Introduction and Overview  February 28     Hello Farm Friends, This is the first e-mail update for the 2021 season at Covenant Gardens!    Introduction   Let me first give a big HOWDY to a bunch of new people who have expressed interest in our Farm Friends arrangement. The recent online advertising in the area has generated an amazing response. My original thought was to add a handful of new volunteers this year so that we could increase our harvest, but there are far more people interested than I expected.  This overwhelming response presents itself as an opportunity as well as a new challenge for Covenant Gardens. The opportunity is that many amazing possibilities lie in front of us. This is very exciting! The challenge is to organize in such a way so that we can all be effective with our time and work. The important thing I want to accomplish in all of this for 2021 is that everyone benefits, in a multitude of ways, from their investment of time and work here on the farm. Covenant Gardens is very productive with our current routine and setup. Those who have been farm friends for years past will be very helpful to show new friends the many details of our established routine and practices here. I will be counting on you "veterans" to share your knowledge and experience as we move forward.. You all have seen what happens and understand the rhythm of the farm. You have done the work. You have watched amazing harvests come into existence. Our new friends will learn as they become doers. It's one of those things that new friends have to experience in order to understand. It will all happen in due time, but for those who might be new this year please remember this...   Don't be shy about claiming your share of the harvest as it becomes available!    For those who come out and work and participate, the harvest is a benefit for you. It was made possible by your involvement. And the way this Farm Friends arrangement really works out in the long run is that everyone benefits through a mutually positive relationship. It should also be said that some of the benefits are not material at all, but are real nonetheless. It's how we manifest the meaning and ideals of a very old word in our name -- Covenant.  The Plan If you are inclined to join us on the day/weekend posted on our Calendar of Events, please e-mail me at COVGARDENS@GMAIL.COM. That way I can plan appropriately for the turnout on that day.   Our work days early in the season are usually on weekends. So, for example, we might be doing projects both Saturday and Sunday. Come on whatever day or time that is convenient for you. As we get into the season it will become clear which projects are ongoing and open-ended. In those cases, our farm friends will be free to come out at their leisure, weekdays included. This will be very flexible to meet your schedule. Everyone will be invited to the farm parties which usually take place in mid-summer or coincide with our fall harvest. All of the supplies and seeds are set to go. It may feel like the dead of winter, but spring is very close. In fact, yesterday I planted the first seeds of the year.  The Weirdo   Those seeds I just planted yesterday are asparagus seeds. If you have spent any time at Covenant Gardens, then you know that asparagus is one of the main crops we grow. Asparagus is the weirdo. It's the weirdo that we love.   We grow it for a few reasons, including the fact that it is considered a superfood for its nutritional content. Scientific research has shown the power of superfoods like asparagus to maintain excellent health. That means we are, quite literally, exporting health to our friends and neighbors all over SW Montana as we grow our asparagus crop year in and year out. It also tastes amazing when grown without any chemical herbicides, pesticides, or synthetic fertilizers.   The farm friends will get to see for themselves before long.    Our harvest goes from May into June, so if you come out to the farm to help plant in the spring, chances are you will be able to take some home with you for dinner. These are some of the things that make asparagus the weirdo: 1) Harvest first each year, then growing time later for the rest of the season. 2) Boy and girl plants (how cool is that?). 3) Seeds take 3 weeks or more to germinate. 4) The plants come back every year for 20 years or more. 5) It draws screaming beetles (think horror movies). 6) Deer tend to hate it 7) It is a superfood for bees, too. 8) Asparagus honey is divine. 9) Ferns are beautiful and fun in the summer. Just a few things our farm friends get to look forward to in the future as they participate in our season.   If Onions Could Speak Speaking of future dates, mark down April 26th. That's the day the order for 2000+ baby onion plants will be shipped from Dixondale Farms on the Texas-Mexico border.  Those little onion plants were seeded in January or February and are growing in Texas right now. Soon, they will be dug up and bundled and boxed. They will get to ride an airplane to be delivered right here in Waterloo, Montana at the end of April for us to plant in the garden. The onions will grow here all summer and finally do their wonderful butterfly trick at the end of the season just in time for us to harvest. Farm friends will get to learn all about them, what makes the rings in an onion, how the late summer shorter days tell it what to do, and how to cure for long winter storage. But I often wonder what story those little onion plants could tell if onions could speak. Can you imagine being planted as a seed in south Texas, only to be dug up, put on an airplane, and then be "planted again" in Montana?. That must be heaven.    If Onions could speak, I would ask them where they enjoyed it the most -- Texas or Montana? I am confident their favorite would be summer in Montana.  The story would be most amazing this year because of the Great Freeze of 2021 that hit south Texas. You see, Dixondale Farms is one of the largest producer of baby onion plants in the entire United States.   They almost lost their entire crop of onion seedlings earlier this month when temperatures on the Texas-Mexico border dipped into the teens. That near tragic destruction would have created an epic onion shortage across America in 2021. What saved the day is the 3 inches of snow that fell just before the cold snap. It insulated all the seedlings from the cold and protected them from loss. If onions could speak, then what stories would they tell us when they arrive in Montana for  2021? I think they would say that resilience is crucial.    Summer Arrives in April The other big project coming up in April will be greenhouse work with the garden plants. When I send out the e-mail for that project I will mention to plan on working in summertime weather.  Our daytime temperature in the greenhouses usually runs in the upper 80s and lower 90s. That means dress for summer! Sandals and suntans coming right up.   And who wouldn't love a little summer in Montana during April? It's nice. Trust me. Farm Day Work List   Here is a brief list of items for our new farm friends to consider bringing on a farm work day: 1) Water, snacks, and possibly a cooler to keep it chilled. 2) Hat and sunglasses. 3) Lunch if you plan to spend the day with us. 4) Mosquito repellent during mosquito season. 5) Your favorite work gloves.   Directions    We are located about 15-20 minutes south of Whitehall near the Jefferson River in Waterloo. We are sort of between Whitehall and Twin Bridges off of MT Highway 55. Our physical address is 27 Gornick Lane, Whitehall, which should get you close.   **Special Note** Our driveway comes in from Carney Lane, so drive past Gornick Lane and take the first driveway on the right, through the double green gates. It is a long driveway and the farm is behind the large sod field and pasture. You can see a cabin from Carney Lane in the distance. That is the farm.   Excited for the upcoming 2021 season! I can't wait to meet our new farm friends before long. Blessings, Tim Martin  CovenantGardens.com