The OLearys had a bit of a farm. A small cottage for the two of them and their cat, a tiny shed for the goat, the lamb, and two chickens, and a tidy little garden – with an apple tree. It wasnt much of a farm, but it was enough – and it belonged to them.
So begins the delightful childrens book entitled A Garden for a Groundhog, by Lorna Balian.
Many in agriculture-minded Wayne County feel just the same way. They have a garden, an apple tree or two, or a farm, and its enough and just what they need to satisfy their urge to get their hands dirty.
But for all those who cant wait to get their hands in the warm brown soil each year, spring can be a long time coming. What do gardeners and farmers do in the winter, when the sod is hard and frozen or a blanket of white covers the ground? And how much stock do they put in Groundhog Day?
For Lynn Welker, a retired guidance counselor and avid gardener, winter is a time for planning, thinking, and dreaming. Much like Mr. OLeary, who spent the winter reading seed catalogs, Welker said he wears out the covers of his seed catalogs. And usually, on a cold blustery day in January, he mails his seed order.
Welker, who has a 150-by-50 foot garden, grows red and black raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, peaches, apples and cherries in addition to the usual garden fare. He enjoys experimenting with cold weather crops like artichokes, salsify and parsnips, that he can harvest year-round as long as the ground is not frozen. And this year he plans on ordering seed for a blight resistant cucumber he saw in a catalog.
In addition to dreaming, winter is the time to spread manure, cut back raspberries and mulch the strawberries, said Welker.
Steve and Kris Gerber farm 350 acres, much of it along Cleveland Road. They grow soybeans, corn, wheat and hay. Gerber said that while his wife accuses him of napping the winter away, hes really using this down time to plan.
I attend suppliers open houses and learn about new technology and products, he said. He updates his notebook with plans for each field, which includes information about tillage, fertilizer, seeds, and chemicals.
I work on taxes, take care of livestock and make a note of machinery that needs to be worked on, he said. The winter months are a much needed break for the spring rush that farmers know is coming.
For Fred and Marilyn Finney, at Moreland Fruit Farm, there is no off-season. Once the root crops are harvested and the fields are put to rest for the winter, there are still apples to pack and deliver all winter and a retail store to run. In January, they clean and sterilize their greenhouses, wash pots, and prep for the tiny flower and vegetable seedlings.
Winter is also a good time to repair equipment, prune fruits and berries and spend time planning, said Marilyn Finney. We talk about what worked and what didnt work and what we want to try new.
Come February, many gardeners and farmers alike (including Mr. OLeary) are getting a bit restless and wonder if spring is really right around the corner. Theyre anxious to see if old Punxsutawney Phil, who hadnt eaten anything all winter - because groundhogs arent supposed to - will rouse himself from his slumber and spot his shadow.
Welker said he doesnt have much faith in the groundhog theory. I think if he had any sense hed just stay in his hole; but hes probably as anxious for spring as we are. However, once Feb. 2 rolls around, Welker said he figures the hard days of winter are probably past. Theres a good chance that spring really is going to come, he said.
Gerber said he doesnt put much stock in Groundhog Day either. Oh, its kind of fun to look at things like that, but I dont count on it being too accurate, he said. Gerber said he has more faith in another old wives tale that predicts the temperature of the following 12 months by looking at the temperature of the first 12 days of January.
If the second day (of January) is a little warmer than normal, this translates into a warmer than normal February, Gerber explained.
The Finneys enjoy perusing the Farmers Almanac and other such publications but dont have a lot of faith in them or Groundhog Day either. They have had years of experience and know that every year is different, said Marilyn Finney. We always say whatever happens – happens.
