It’s Winter
Last week I thought I had outfoxed the weatherman, opting to drive down to Bethesda the night before market after my evening chores on Saturday. Prediction of precipitation and freezing temperatures from 3 AM to 9 AM led me to accept the offer to stay with friends who live a few blocks from the school. Zero accumulation forecasted so chances were good that the market would not be canceled. In addition to a stress-free drive, I also had a fantastic meal, great company, and a less than five-minute commute the following morning. Talk about a good call.
Several fellow vendors pulled in later than usual on Sunday with white knuckles and a rush of adrenaline. How come I was already there, set up, and so relaxed? One told me it took them nearly 40 minutes to drive what routinely takes 10 minutes due to the conditions of the roads. Another frighteningly said the only way they made it over the top of South Mountain was focusing on where the white lines were because that is all they could see. Another admitted they knew they would not make it back to their farm if they tried to turn around so they kept trudging ahead cautiously. By the time customers arrived, the roads and surfaces were merely wet, with few aware of the perilous drives many had made that morning.
But this week, none of us are getting off easy. As a matter of fact, the forecast for this weekend is so bad that I had decided to personally scrap market as early as Tuesday. The decision to pull the plug on a market week is not taken lightly. However, it seemed like each time I looked at the predictions the amount of estimated snowfall was only growing larger, especially on the Bethesda side of the mountain. Furthermore, the feels like temperature for the day wasn’t going to climb out of single digits. That might be tolerable for anyone who is running from their heated seat through the market to snatch up their staples for the coming week but try standing out in it for four hours. Even with the best technical gear, you are still going to be miserable cold.
Oh, but you’re a farmer, you’re used to working outside in the cold. I have heard this line repeatedly throughout the years. Let me tell you about working in the cold. Earlier this week I worked outside for 4 1/2 hours in brutal temperatures and blowing wind— basically a full market day. I was walking, lifting bales of hay and blocks of salt, I was climbing in and out of equipment, moving hay feeders, filling buckets, and unwrapping large round bales. I was burning calories and even lightly sweating under the multiple layers of cotton and wool. I had run out of duck fat, my secret weapon for keeping my fingers and toes warm during weather such as this so halfway through chores my fingers grew numb. It’s tough to keep your hands in your pockets with those handy-dandy little hand warmers when you need them for screwing on hose fittings and working the controls of heavy equipment.
And then I realized that the predicted temperature for the upcoming market day was going to be even colder.
I began listing all the polar vortex requisites on the farm added to the usual list of chores along with the potential risks of single-digit weather, let alone snow. My risk analysis concluded that it would be more responsible to remain safely at the farm and guarantee that the livestock and infrastructure could be monitored for costly or deadly issues.
Most of the vendors plan to lose a few market days each year to weather, as well as the one after Thanksgiving. Some even plan other weeks off for long-standing family vacations, festivals particular to their craft and products, and plain ol’ vacations— yes farmers deserve them too. Better yet, I have noticed customers purposely stocking up on items they can’t live without in case of a cancellation.
We can complain all we want, but that’s not going to make winter go away any faster. For those of us who must work outside, we know enough to layer up and break out our union suits. For everyone else it is time to tuck in, let the storm pass, and eat what is in your fridge, your freezer, and the cupboards.