It's January and time to start looking for your 2013 farmer.

Do you love the idea of getting organic, local, pasture raised foods right from the farm, so fresh the farmer is still picking the veggies as you pull up the drive?  If you do  then it is time for you to  start looking for and signing up with a local small farmer now for a subscription in veggies and meats that won't be ready till spring, summer or fall. 

Seriously?

Well, yes.
 True small farmers only grow so much, and have limited numbers of subscriptions to offer so you want to get on the list before it is sold out, but more importantly, to help the farmer, he needs to know, sometimes months in advance what what he will be growing and how much of it to grow before the soil is even ready to plant. He needs to know how many seeds or transplants to order for veggies or if you are interested in meat shares, how many meat chicks or piglets to order and raise, and how much feed for the livestock to put on order. In my case I have had to turn away so many potential farm members last year in April because it was already too late. My seeds were all ready purchased and some planted, my meat birds and piglets already purchased and making a living on the pasture. In November I had potential customers ask if I had any pasture raised Thanksgiving  turkeys available, I had to say sorry, they were all reserved back in February.

So, if you are thinking about getting a farm subscription, help the farmers out by placing your requests in early.