Winter Veggies

So, what's the word out in the veggie garden? The word is BRRRR!

This winter is shaping up to be one of the coldest I can remember in a long time.  Thanks to my heavy weight row covers, my veggies are bundled up and still producing plenty of food.

Do you see the dog kennel with the blue tarp roof in the background?  Well, we've had some new additions. Meet Bailey (left) and Bandit (right). 

The outdoor kennel is for temporary use to ensure the pups safety until they get bigger. Our 2 acre lot is fully fenced, but puppies under 20 pounds are a potential meal for a hungry hawk. The pups are gaining weight everyday, so it shouldn't be much longer. It's been way too cold to spend much time outside anyway, but when they do...let's just say they have a lot of energy.

The puppies are Australian Shepherds. I'm hoping to train them to herd and guard the chickens. Bailey seems to be very interested in watching the chickens eat their yummy treats from the garden.

The chickens are munching on leaves from this fabulous Romanesco cauliflower.  There's also cabbage leaves, rutabaga leaves and kale for a great winter treat.

I didn't cover the carrots or the rutabagas during the hard freezes and the leaves have really taken a beating. The carrots toward the front of the photo (below) barely have any remaining foliage.

Carrots are more difficult to harvest with minimal foliage, but they taste great when allowed to develop their sugars in the cold night time air.  Below Round Romeo is pictured on the left and Scarlett Nantes on the right.

When winter is at it's worst, it's good to know that all the hard work was done during the warmer weather of fall. Now, it's time to just relax and enjoy the harvest.