I received a new catalog in the mail yesterday. It's titled "New Pig: Leak and Spill Pigalog." At first glance, I was a bit offended that they selected me to receive it. Without even opening it I can tell they think I'm a messy sort of person. "Spill Kit, Absorbent Sock, Spill Containment Pallet, Leak Diverter..." are just some of what's advertised on the front cover alone. Not a very flattering invitation to shop more. Then again, maybe they saw me trip over the dog's water dish that very morning, and they sent the catalog express? Or perhaps they know about the rootbeer incident? But that was over a year ago and the only witnesses were another farmer, the truck driver and again, the dog.
I looked around the room. At the moment only the dog was there watching, his innocent stare unsettling. Is he sending out for catalogs when I'm not around?
When I turned the catalog over I saw it was addressed to Old Plank Farm. Well of course, that's okay because a farm would make the list for this sort of new catalog, I suppose. It's not personal, just business.
The farm receives a lot of catalogs this time of year. Seed catalogs make up the bulk of these. Even though our seed orders have already arrived for the coming season, I still enjoy looking at the ads for delicious new varieties of vegetables being offered. We also get supply catalogs, which provide us with growing and harvest tools, irrigation parts, and packing supplies. The pictures in these aren't as lucious as the seed catalogs', but they are practical and informative. This week I am working on our supply orders during the day and drooling over seed catalogs in the evening. The pigalog isn’t likely to make the cut.
We aren't waiting until a few days before we need supplies to put in an order, especially not in a year where supply chains and shipping may be a bit slower than usual. Nor do we ever wait until June to start farming. Vegetable farming has year round planning, work, and expenses. In order to deliver onions to our members during the harvest season, we need to order the seeds in December, order the potting mix and planting trays in January, start the seeds in February, heat and water them in March, transplant them into the field in April, weed and water them in May and June, harvest them in July and August, dry the storage varieties in September, and continue to deliver them all through October. And that's just one of our 35+ crops! Farmers are always thinking ahead and doing work that won't reap rewards until sometime in the future.
You don't have to be a farmer to think ahead like one. I hope you'll consider signing up early if you want to become a member of our farm this season. Don't wait until June when the veggies are ready for harvest, because they will already be spoken for. Sign up today and your membership will help support all the work we do here to bring you boxes of veggies during the 20 week harvest season. Many of our returning members have already signed up, and it’s thanks to you that we are well prepared for the season ahead.
I guess I don’t blame the dog for the new Pigalog sent to us. Nor do I think he’ll blab about the rootbeer incident. But if we get a Sheepalog in the mail any time soon, this border collie is going to have some questions to answer!
So many resources for vegetable farmers! Our favorites, Hillcrest Supply and FEDCO Seeds are not pictured, because they are also the most shared catalogs!