I'm rather reminded by the farm of how I imagine a bear would act upon coming out of hibernation.  Yes, we haven't really been hibernating, I've felt busy all winter (except those 2 vacations within 3 weeks), but between the greenhouses, the shop, and the biweekly csa distributions, our days have felt quite full.  But now it seems the farm is fully waking up, shaking off the sleepy winter calm, and heading out.  Full of the same sense of urgency I think of a hungry bear roaming around for food.  Instead though, we are out trying to beat the weather, scrounging not for hidden acorns or grubs, but spots of dry tillable land,  a plastic bed perhaps made up in the fall, or the small herb beds that are workable by hand.  Perhaps untrue of both the farm and the bear, but I imagine a bit of grogginess, a bit of uncoordination due to unuse, the need to learn or relearn for both the staff and the equipment. As a four-wheeler not used for months needs a bit of time to get reaquainted with the idea of shifting out of reverse.  A parade of tractors rearranged in the machinery shed to access the plow last used months ago. A dash to plow, till, make raised beds, and seed, as decisions are made that indeed the soil is finally dry enough... today. not yesterday but today... unfortunately the snow/ rain/ crazy wintery (spring) mix is called for in a few hours...so out of hibernation into a sprint.

We try to prioritize- what will our members really want in a month or 2.  The precious dry ground is fit for peas, both snap and shell, spinach, baby bok choi, mesclun mix, arugula, but beets and carrots still stored in the cooler will need to wait a week or 2.  Its also a matter of what can take the crazy weather this spring is bringing and what transplants are ready to go out.  Coming out of hibernation is a bit of balance.  The energy is there, but tempered by a bit of winter's rust. Leaving the comfy confines of the greenhouses for the wide open skies over the spring mud is something we all have been looking forward to... but a few hours in the damp chill of a cloudy afternoon and I was ready for just a bit more time back in that warm hollow.  With rain in the forecast, we most likely won't be abandoning the shelter of the packing shed, shop, and greenhouses, but when the sun returns (hopefully not with accompanying 20 degree nights), we'll be ready, having had a chance to stretch and encouraged by those first tastes of spring planting.