Seasons on The Farm
Making the best of a short growing season…
Taos, New Mexico has an average growing season of roughly 125 days- though anyone growing here can attest to its unpredictability and wide variation due to the large amount of microclimates within Taos.
Due to the limited time to grow, it is crucial to extend the season. We do this directly on crops with row covers but also through growing in hoop houses.
In hoop houses we grow thousands of pounds per year of peppers- ranging from small crops of specialty peppers to four hoop houses dedicated entirely to green chile- a New Mexico staple that we roast weekly at the Taos Farmers Market.
Season extension with hoop houses allows us to grow other crops that just need more time and warmth to ripen such as tomatoes and cucumbers.
Spring
Spring-time on the farm is a time of beginnings- and much preparation. There is never a shortage of things to do here in the spring months.
Beds need to be prepped with amendments and broad-forking. In the propagation house, we are busy seeding and transplanting seeds to larger pots as needed. We plant early season crops in hoop houses and some outside- greens and root vegetables as the ground can be worked.
As it grows warmer, we transplant the rest of our starts, direct seed some crops, and try to get everything in the ground as soon as possible.
Summer
Summer brings longer, warmer, days usually full of sun and hours of weeding. Though row covers help to alleviate some of the weed pressure, its an inevitable part of farming.
The summer can bring days too hot for some crops- some protected with shade cover, but others-like peas- see the end of their season. Those beds are turned over to plant new crops such as green beans, that can withstand the summer heat.
Late summer begins a time of boundless harvest. Tomatoes suddenly are becoming full of ripe, delicious, fruit. There is an over-abundance of cucumbers, summer squash, and flowers in bloom. It’s a beautiful time here on the farm and a tangible reward for the effort and care put in.
Fall
Fall is the harvest season- there is ripening winter squash, and cool weather crops, such as lettuce start to thrive again. The days began to grow shorter and more crisp. It is an incredible time in Taos, with leaves changing in the mountains, and a seemingly endless bounty of fruit finally ready to enjoy- sweetened by the cool nights.
Fall is at the same time, an ending. The threat of frost begins to loom in September- with a first frost date averaging the end of the month. On the farm, it can happen weeks earlier. Rows began to be put to bed, prepped and amended again and then covered. Plant material is gathered for the compost. The pace slows down considerably.
Winter
Winter marks a time of quiet on the farm. There is little to do and the days become short and frigid. The sun in Taos is still a constant, which allows some continued bed prep in early winter.
Cool weather crops continue to grow, planted in Fall. They are covered and inside of a hoop house. Lettuce, kale, bok choy, and carrots— crops that don’t mind the cold. Carrots are also overwintered outside, under a thick mulch cover.
Seeds are ordered and plans are made for the next growing season— which comes quickly. Late February begins seeding of thousands of peppers in the propagation house.