Winter is sometimes called the “slow season” in farming, but there’s nothing slow about it. Although my days aren’t spent in the field or bustling to markets, I have no shortage of things to do before the spring comes.

One of the biggest and most exciting projects this winter has been the design and construction of a dehydration and processing facility. One of my goals from the beginning has been to make teas with the herbs that I grow. Food safety regulations can be strict for good reason and they’ve posed a healthy challenge for a small business like Smoot’s. But coming up with clever solutions is the name of the game.

In the next few months, we’ll be converting a shipping container into a food-safe facility to both dry and process herbs into teas and all sorts of herbal goods. We’re hoping the facility will be licensed by July, just in time to preserve this season’s crop.

As the winter starts to wane and the pulse of spring starts to show, I’m filled with equal parts thrill and determination to get this project going.