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<\/a>The Farm Hub is one of a growing number of farms in Ulster County and the region moving into winter production. The shift is prompted in part by growing demand for fresh vegetables in the winter, and the rising trend of grow local, buy local, says Katy Kondrat. Kondrat is the market manager at Kingston Farmers Market<\/span><\/a><\/span>,<\/span> now in its fourth year of offering a winter market. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think people having access to fresh local food year-round is a great thing,\u201d says Kondrat of the Farm Hub\u2019s entry into winter growing. \u201cThere is a demand for fresh produce in the winter months. I think the Kingston demographics are changing – consumers are wanting local produce all year, they also like the community feeling of a farmers\u2019 market.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Farm Hub\u2019s winter production plan includes education for the production staff. On days when the crew isn\u2019t planting, washing or harvesting, they have the opportunity to attend a series of educational workshops on winter growing.<\/span> It also means that this year for the first time they will remain on the farm for the entire year. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Gearing up<\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Farm Hub started gearing up for the winter season as early as August. Three new hoop houses were installed and two existing greenhouses were upgraded for winter work. The hoop houses are now packed with spinach, collards, and kale (some already ripe for harvest), while the greenhouses are producing leafy greens such as bok choy and micro greens for mixed salad. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n The winter season unofficially started in October with the last harvest expected in March, says Jeff Arnold, the vegetable production manager at the Farm Hub who oversees the production team of nine. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Much of the produce, including carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, salad greens, and cooking greens are being sold at Kingston YMCA this winter. For the first time, the Kingston YMCA Farm Project<\/span><\/a> and Farm Hub are collaborating to bring fresh produce to midtown Kingston through the winter by holding a market each Thursday afternoon in the lobby of the YMCA. The Farm Hub is providing the produce, and a portion of proceeds from sales go to the YMCA Farm Project\u2019s youth programs. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n The response has been tremendous says Jeff Scott, the Farm Hub\u2019s marketing and logistics coordinator who staffs the market alongside YMCA Farm Project youth. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n At the Farm Hub, Arnold began training the crew for winter farming in the summer. <\/span>They started by designing and building boxes to grow microgreens inside the greenhouses, which will be heated throughout the winter. Arnold acknowledges that there are challenges involved in winter farming. <\/span>These include subzero temperatures, production that is limited to cold resistant crops, and a finite amount of indoor growing space. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n But what appears certain is that the Farm Hub is part of a growing trend here in the Hudson Valley. Long Season Farm, an organic farm in Kerhonkson in Ulster County, launched year-round production five winters ago and started a corresponding CSA program, in part driven by the farm\u2019s need for more income. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n At the time, there were only a handful of farms doing year-round production, says Sam Zurofsky who runs the farm along with wife Erin Enouen. <\/span>They were unsure of what to expect from the short growing season and the harsh winter weather. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBecause there is less sunlight, things take longer and there is less space to grow,\u201d says Zurofsky. At the Farm Hub, for example, vegetable production is consolidated from 30 acres to roughly 3,000 square feet per greenhouse. Winter production often comes with higher costs too, says Zurofsky pointing to the necessary hoop and greenhouses, the latter of which need to be heated. Enthusiasm for fresh produce offset the initial investment and costs, he says. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPeople were super excited to get a bag of fresh arugula in February or one bok choy,\u201d says Zurofsky. \u201cWe realized there was a commercial opportunity.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Since year-round started, Long Season\u2019s CSA program has grown steadily from 10 customers to 65 this season. In 2017-18 the farm built two larger hoop houses to grow an array of salad greens, arugula, head lettuce, baby bok choy, dandelion greens, kale, collards, and swiss chards. The farm is experimenting with winter beets and fennel this year. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n A new chapter<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n At the Farm Hub shifting year-round production also means the production crew will be staying on the farm throughout the entire year. Families with school-age children won\u2019t be uprooting their kids from schools, and most will stay on the farm for the holidays, says Arnold. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Education is also a unique and important part of the year-round production program and is part of the Farm Hub\u2019s overall mission, says Caitlin Salemi, manager of organizational culture and team development at the Farm Hub. