The snowstorm that hit Quimper Peninsula just before Thanksgiving took everyone by surprise, including the last of the plants still growing in the Pea Patch. The arugula and some of the kale is still soildering on, despite the snowcover and there are still some beets in the ground that can continue to be harvested throughout the winter months for the food bank.
The snow and chilly temperatures make it ever more evident that our food bank plots would really benefit from a few solid cold frames. A cold frame is a small, basic "greenhouse" that keeps vulnerable plants warmer and more insulated by trapping passive energy (i.e. sunlight) rather than using electricity to generate heat as many big greenhouses do. This month I'll be constructing two coldframes with the help of Sean Austin who works with 4-H and Sunfield School. We're going to try to do it as cheaply and simply as possible, and then teach a workshop to other interested winter gardeners when we master the design. The workshop will probably happen in early January, but keep your eyes peeled for more details!
