Hello from up on the hill.

As winter very slowly loosens its grip on the land, we continue to do all that we can to prepare for the outdoor growing season.

This past week we had help from a group of students from the Newfound region. They were not expecting quite so much snow when they arrived, but their surprise did little to dampen their enthusiasm. With their help we were able to plant several flats of tomatoes, peppers and greens with exciting names like "space spinach". While it is satisfying labor to be placing tiny seeds in little packets of rich soil knowing that soon they will be sprouting, there is nothing quite like planting those same tiny seeds in the great outdoors.

Believe it or not, we were able to do some of that too. It did require a bit of shoveling earlier in the week, but we are all now anxiously awaiting the first signs of new growth from the south-facing bed next to the house.

That garden is next to a house fast-filling with farmers. We are currently growing a great crop of signs that are sprouting from the snow. Earlier in the week, there were a few trees across the street labeled with a sign that was just barely visible. A few days of radiant sun revealed a top word; "roadside". After a day of steady rain, "orchard" appeared. Now, the sign and post can be seen declaring "roadside orchard". Most of the fruit trees have been pruned, but we are still waiting for the slightly shorter perennial shrubs to show themselves, so we can trim up the blueberries and raspberries too.

The hostel is getting busy. This coming weekend we will have quite a few guests joining us. We hope that anyone reading will be able to come on up too for our Saturday Soup Night. This month, a group of students from Plymouth State will be sharing a presentation about their recent trip to a few eco-villages in India.

Stay tuned for more news from the farm.

Be well. -Tyler