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n When not farming, the workers attend weekly professional development workshops held primarily in Spanish on a variety of topics including organic growing practices and computer skills. The monolingual Spanish speakers also take classes to help improve their English language skills. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n The organic workshops focus on topics from pest and disease control to best winter fertility practices. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have learned a lot. I knew how to harvest and to cut, but I never imagined I would be in an English class. It had not crossed my mind until now that I\u2019m living it,\u201d says Lorena, a member of the vegetable production crew. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Her husband Samuel says building beds for the winter was a new experience. \u201cIt was a long process, making the beds, and planting the spinach. It was something amazing,\u201d he says. \u201cThis year has been really productive and we\u2019re on a really good track.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n One class was facilitated by Ashley Loehr a farmer at Sparrowbush Farm in Columbia County who herself began winter farming seven seasons ago. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c<\/b>I got into winter production because it was such a market niche,\u201d Loehr says. \u201cIt\u2019s a fun and crazy to thing to learn about\u2026For me as a winter grower that was a steep learning curve because it\u2019s such a different animal.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Long Season\u2019s Zurofsky adds that there is room for additional research in the area of winter farming that can be helpful to area farmers. <\/span>\u201cThe Farm Hub is a great resource in the Hudson Valley, especially when they work to connect research-based innovation with the needs of farmers in the area,\u201d says Long Season\u2019s Zurofsky. \u201cI hope that their (Farm Hub) foray into winter growing helps build the knowledge base for both farmers and the community.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n In Kingston, Solid Ground Farm\u2019s owner Wes Hannah is positive about the Farm Hub\u2019s winter production. \u201cThe more interest there is in buying locally<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n in the winter the better off we are,\u201d says Hannah, who sells his produce at the Kingston Farmers Market\u2019s winter market. \u201cIt\u2019s a rising tide that floats all boats,\u201d he says adding that it is a win-win for growers and consumers. \u201cAs more farms are popping up (in the region), there\u2019s more capacity to fill an unfilled market.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Winters ahead <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Back on the field in the hoop house, Arnold points to the fan-sized spinach and collards, some of it will soon be ready for harvest. He\u2019s excited about the program and says the Farm Hub team is committed to expanding winter food production in the future. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere will eventually be more greenhouses and in years to come there will be more production,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n –Amy Wu<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Durante un d\u00eda de semana, el invernadero en Hudson Valley Farm Hub est\u00e1 ajetreado con actividad \u2013 conversaciones, tijeretadas, el zumbido de los calentadores de aire. Aqu\u00ed en Hurley, es el inicio del invierno, los residuos de la \u00faltima nevada son evidencia del cambio de estaci\u00f3n, pero el equipo que se encarga de los vegetales est\u00e1 trabajando duro cosechando verduras para la ensalada. Este es un nuevo paisaje en Farm Hub \u2013 porque es el lanzamiento del nuevo ciclo de producci\u00f3n anual, lo que significa que el rancho cultivar\u00e1 vegetales y emplear\u00e1 trabajadores anteriormente de temporada durante el invierno por primera vez. Y con esto llega el inicio de la temporada de cultivo del invierno y una variedad de cultivos de clima fr\u00edo como la col rizada, la espinaca, la col y las acelgas.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Los tres invernaderos de arcos de Farm Hub.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n Farm Hub es uno de los tantos ranchos en el condado de Ulster y la regi\u00f3n que, cada vez en mayor cantidad, se est\u00e1n moviendo hacia la producci\u00f3n durante el invierno. Este cambio empez\u00f3 en parte por una demanda mayor de vegetales frescos durante el invierno y la tendencia de alza en el cultivo y la compra local, dice Katy Kondrat. Kondrat es la gerente del Mercado de <\/span>Kingston Farmers Market<\/span><\/a>, que ahora est\u00e1 en su cuarto a\u00f1o de ofrecer un mercado durante la temporada de invierno. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCreo que es una gran cosa el dar acceso a la gente a productos locales frescos todo el a\u00f1o\u201d, dice Kondrat acerca de la entrada de Farm Hub al cultivo de invierno. \u201cHay una demanda de productos frescos en los meses de invierno. Creo que la poblaci\u00f3n de Kingston est\u00e1 cambiando \u2013 los consumidores quieren productos locales todo el a\u00f1o y les gusta el sentimiento de comunidad de los mercados agr\u00edcolas\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n El plan de producci\u00f3n de Farm Hub para el invierno incluye la educaci\u00f3n del personal de producci\u00f3n. En los d\u00edas en que el equipo no est\u00e1 plantando, lav<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n ando o cosechando, tiene la oportunidad de asistir a una serie de talleres educativos sobre el cultivo durante invierno. Esto tambi\u00e9n significa que este a\u00f1o, por primera vez, la gente se quedar\u00e1 en la granja todo el a\u00f1o. