Farms: Winter at the Hudson Valley Farm Hub

Jean-Paul Courtens, Associate Director for Farmer Training at the Hudson Valley Farm Hub talks about what goes on on the farm in the winter. At the end of the fall, as the last of the harvest comes in and the days start getting shorter, work on the farm shifts into a lower gear. “Winter is a much calmer time of year for us,” Farm Hub Associate Director Jean-Paul Courtens told us recently. “Unlike the busy schedule demanded by the growing season, these months allow us to go back to a more regular work week.” With the seasonal workers gone, the farm buildings take on a quiet that matches the stillness out in the fields. There are essential tasks that go on during the winter, however, including maintenance of farm equipment, crop planning, staff training, and clearing around fields. With the sudden need to plow after a snow storm things can quickly become busy. In February, we begin prepping the greenhouses and starting seeds, and soon enough we’ll be back in the fields planting.