Beginning a new year is a good time to make resolutions and set goals.
In farming we begin each new year with the hope that mother nature will be kind to us in the coming year and resolve to make positive changes, always striving to learn from, grow and improve from our past successes and failures. So many of the factors necessary for a successful year are beyond our control so we set about taking care of what we can to make sure we are ready when the time comes. Most of our time the next few months on the farm will be spent pruning our 17,000 fruit trees, planning our vegetable plantings for the coming year and preparing equipment.
In farming, no matter how bad or good the past year was, the new year is a new beginning and filled with hope. Farmers are optimists. Why else would we will invest so much time and energy planting and caring for crops knowing we could lose them in an instant to a freeze or hail storm, etc… A hurricane or tropical storm can wipe out a whole season’s work. There aren’t many farmers who are recreational gamblers. We get all the excitement we can stand at the “office”.
I would like to wish everyone a happy and healthy new year and success with your New Year resolutions. We will endeavor to do our best to at least help with the healthy part by providing fresh, nutritious, locally-grown food for you and yours.