Dear Farm Community -

That snow sure was a flash in the pan! Gone as quickly as it arrived, we’ve been happy to have the soil back in our sights - there’s a lot of work to do there! Half of us have been in transplant mode big time, getting loads of plants in the ground every day, and the other half of us are making sure what’s in the ground is happy and free of weeds. We’ve been spending a huge chunk of our time tending to our carrot planting and making sure they can size up unencumbered by uninvited guests like henbit deadnettle, carolina geranium, and good old fashioned grass (not that kind). It’s a tedious process that lately has been leaving our fingers chilled to the bone, but those sweeeeeeeeeet early spring carrots are so worth it.

We also want to bring you in on what’s going on behind the scenes in flower world these days!! We had a wonderful year with our chrysanthemums in 2025, and this season we’re propagating the heirloom varieties we loved most so we can grow even more of them in 2026. After the last blooms were harvested in , we carefully dug up ten plants from each variety and have been nurturing them through the winter. Come spring, we’ll take cuttings from each plant and encourage them to root. Those rooted cuttings will be planted out in May, and the whole cycle begins again, setting the stage for another round of dazzling fall blooms. For now, they’re chilling (quite literally - it’s chilly out!) in our seed house getting strong and waiting for warmer weather.

Your CSA shares this week include kale, a humble hearty green that deserves a quiet redemption arc after its days-gone-by celebrity-vegetable era of the 2010’s. The truth is that kale is still what it’s always been: delicious, deeply nourishing, and endlessly useful in the kitchen. Rich in vitamins A, C, and K, along with minerals like iron and magnesium, kale is also one of the best vegan sources of calcium

As we power (and rest and nap and get cozy) through the second half of winter, kale really shines in warming, comforting meals. Get out your slow cooker for a batch of chicken congee and stir in a few cups of finely chopped kale at the very end for a tender green bite. Add it to a slow-simmered turkey and white bean soup for an extra layer of nourishment and texture, and vegetarians can skip the turkey with this white bean and kale soup recipe!

May spring greet us early (no matter what a groundhog says)!
Diamond Hill Farmers

we grew this for you:

join our CSA