Winter Work: The First Tulips
Winter has been asking a lot lately. When temperatures dropped to –15°F, the kind of cold that seeps into everything, the farm shifted into survival mode. Chores were shorter. Doors stayed shut. Animals were given a higher-fat diet and extra heat. Crops in the high tunnel were covered with thick frost covers. Every task required more effort, more layers, more attention. This is the kind of winter that reminds you just how physical this work really is.
In the middle of it, we lost a hen after she became egg-bound. It’s the first time we’ve encountered this in all the years we’ve kept chickens, and I hope it’s not something we see again anytime soon. Life with animals on a farm is different, but no matter how long you’ve been caring for livestock, watching an animal suffer is difficult. You do what you can, you stay attentive, and sometimes it still isn’t enough to keep them going.
The work doesn’t stop.
Inside the grow space, the tulips have been quietly doing what they do best. While the weather outside has been relentless, their progress has been steady and unhurried. Each day brings subtle change—stems lengthening, color beginning to show. It’s not dramatic, but it’s unmistakable.
Winter tulips are different from the flowers that come later in the season. There’s a simplicity to them—clean lines, focused color, complete on their own. For me, they feel like that first shift toward spring, when abundance hasn’t yet taken over and every stem feels deliberate.
These first tulips always mark a turning point for us. Not because winter is over, but because the work you’ve been tending all along becomes visible. The quiet weeks, the careful monitoring, the patience—it starts to show itself in green growth and developing buds. Today’s image shares the sprouting leaves of a new variety for us, one with variegated foliage—a first on our farm. These special tulips are being grown exclusively for our Tulip CSA members.
As the tulips continue to inch along, we’re nearing the first pickup for our beloved CSA members. This is one of my favorite programs each year—I truly love growing these unique tulip varieties for winter flower enthusiasts. If you’ve been thinking about joining, there are just a few spots left. Once they’re filled, that chapter of the season is set. We love this special time with our tulips and enjoy keeping the program small and intentional.
This is winter work—showing up, paying attention, and trusting that growth is happening, even when it’s slow.
