As we say goodbye to October, it’s becoming very clear that winter is upon us. The nights are getting colder, the days are getting shorter, and I’ve found myself opting to stay in my bed watching movies rather than getting out into the woods during my free time.

Driving to the farm this morning, I was greeted by a beautiful sunrise over Mount Rainier followed by frost-covered fields here at Red Dog. The orange light reflecting on the icy fields made for a beautiful sight, especially after we had such a clear weekend.

It’s moments like this that make me realize how truly privileged I feel to be living and working in this area, and how excited I am to see the transition to winter and how the farm adapts along with it.

And it’s really happening quickly.

Over the recent weeks, we’ve been busy preparing for winter: deconstructing greenhouses, pulling dead crops, and ensuring we get veggies out of the ground before the fields become lakes. These tasks have become all-hands-on-deck experiences, some of them taking the better part of a couple days to complete. And now, as of Friday, we dropped down to a crew of about ten people for the winter.

Looking back at the height of the season, so much has changed.

But change isn’t a bad thing, and even though the adventures of the summer and fall are coming to a close, the winter presents us with new opportunities. It could be reading that book that’s been sitting on your nightstand for the last few months, having board game nights with your closest friends, or cooking that soup recipe that you’ve been meaning to try out (after all, it is soup season, and your CSA this week has some great ingredients!).

Whatever you end up doing with your time this winter, I hope you use it to have some fun and spend some quality time with the ones you love. Personally, I’m going to start playing Christmas music and getting ready for the holidays. 🙂

~Cormac