July 4, 2026 We’re standing at the season’s peak, looking down. Garlic harvest has begun. Spring greens are about to be plowed under. Summer fruits are ripening, and winter storage crops are coming along. Now we begin the descent towards fall. Ordinarily, July is when I start drafting the field map for the following year. As cash crops exit the fields, cover crops go in, and what varieties to plant where depends on next year’s field map. In that regard, the cash crop-cover

June 14, 2026 Holy moly, June has arrived. June is an all-out race to get the last fields planted, to cultivate early and often, and to fit harvesting and markets into a jam-packed schedule. June is everything, all at once. If June were the eighth month of the year, few farmers would survive it. But powered by the sleep of winter and the hope of spring, we stand a fighting chance in this wild sixth month. The wave always breaks in July, but if we play our cards right in June,

May 13, 2026 We just wrapped up three tours in three weeks. The first was a cover crop workshop on April 25, during which Long Island growers (including former apprentice Thomas Lennon!) got to see stands of overwintered winter peas, winter rye, and hairy vetch, as well as newly-germinated oats and field peas. A big thank you to Teddy Tomao from NOFA-NY and Melissa Phillips from the Real Organic Project for organizing. Two days later, Dan mowed down a big stand of winter peas

April 19, 2026 In case you wondered, mid-spring is the best time of year to soak in the beauty of the farm. Garlic and cover crop are growing like weeds, the trees are in full bloom, and signs of fertility abound. As I was surveying the fields this time last year, I found myself wondering shouldn’t there be a holiday to celebrate all this life? Turns out, there is. Beltane, which falls on or about May 1. This ancient Celtic holiday marks the midpoint between spring equinox an

March 18, 2026 That’s been the theme this winter. Prior to January, I hadn't attended a single farm conference or forum since 2019, partly due to the pandemic, and partly due to life just being so dang busy. But I made a New Year’s resolution to make up for lost ground, and with the kids now old enough to fend for themselves (mostly), following through was not hard. I started off with Dan at the Long Island Agricultural Forum in Riverhead, hosted by Cornell Cooperative Extens

February 12, 2026 Wowee, how ‘bout this winter? Good thing we don’t have any major projects planned. Building a chicken coop or installing a deer fence would be pretty tough in these conditions. Garlic mulching, on the other hand, proceeded until it didn't. We started in January, after the first snowfall. Applying brown mulch over the blinding white landscape felt like working upside-down. Instead of snow burying the earth, earth buried the snow. A big thank you to our volunt

January 15, 2026 You can practically hear a pin drop around here. From late-February to December, Dan and I are at the farm almost every day, but once we wrap up the last December farm stand, it could be a week or two before we return. Entering the Tin House after the long break is eerie, especially if it’s still decorated for Christmas, so I’ve gotten into the habit of taking down the holiday decorations before the break. Weeks later, when I reenter the Tin House, the darke

December Reflection—2025 The successful end to a growing season is something we never take for granted. There are countless ways to get knocked down in farming, so every December, when we give thanks for the season, we really do mean it. But this December , we really, really mean it. Because there was no guarantee, back in January, that the 2025 season would even launch, let alone be successful. We had CSA income, but no contract, and without a contract (we assumed), the sea

November 24, 2025 The 2026 garlic is in! You’d think the annual excitement would wear off after all these years, but it never does. In November, when everything is turning brown, planting garlic is staking a claim on a green future. It’s hopeful, empowering, and exciting, at any age. Our first year we planted in Upper Williams, simply because it was the only field that was ready. As luck would have it, Upper Williams turned out to be one of our best fields! But garlic is a lo

October 15, 2025 One of my favorite questions to ask employees nearing the end of their first season is which was your favorite task: planting, weeding, or harvesting? For most, the answer is harvesting. Despite our best efforts, transplants might die and weeds might not, but a truck full of produce is a victory that can’t be snatched away. When employees get to see that produce on display, and chat with customers eager to bring it home, the satisfaction is even sweeter. So