It won't be long now until the soil is thawed out and we will be in the fields digging up the earth for another season of growing vegetables for our network of farmers' markets.

This is the first blog entry I've made since Christmas. I apologize to those of you who may have been reading this blog on a weekly basis. First of all, there isn't a whole lot going on with vegetables during the dead of winter in North Dakota. But contrary to what most people in the United States believe, North Dakota isn't so bad.

As a matter of fact, we've had one of the most mild winters in recent memory. Yes, we hit bottom at 35 below zero, but that happened one night through the course of the entire winter. Ten years ago, we could expect a half dozen nights with those kinds of temperatures.

But, the sun is getting some power now and is melting snow and ice even when the temperature is below freezing. That's a good sign because in the next several weeks, we can anticipate snow/rain mix and a month from now, rain only, which we desperately need as we've been in a drought here since about the middle of July 2007.

Ilene and I secured an irrigation permit this year in case we need it. Last year we didn't have one and it nearly bit us in the pocketbook. We lost some peas in the heat, but nothing more, luckily. But, it was a valuable lesson. This year we will be able to draw water from the Des Lacs River, but we've also added numerous rain barrels and will capture rainwater from the farm house for an added insurance for the plants in the late summer.

Today, Wednesday, Feb. 27, was a beautiful day in northwestern North Dakota. The wind was light, the humidity was high and the temperature was in the upper 30s. It smelled like spring and that gives me the urge to be outside working.

Yes, we've had a mild winter, but it will soon be a part of history and a new growing season will emerge at North Star Farms.