Winter's Work
Welcome to the Carters' Farm Newsletter, where you can find information on farm events and produce, our favorite recipes, and reflections from the family. We hope you enjoy!
WINTER 2023
Farming is inextricably tied to the cyclical nature of the seasons. Some may wonder—what goes on at the farm in the winter? As a farm in the heartland of Minnesota, sometimes there’s not much else to do except toss wood in the fire and stay warm. But there’s still plenty of planning to do for the next season. It’s always closer than you expect. By April and May, when the snow finally melts away, it seems as though you’re already behind on the work of plowing, fertilizing, and planting. We’re always looking for better ways to improve upon the last year, while remaining mindful of maintaining the good practices of preceding seasons.
SEEDING TOMATOES
Two weeks ago, the first tomatoes were seeded, establishing the beginning of the 2023 season! By April and May, when they are healthy seedlings, they will be planted in the soil in the high tunnels. This year, we’ll be planting a lot of the same varieties as last year, but also making slight changes to accommodate taste and people’s interest. Each year is different, even if slightly—with different varieties of tomatoes, lettuce, sweet corn, pumpkins, etc. being planted. In a lot of ways, farming includes the process of experimenting with different crops, at different times, in different areas of soil.
CHOCOLATE & PEPPER
Winter is also a time of rest and contemplation. Dwight Carter, the steward and owner of Carters’ Farm, spends most of the winter at his fruit-tree farm Frutas del Mundo, in Guatemala. It’s where he grows his cacao trees that—as many may have experienced this past year—he has refined into artisan Carters’ Chocolate. Check out our website for more information on our seed-to-bar chocolate. This year, stay tuned for updates regarding Carters’ Chocolate!
If you’re looking to stock up on black pepper or need a refill, we’ll also be offering black pepper from Dwight Carter’s farm in Guatemala as well at farmers’ markets and on-farm events, including the Fall Festival.
We hope you enjoyed this first installment of the newsletter. If you’re interested in hearing regular updates from Carters’ Farm, please consider subscribing. As always, you can find details on our website and social media pages.
For the next newsletter, we’ll be announcing the first summer music event at the farm that takes place in early July.
Y’all come see us at the farm!
On behalf of Carters’ Farm,
—Steven Carter
