March Updates from Patterson Farm
Hi, farm friends! Check out what’s fresh from the farm this March!
By: Victoria Patterson Chrismon
4th Generation Member of Patterson Farm, Inc.
Who else is excited for the first official week of spring?! I for one am so ready for the longer days, warmer weather, and hustle and bustle of spring on the farm! This past month has been full of preparation and excitement for the spring season to come.
In February and early March, we had the privilege of attending several conferences where we were able to network with other growers, learn from professionals in our industry, and get some fresh and exciting ideas. It’s always hard to leave the farm, but I find that I always come back from these trips with excitement about the year ahead. Y’all are going to love some of the things we have planned in 2024!
We were fortunate to be able to attend the NAFDMA Convention in Boston, the NCANA Conference in New Bern, NC, and the Maize Conference in Kansas City. Some of our team members attended the NAFDMA Convention with us, but the NCANA and Maize Conference I got to attend with just my parents. I always enjoy the quality time we get to spend together on these trips. From workshops on Food & Beverage, Events, Growers Panels, and Manager Essentials, there was a lot of great content to learn! Not to mention the wonderful farm stops that were involved in the farm tours.
Here at the farm, we have been busy preparing for spring. We have been seeding our tomato and bell pepper crops, getting ready for our employees to arrive, doing some training as employees start working, and this week, we will start laying some plastic for our summer crops. We have uncovered our strawberry fields to check on the plants and provide any care and maintenance on them. The crop is coming along well, and we look forward to having berries in hopefully a few weeks!
Over at the Market & Tours, we recently hosted our New Hire Orientation. It was so much fun to meet all of our new employees and bring them together with our returners! Our Market and Ice Cream Shop officially opened on March 11th. We look forward to hosting our first event of the year with our Easter Egg Hunt on March 29th and 30th!
Some exciting things we are looking forward to this spring are some hopeful new additions to our barnyard, a sweet strawberry season, and welcoming our field trip and weekend guests out to Patterson Farm Market & Tours.
Things I’m Loving this January:
Fun & Educational Conferences and Farm Tours
New life around the farm!
New Farm Friends!
What I’m Making this January:
I’m down to my last stash of frozen strawberries! I’m trying out a strawberry banana smoothie recipe this week for a quick breakfast. Do any of you freeze your Patterson Farm strawberries to enjoy year-round?
Thanks for supporting our family farm!
Until next time,
Victoria Patterson Chrismon