changing the oil, changing the filters, greasing the grease fittings, and so on. The two New Holland tractors we bought back in 2007 are now showing their age, and they’ve probably aged ahead of their time, thanks to all the extra work we’ve put upon them— brush clearing, compost flipping, and snow plowing, on top of field prep, weed cultivation, and potato digging. With so much riding on these tractors, their annual servicing is an important ritual that can’t be overlooked. Indeed, the season can’t start without it. Read more...