Slower seasonal rhythms

This is the day and age of online shopping, supermarket shelves lined year-round with tomatoes and a culture of productivity and consumerism.

Not for all of us though: at Streamside, our productivity is dictated by the prevailing nor’west winds; the hot, dry summers; the frosty winters and fluctuating daylight hours.

With these shorter days and cooler weather, the farm rhythm has slowed down: less seed sowing and transplanting, fewer crops to harvest and reduced hours spent weeding.

However, this slower season is not about doing less - it's about growing with nature's cycles, rather than forcing production beyond what the soil can sustain.

It does mean a reduced menu of available veggies - no more delightful tomatoes, strawberries or cucumbers - but that encourages us to get creative with what we have.

The pace of our market garden changes with the seasonal rhythm, and our work changes with it. Winter shapes what is harvested - and thus what and how we eat.

Our cold season crops feature plenty of root veggies and dark green leafy crops - all of which are loaded with nutrients, vitamins, minerals and plenty of energy to keep our bodies warm and well throughout the day.

The perfect ingredients for a hearty soup, a savoury tray-bake, a steaming pie or creamy mash… they're called comfort foods for a reason!

Not only does this slow season change what we eat, it affects how we experience time and, just like every year, brings a child-like delight of looking forward to spring and it's busier pace!

Until then, however, let's enjoy these months of snuggling up, getting together around plates of good, healthy, warming food and appreciating the slow, quiet cold months.