MISC MARKET NOTES

And here we are two weeks later with a glorious spring like day – I hope you have enjoyed it as much as possible. Since it’s official that Sand Mountain Sam saw his shadow we should be able to enjoy more warmer days going forward.

We love Phil and Sam and our other cultural icons that encourage us to wait out winter weather, but there are actually other actual “things” in nature that tell us what to expect. Phillip Carter whom many may remember as a local extension agent is now a State Bee Inspector recently wrote, “Despite some very cold weather it appears that it hasn’t slowed the honey bees down very much. Here in the southern part of the state we are seeing plenty of drone brood so they are already gearing up for swarming so be prepared.” In bee language this means that the bees are gearing up for warm weather.

While observing the inside of a honeybee hive done only by a few, there are other easier and more accessible ways to watch for spring. Old Farmer’s Almanac says to simply observe the buds on a tree. This editor had a college assignment to do just that. While there was still snow on the ground we had to choose a 6 – 8 inch section of a tree of our choice and draw it once a week for 6 or 8 weeks. By the end of the assignment I couldn’t wait to see how my little twig had changed in such a short time.

Lastly, in our household we are content knowing that the forces that govern our weather patterns are pretty much beyond man’s control. We all know about sunspsots, but how often do we stop to realize that solar flares affect the temperature on planet earth? Heat from those events cannot travel through space to warm the earth but that infrared radiation . . . oh yeah. Given recent solar activity (remember that some cell towers went out temporarily a few weeks back?) should we be surprised for an earlier spring?

Folklore, observation or hard science, we’re thankful for the change of seasons regardless and rejoice in the beautiful days to be a part and partner with God’s creation.

We look forward to seeing you next Friday at one of our pickup locations. Thank you for your interest and support of our efforts to bring you the healthiest, the freshest and the most delicious locally-produced foods possible!