I think for the most part this winter season has to be, in my mind, a traditional winter season. I can remember many years when it would start to snow in November and the snow wouldn’t leave till March. I know where we live it is a bit of an anomaly as far as winter snow goes but this year sure feels different than what we have been accustomed to. I saw in a news broadcast where they were speaking of the 5 cities in the United States that get the most snowfall. Anyone want to guess the #2 town that gets the most snowfall? You guessed it, Sherman, NY. I was astounded but can totally believe it. I think a lot of it has to do with our elevation and the proximity to lake Erie. If the lake doesn’t freeze over, then we get slammed with snow.
You are probably wondering why I bring this up. First off, people tend to like to speak of the weather. Secondly, I believe that the weather has a direct correlation to the soil that we grow in. Moisture from the air helps to add fertility to the ground via water and the nutrients included in it. Thirdly, when the ground is covered with snow, it provides a blanket of protection to the ground which insulates and provides a perfect microclimate for the microbes to be active in the soil along with the earth worms to break down and make available nutrients in the soil. As the microbes do their magic to digest the nutrients bound up in the soil, they then die off supplying nutrients in their decayed bodies that become part of the organic matter in the soil. As the root system of the plants growing in the soil search out the nutrients needed to grow, the organic matter is there to supply what the plant needs. In the spring, when the snow melts, the water supplied by the snow melt raises the water table in the ground providing moisture to the plants as the plants root system draws moisture from the ground below.
The point I’m trying to make is, I feel blessed with the weather we get because it allows us the ability to raise wonderful nutritious food for our customers, be it beef, chicken, mushrooms or vegetables. From our farm to your table, just as it should be.