12/22/2024
โTwas the shortest day, twas the longest nightโ โ someone, somewhere, possibly with a cup of mulled wine โ๏ธ๐
Itโs Midwinter, yโallโ๏ธ Cozy up and take a mini solstice dive with your friendly local farmers!
Besides getting closer to saying goodbye to those never-ending gray Michigan days, why are your farmers really excited about the Winter Solstice? Well, hereโs the scoopโฆ
So, right now, the sun is as far south as it gets in the sky, meaning itโs doing its best to avoid us here in the Northern Hemisphere. BUTโgood news! Tomorrow, that sunshine starts its long journey back toward us โ๏ธDaylight starts creeping in again, and thatโs a ๐ to farmers everywhere in our region!
For CENTURIES (yep, thatโs rightโcenturies!) humansโespecially farmersโhave been all about tracking the solstices. Why? Because sunlight = growth = food = survival ๐ฑ
More daylight = faster growthโจLess daylight = slower growth
It might look like farmers are just planning around the seasons, but guess whatโ๏ธThe seasons are the way they are because of the sun and the tilt of the earth (crazy, right?). So by the second week of February, weโll be getting just enough daylight (about 10 hours and counting) to start planting our early spring cold-hardy crops in the high tunnels, picture: kale, arugula, tatsoi, carrots, beets ๐ฑ๐ฅ๐ซ๐ง
So, letโs get in the Midwinter spirit ๐ JOIN US in raising a glassโlike our ancestors may haveโand CHEER to the return of the light! May this new daylight bring fresh growth, good vibes, and sunnier days ahead for all of us โจ