Winter Slow Down
Time for a Slow Down
Winter on the Farm is quiet, warm, and cozy. The land goes into hibernation, and so do we.
Hello there friends, family, and community,
It’s been a long time since we’ve shared some updates with you all and a lot has changed on the Farm in the last couple of years. Some highlights below:
We are in the process of updating our website, and we’re looking forward to having it released in the next month or so.
Our 2023 retreat season is almost entirely booked, and we’re now looking ahead to 2024. We are extremely grateful for this abundance and we are honoured to have such amazing retreat leaders reaching out to come back over and over again.
Our Farm Stand continues to evolve. It’s currently closed, but we’re looking forward to the seasonal offerings this year. We’re excited to increase our seed production and to continue to offer fresh organic produce for your tummies.
Our community continues to grow and change. Some of us have been living together for over two decades. Our children are growing up and, as the years go by, we see how much the land has shaped them into kind, loving, and inspired young humans who want to help reshape this world (while still having a lot of fun).
We’re excited to share more updates with you all moving forward, but for now, we wanted to tell the story of how our lives on the land shift with the Winter season.
End Of Season Reflections
Our 2022 retreat season was fully booked and late fall is the time to wrap up and reflect on the year. Our community’s Retreat Team works hard to maintain the facilities and to be on call around the clock. Our Kitchen Team is up early each morning during retreat season, prepping hearty and warm meals that nourish the soul. Our Farm team works long hours each day tending to the land that provides the bounty for our Farm Stand and retreats. It’s hard work and by the end of the season we’re all tired and in need of a recharge.
Winter Slow Down
Now, winter is in full swing. It’s been a quiet winter as some of our farm folk are off travelling the globe. After the celebrations of December, there is time for constructive rest as we plan for the coming year. We are gathering to plan our gardening workshops for the season and are excitedly planning some kitchen-gardening collaborations to offer.
There is also the rhythm that continues of caring for animals and the land. When it’s warm we’re out prepping areas for the spring, when it’s cold we’re checking on chickens and pipes. We continue to pull carrots out of the ground that were planted in July and the January King cabbages on the hillside are ready to eat.
Make it stand out
The Crystal Palace
As a community, our weekly rhythm slows down in the winter months. We meet once a week, each Thursday, but the meetings are shorter and there is less work to do. A lot of our energy this winter has been focused on the final stages of the ‘Crystal Palace’ green-house on the hill-side. Milo and Lisa have been working hard to make the vision a reality. The hydronic heating system is about to go live, and we can’t wait!
Winter Solstice
On the Farm, both Solstices is a big deal.
For us, the Winter Solstice marks a very special turning point in the year. The days slowly begin to get longer, but slowly indeed. We came together as a community to celebrate the darkness with song, candlelight, and a delicious party. Most of us slow down in the Winter. With less work to do, we have more time to reflect and appreciate the offerings the earth has to share. Frosty mornings. Dark evenings with clear skies and stars. And of course, snow!
Well, friends. That’s all for now. We hope that the Winter has been kind to you. As humans, and especially as humans living in community, we find it so grounding to observe nature in it’s rhythms. With fully charged batteries Spring pulls us forward with excitement and vigour. We look forward to seeing you at weekly classes, an upcoming retreat, a gardening workshop, or at our Farm Stand.
Love to you all,
The Stowel Lake Farm Community
