After many hours of traveling, my little one and I arrived home from visiting my mom in Mexico yesterday evening. My sister-in-law, Molly Peach Mayhew, gifted us a Cape Air flight from Boston, so we arrived by air rather than by the usual boat ride. For those of you who have never flown with Cape Air, the planes are tiny, noisy 10-seaters. Every gust of wind is felt dramatically, tossing the little planes around as the passengers hold their breath and suppress gasps. The captain is always stoic and calm, never seeming to acknowledge even the worst of turbulence.

Yesterday’s ride was fairly smooth, but our flight off-Island a few weeks ago was a bumpy one. Another passenger told me how one time he had failed to tighten his seatbelt all the way and when the plane hit a wind pocket, he was thrown upward and slammed his head into the ceiling of the plane. Now, he said, he always double-checks to make sure his seatbelt is tightly cinched before take-off.

It has been years since I have flown into the Martha’s Vineyard airport, and I know the Island much more intimately now. I was able to identify many landmarks and was impressed by how much of the Island is undeveloped. The State Forest is so large, a huge swath of forested land right in the heart of the Island.

It will perhaps take us a few days to adjust to the gray of Chappaquiddick after the warm colors (and temperatures) of San Miguel de Allende but it is good to be home.

In February, I will once again begin gearing up for the upcoming farm season. We will not start our first seeds until the end of March but there is plenty to do before then. I have already ordered our flower seeds for the season, as well as 1,600 lily bulbs and 55 new dahlia tubers. As the demand for locally-grown flowers increases, more farmers are getting into flower production and many of the seeds and bulbs sell out quickly. The vegetables tend to be more readily available, so I can take my time placing those orders in the next few weeks.

In addition to seed-ordering, I will spend February fine-tuning our crop plans, ordering materials, (like potting soil, new harvest tools, row-cover, irrigation supplies, etc.), and building a new deer fence at our Wasque Farm field. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be interviewing individuals for our field crew; if you know anyone who may be interested, please have them e-mail me at slipawayfarm@gmail.com for a full job description.

The backbone of our farm is our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). We have 60 families that sign up for our CSA shares in February, giving us the income we need to purchase all our seeds and materials for the season. Then, once the warm season arrives, our members pick up vegetables and flowers from us weekly from June through October. This year we will be partnering with the Grey Barn in Chilmark to add a bread share option as well. If you would like to join our CSA please e-mail me for more information. We would love to have you.

Sounds like we will have some cold temperatures again this week. Please stay cozy out there. If you have any Chappy news you would like to share, please send it to me and I will be sure to include it in my next column.

Chappy town news can be sent to slipawayfarm@gmail.com.