January and most of February felt like spring, some days reaching 75 degrees. Days may still be short, but with the extra rains in October and the warms days this winter the grass grew early and thick. Despite the frosty early mornings and late sunrise we are motivated to get out in the orchard for an earlier-than-usual mowing and tilling in the orchard.

Then there is the list of things we often put off until we are too busy again in the late spring with pruning and fertilizing… But no excuses when it’s warm and the sun is shining. So over the past several weeks, we put up the bluebird box hoping for a bluebird family, painted the mower so it looked new again, sharpened the mower blades for a cleaner cut and generally used the tractor forks to clean up and move stuff.

Took the tractor for a short rode trip on Soda Bay Road over to the Ripe Choice Farm to till the area where the Lipps have planned a big vegetable garden to supply their catering business. Look forward to tasting some great Lake County sun-ripened. tomatoes!