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n La preparaci\u00f3n<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n Farm Hub empez\u00f3 a prepararse para la temporada de invierno desde agosto. Se instalaron tres nuevos invernaderos de arcos y dos de los que ya hab\u00eda se adecuaron para el trabajo de invierno. Los invernaderos de arco ahora est\u00e1n llenos de espinaca, acelga, y col rizada (algunas ya est\u00e1n listas para la cosecha), mientras que los otros invernaderos est\u00e1n produciendo vegetales verdes de hoja como repollo chino (bok choy) y micro verduras para ensaladas. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n La temporada de invierno empez\u00f3 extraoficialmente en octubre y se espera que la \u00faltima cosecha sea en marzo, dice Jeff Arnold, el gerente de Producci\u00f3n de Vegetales de Farm Hub, quien supervisa la producci\u00f3n de un equipo de nueve personas.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Los productos incluyen zanahorias, papas dulces, espinacas, verduras para ensalada y para cocinar que se est\u00e1n vendiendo en el YMCA de Kingston este invierno. Por primera vez, YMCA Farm Project de Kingston y Farm Hub est\u00e1n colaborando para ofrecer vegetales frescos a Midtown Kingston durante el invierno a trav\u00e9s del mercado que funciona cada tarde del jueves en el vest\u00edbulo del YMCA. Farm Hub brinda los productos y un porcentaje de las ventas van a los programas para j\u00f3venes de YMCA Farm Project. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n La respuesta ha sido magn\u00edfica, dice Jeff Scott, gracias al mercadeo de Farm Hub y la coordinaci\u00f3n de log\u00edstica que asigna el equipo de trabajo junto con los j\u00f3venes de YMCA Farm Project. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n En Farm Hub, Arnold empez\u00f3 a capacitar al nuevo equipo para la producci\u00f3n agr\u00edcola de invierno durante el verano. Empezaron dise\u00f1ando y creando cajas para sembrar micro verduras adentro de los invernaderos que tienen calentadores de aire durante el invierno. Arnold reconoce que hay dificultades relacionadas con el cultivo durante invierno. Esto incluye temperaturas bajo cero, producci\u00f3n limitada a cultivos resistentes al fr\u00edo y una cantidad limitada de espacio para cultivar en espacios interiores. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Pero lo que s\u00ed es seguro es que Farm Hub es parte de una tendencia que aumenta aqu\u00ed en el valle del Hudson. Long Season Farm, una granja org\u00e1nica en Kerhonkson en el condado de Ulster, inici\u00f3 la producci\u00f3n durante todo el a\u00f1o hace cinco inviernos y empez\u00f3 la correspondencia con un programa CSA (agricultura sostenida por la comunidad), en parte motivada por la necesidad de la granja de recibir m\u00e1s ingresos. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n En esa \u00e9poca, las granjas que ten\u00edan producci\u00f3n todo el a\u00f1o se pod\u00edan contar con los dedos de las manos, dice Sam Zurofsky, quien maneja la granja junto a su esposa Erin Enouen. No se sab\u00eda qu\u00e9 esperar de la temporada corta de cultivo y el clima inclemente de invierno.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYa que hay menos luz solar, las cosas se tardan m\u00e1s y hay menos espacio para cultivar\u201d, dice Zurofsky. En Farm Hub, por ejemplo, la producci\u00f3n de vegetales se consolida de 30 acres a casi 3000 pies cuadrados por invernadero. La producci\u00f3n de invierno a menudo tambi\u00e9n tiene costos m\u00e1s altos, dice Zurofsky, se\u00f1alando la necesidad de invernaderos con arcos e invernaderos regulares, y estos \u00faltimos necesitan calentadores de aire. El entusiasmo por productos frescos equilibra la inversi\u00f3n inicial y los costos, dice.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLa gente estaba s\u00faper emocionada por recibir una funda fresca de r\u00facula en febrero o una col china\u201d, dice Zurofsky. \u201cNos dimos cuenta de que era una oportunidad comercial\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Desde que empez\u00f3 el ciclo de producci\u00f3n de todo el a\u00f1o, el programa de CSA de Long Season ha aumentado de 10 a 65 clientes en esta temporada. En la temporada 2017-2018, la granja construy\u00f3 dos invernaderos con arcos m\u00e1s grandes para cultivar una variedad de verduras para ensalada, r\u00facula, lechuga, col china peque\u00f1a, diente de le\u00f3n, col rizada, acelga y otras clases de verduras.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Este rancho est\u00e1 experimentando con hinojo y betabel de invierno este a\u00f1o. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Un nuevo cap\u00edtulo<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n En Farm Hub, el cambio a la producci\u00f3n durante todo el a\u00f1o tambi\u00e9n significa que el equipo de producci\u00f3n se quedar\u00e1 en el rancho todo el a\u00f1o. Las familias con ni\u00f1as y ni\u00f1os que van a la escuela no tendr\u00e1n que sacarles de la escuela, y la mayor\u00eda se quedar\u00e1 en el rancho durante los d\u00edas feriados, dice Arnold. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n La educaci\u00f3n es parte \u00fanica e importante del programa de producci\u00f3n de todo el a\u00f1o y es parte de la misi\u00f3n general de Farm Hub, dice Caitlin Salemi, gerente de Cultura Organizacional y Desarrollo de Equipo de Farm Hub. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Cuando no se est\u00e1 cultivando, las y los trabajadores asisten a capacitaciones de desarrollo profesional semanales que son en espa\u00f1ol sobre una variedad de temas que incluyen pr\u00e1cticas para cultivos org\u00e1nicos y destrezas de computadora. Los hispanohablantes monoling\u00fces tambi\u00e9n toman clases para mejorar su ingl\u00e9s. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>
\n\n\n\nLanzamiento de la temporada de invierno <\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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