CSA Week 8

Dec 11, 2025

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Winter Trees

All the complicated details
of the attiring and
the disattiring are completed!
A liquid moon
moves gently among
the long branches.
Thus having prepared their buds
against a sure winter
the wise trees
stand sleeping in the cold. 

By William Carlos Williams

I did not expect the snow to fall so heavily & stick, hiding our unfinished work under a shimmering sheet. In some ways snow is the greatest relief. I love how absolute it feels… that a collection of floating flakes declare the season of growing out of sight. Despite feeling quite certain a warming-up period will allow us to mulch the garlic & collect the last bits of landscape fabric, the gentle task of wintering has fallen into focus for me. A ceramic teapot sits atop our wood stove, steeping herbal chai, chamomile, tulsi, warming blends. I offer sips to Ansel & he puckers his lips before going in for more. Yesterday, his small baby body became acquainted with napping on a sleigh ride. Wrapped in wools, in the afternoon sun, skating along the icy dirt road between the legs of a fellow baby friend. The juncos flitter about the back porch, collecting small seeds off of the browned, yet sturdy hyssop plants. Brian plugged in the seedling heat mats for the cats to nap on constantly. Bitter cold wind has caked the northern-facing bark of the towering maples in snow. It looks very elegant. A murder of crows are spending their time in the compost pile. Today one flew by with the window with a bit of frozen bread in tow. Just outside the back door, there has been a steady rotation of broth & soup pots resting in a bed of snow. Simple storage. Lately, there has been time to share meals with fellow farming friends who are also taking a deep breath after months of intense labor. The sauce boils & meatballs simmer as we hover near one another, pondering next year’s tomato varieties.

So far December feels like deep winter, despite not having yet greeted the solstice. My gratitude for storage produce continues to expand & hope for new growth has begun to take root.