O’Neill: Roots give and they take—and they don’t rush

Casey O’Neill is a farmer and owner of Happy Day Farms in Laytonville, Calif. The opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of The Mendocino Voice. If you’d like to write your own column for The Mendocino Voice, send your idea to info@mendovoice.com.

Spring comes in waves with the weather, ebbing and flowing as temperatures rise and fall but cycling upwards as the days lengthen and growth explodes. We have no control over it, so we ride the waves with as much grace as we can muster, remembering the lessons of years gone by but knowing that each year is different, and we must take what comes. This cool spell with rain in the forecast is welcome for a drying landscape and for the cool weather crops as they come to fruition, with broccoli and cabbage heading up, salad mixes and cooking greens holding their mild flavors and delicate tenderness.