Wrapping it up: Long Winter Kitchen 8

Well, this is the last week of the original 8 weeks (in 4 months) of the Long Winter Kitchen pilot. Michelle and I have been delighted with the results: the food has been great, the members have been happy, and we've learned a lot. As most of you know, we're going to be offering a March-May Long Winter Kitchen season (Long Spring Kitchen?) to fill in the gap between the end of the original LWK and the start of our summer season in June. We've still got some great local produce in the freezer and Kris at Old Pine Farm is going to hook us up with meat for the next few months. We think the real testament to the success of this pilot is just how many of our members from the first round are returning for the second. All of which is to say, while this may be the finale of LWK pt 1, we don't really have to say good bye!

It's been a busy couple of weeks around here. The sun is shining and spring seems to be in the air. Out at Community Farm we've seeded the first crops in the greenhouse. I was happy to note that on the first day, the farmers seeded parsley, a crop that will be harvested all summer until we finally get the last cutting at the end of the season in November. Thinking about how the parsley grow all summer gives such a good sense of the continuity of things out at the farm. On the kitchen front, Michelle and I have been doing a lot of planning, including hiring cooks for the season, dreaming for the future, and drooling over restaurant equipment online. Plus, of course, we've been thinking about how to promote the Harvest Kitchen's summer season and recruit new members. If you're thinking about joining, be sure to look through the blog archives to see past menus.

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“I love the philosophy, the people, the food and the way it has impacted my life”

Julie Dorcey
Saginaw-based Professional