Greentree Naturals Newsletter Winter/Spring 2026

February is the time of year that we are working on crop planning, which is a long process of taking a closer look and evaluating the previous growing season. Record keeping is crucial for the success of any gardening or small acreage farmer and being certified organic means more record keeping of everything that we do here on the farm. While it is sometimes challenging to keep up with tracking everything from seed to harvest, we are diligently documenting every detail for our annual organic certification.

During the growing season, as we harvest fruits and berries, we put them into the freezer for winter jam making as we don't have the time during the harvest season. Thom has been busy jamming and has made cases of Huckleberry Blues, Honeyberry Blues, Peachy Blues, Gooseberry Blues and Peach Berry Blues jam that we will sell at the Farm Stand. We grow a lot of blueberries and Thom loves Blues music, hence our "Blues Jam" lineup! We invest time in making an assortment of value-added products for the Farm Stand out of our dried garlic and herbs as well.

I finally took the time to total our harvest records from 2025 and review the pounds of produce harvested, which provided a clear perspective on what's truly generating revenue for the farm. Often, the things we believe are profitable barely justify the sweat equity we invest in them. Every year we assess and reassess after this annual harvest review and adjust our plans for the upcoming growing season.

I am making notes throughout the growing season to remind myself of things like: Plant more pickling cucumbers, only plant one row of filet beans, thin pole beans to 3 plants per pole, plant 2 rows of sugar snap peas, make sure that melons and tomatoes get water cut off in late season so they don't split. The thing is, even after three decades of growing for market, we are constantly adjusting, adapting and always learning.

Winston Churchill said " Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm" and truly, that sums up farming! Every year I find myself saying "That has never happened before" about something. We remain enthusiastic and passionate about growing certified organic food for our community and empowering the next generation of small-acreage farmers through educational endeavors.

I believe that knowledge is like compost; if you don't spread it around, it's not good for anyone! That said, I continue to stay involved with an assortment of educational and mentorship venues here on the farm, local and regional workshops, adult education classes, training sessions, occasional academic presentations, and via assorted digital platforms.  I will continue to do so for as long as my mind is able to make sense of it all. Got to spread that composted knowledge around!

As we look towards the 2026 growing season, we are planning on growing a bit more summer squash and cucumbers to supply our local food bank. These are both bountiful crops that we harvest daily to keep small, tender and sweet and have made the commitment to supply them with a certain amount to share with the community who rely on the food bank for a portion of their food. Love this!

The Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) is an organization that I admire and respect for the amazing support they provide for certified organic farmers across the region. I am most grateful for the opportunity to be participating and supporting them as an Advisor for a Western SARE project titled: "Organic Systems Training for western Technical Service Providers and Extension Specialist."

I will continue working as a mentor for the Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) for 2026, working with four mentees. This program focuses on helping farmers navigate the three-year transition period required for organic production, provide technical guidance and market development. Farmer-to-farmer mentorships are a wonderful way to learn!

OFRF interviewed me last spring and wrote a story about our on- farm research projects over the years. I feel most grateful for the opportunity to share our stories with you! Here is a link: A Commitment to Community and the Land  I included this in the last newsletter but am keeping the link as I like what they wrote about us!

This past winter, I went through a 4-week training to become a Seed Ambassador for Snake River Seed Cooperative (SRSC). We grow a small amount of seed for them and I just wanted to be more involved in their commitment to Seed Sovereignty, which is about building a local seedshed that provides for our communities across the region. I have made the commitment to invest some of my time by providing some educational opportunities about seed starting and seed saving to my community.  I will be teaching a Seed Starting for Beginners workshop on February 21 at our local Sandpoint Library.

Meanwhile, as we count down to spring, the weather is a fickle fellow that comes in many stages: Winter - False Spring - Second Winter - Winter/Spring – Spring - Summer/Spring. You just never know what the weather will bring! Be patient as you start planning for the gardening season!

My friend Mary Levy painted this whimsical portrait of me last winter and I love it!

Thanks for Reading!

Warm regards,

Diane and Thom