Winter..No vacation for a farmer.

This  has been an exceptionally cold winter for us Middle Tennesseans (I'm sure I don't have to tell you this), but despite the harsh cold, we farmers are have been weathering through! On Delvin Farms, we spent last Friday erecting another hoophouse that will allow us to extend the growing season. With hoophouses, we'll have tomatoes and strawberries earlier than the field crops and we'll have greens, onions, spinach, arugula later in the year. Our hoophouses have allowed us to continue providing produce at the year round Saturday farmers markets, Franklin at the Factory and West Nashville at 47th and Alabama Ave.
Despite our desire to bundle up and hibernate we've continued farming in this unusually harsh winter. A lot of people complain about it, but I wouldn't mind one really big snow- the kind that will make it impossible to leave the house- for at least a day! Before I joined the family farm full time I had my "DC Adventure" as I like to call it, and I taught middle school Literature outside DC for seven years. The adventure part is teaching middle schoolers..but besides that, my border collie, Luna, and I had many snow adventures living in Maryland. One year we got three feet of snow and I had to shovel a tunnel for Luna to go outside. She is a true Southern belle who loves her sweaters, even here in TN, and she managed to hold it for two days before she finally gave into that tunnel!
 But I digress...my point is that farmers don't have the option to call in sick or take a snow day, and these days we are preparing for the upcoming outdoor, seasonal markets such as the East Nashville Farmers Market! We're planting seed in our greenhouses and nursing tiny plants that will be transplanted in the fields in March and April, so that by May 11th we will be ready and waiting to serve East Nashville incredible, fresh, local vegetables, meats, cheeses, breads and community fellowship! Mark your calendar for May 11th! Check out our website, www.eastnashvillemarket.com, follow us on twitter www.twitter.com/enfarmersmkt or become a fan on facebook, www.facebook.com/eastnashvillefarmersmarket. And if you're a vendor, visit the website for the vendor application and market rules. See you on May 11th!
-Amy