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Focus on Co-op
Suppliers: Winter on the Farm
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by Suzanne Fisher
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We are deep into winter in
the Albany area, and in post-holiday relief many of us turn back to
life as usual in our various occupations. Farmers, however, have a
fluctuating schedule that changes dramatically from one season to the
next and year-by-year, depending on weather, economies, and other
events. Three different local farms that have been with Honest Weight
on a long-term basis—Nettle Meadow, Butterworks and Slack Hollow farms—
all cope with winter in their own way.
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A
Wintertime Menagerie
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Located
in Thurman (near Warrensburg), Nettle Meadow Goat Farm sells a
wonderful selection of goat cheeses at Honest Weight. Their farm is
home to more than 200 goats, sheep and a small herd of Jersey cows, as
well as animals in a rescue sanctuary and llamas for protection in the
pastures. For winter, the Jersey cows go to another farmer in Argyle,
while the other animals reside in one of four barns with access to the
outside on all but the coldest days. Sheila Flanagan, co-owner with
Lorraine Lambiase, says they reduce the number of milking goats to 90,
from approximately 160 in the summer. Instead of four people working
the twice-a-day milking, only one is needed. Tasks may differ, but they
work harder in the winter and focus by necessity on the health of the
animals, which require more salt and grain. To encourage hydration,
molasses is added to their drinking water. Older animals in the rescue
sanctuary often need coats, as well.
Last but not least, winter is the season for kidding. The pregnant does
are housed in the warmest barn, where baby monitors are mounted to
alert the farmers to imminent births. Since installing these devices,
Sheila says that their success rate with live births has improved
significantly. Baby goats spend time in the nursery located in the
farmhouse basement. Many kids are available beginning in February for
adoption, as either brush or pet goats (not meat). In spite of snow and
cold, tours are still ongoing four days a week, although not all areas
of the farm are safely accessible. Check their website, www.nettlemeadow.com,
for more information.
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The
Milking Never Stops
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In
contrast to Nettle Meadow, Anne and Jack Lazor of Butterworks Farm, in
Westfield (Vt.), do not reduce their production of organic cream and
yogurt during the winter. Of their 80 Jersey cows, 37 or 38 wre being
milked when I spoke with Anne, and that number was about to increase to
43. Their herd spends the winter lounging in a hoop barn covered over
with plastic on a deep pack of straw, with more clean straw is added
every day. (This bedding is raked into “wind rows” in the spring for
composting, then applied to fields in the fall when the soil is more
receptive to its nutrients.) The barn is not heated and serves mainly
to stop the wind; screens in the walls provide ventilation. Large round
bales of hay— cut and baled on the same day to preserve much of its
green color and nutrients— are fed to the cows daily. They come into a
heated barn twice a day for milking and a little organic grain. This
winter the Lazors had to purchase organic corn for their cows from
another Vermont farmer, due to a series of weatherrelated setbacks
during the growing season. They will sell their own organic, moldy corn
this year for use in making ethanol!
Last year the Lazors experienced a market downturn when Whole Foods,
which had purchased Butterworks yogurt through United Natural Foods,
decided to sell its own brand of organic yogurt instead. In some years
they buy milk from a nearby organic dairy to meet the demand for their
yogurt—but last year the Lazors ended up making cheese from their
surplus milk.
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Underground
Heat for Tender Greens
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Martha
Johnson and Seth Jacobs of Slack Hollow Farm, in Argyle, sell organic
vegetables to Honest Weight during the growing season. They currently
have onions and winter squash stored at the Co-op, to be sold as
needed. Martha explained that their goal is to employ Slack Hollow’s
workers year-round. Throughout the winter, they continue to grow and
sell cold-weather greens and root crops at the Troy Waterfront Farmers’
market.
For the more tender greens, Seth and Martha have two greenhouses heated
with buried hot water pipes. Spinach grows in another unheated
greenhouse. Along with solar energy, the underground heating system
keeps the houses from freezing, while the plants are protected by row
covers at night. Seeding continues in the heated greenhouses except for
the winter solstice period, when the lack of sunlight slows plant
growth. Because their winter farm is not in full production, Martha and
Seth are able to focus on necessary seasonal tasks such as crop
rotation planning and seed-and-supply ordering. Occasionally they even
take time to snowshoe in the beautiful hills of Washington County, or
take kids snowboarding across the state line at Bromley Mountain.
Our local farms work hard to stay viable and to supply us with healthy
and delicious foods all year long. We can ensure that this continues by
supporting them—while enjoying the fruits of their labors.
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