Finally, Snow!
Snow makes it harder for us to do our jobs on the farm when it comes. Our herd’s routine is the priority, so on a snowy day like today, the cows don’t eat late, the farmers are working on the fetch list promptly at 6am, and our girls should be none-the-wiser that we’ve been up several hours earlier to clean off the tractors, un-freeze the alley scraper, and plow out the barn roads.
As a farmer’s daughter, I know better than to dream of a “white Christmas,” it inevitably turns Christmas mornings into Christmas afternoons. However, we’re coming up on February and we haven’t seen much for snowfall – except for today! Barstow’s Dairy Store and Bakery will be closed today, Saturday 1/29 for the SNOW! Stay safe and warm, we’ll see you on Sunday when we re-open, 8am-3pm.
Seasonal snow is an important part of Earth’s climate and food system.
- Snow cover helps regulate the temperature of the planet’s surface and also reflects solar energy back into space, keeping the planet cool.
- Snow acts like an insulating blanket for the soil, organisms, and root systems below. This prevents ice from forming, moisture from evaporating, and holds heat in the ground so our forests, fields, and critters can survive.
- When snow melts, the water helps fill rivers and reservoirs in many regions of the world.
- Lots of plants need shorter days and low temperatures to become dormant, storing up energy for new growth. If a fruit tree doesn’t have enough “chilling time”, it will produce fewer, weaker buds.
- Strong winters can also mean reduced bug populations, like mosquitos or ticks, and reduction in disease spread by these insects.
A Bit Nippy
Our cows are staying warm thanks to tarps on the windows to block out the wind. The body heat of a lactating 1,500lb dairy cow may surprise you (we actually worry more about them in summer heat than we do in winter). The calves are suited up in high quality Calf-Star jackets (for sale and in stock for our farmer readers) to keep them cozy. And the farmers are rocking hats, gloves, thermal underwear, and a hot cup of local coffee from Barstow’s.
The bakers have been working hard, as always, to keep our prepared foods freezer stocked for these short cold days. Our prepared food offerings make dinners easy, hot, and homemade. Try our mac & cheese, chicken pot pies, sweet and sour kielbasa, meatballs, and more, made in-house with sincerest devotion to quality. Excited to do your own cooking? We’ve got roasts, stewing beef, ground beef, and variety other Barstow beef cuts to warm your bones.
Barstow’s Soup CSA is in full swing, and as we round on Week 4, here’s a friendly reminder that you’re welcome to jump in on any of our remaining soups so long as you sign up by the Monday of that pick-up week. We’ve got Beef Stew, Carrot Ginger, Cheeseburger Chowder, Potato Leek, and Chicken Potato Cheddar Chowder coming up this month into March.We are now taking orders for Valentine’s Day sweets and Super Bowl eats! Call, email, or visit us to place your orders, grab some lunch, do some shopping, and say hello over at your neighborhood dairy farm.