Late December and January are normally a time of relative rest in the world of four season farmer. Work in the hoophouse typically wanes during this time of year, and the farmer spends his days analyzing last year, planning for next year, and watching the snow flakes fall outside of her office window. Things have been different this season. It seems there’s been a relatively high frequency of sunny days so far, and we’ve definitely had more rain than is normal for January.

There's no snow on the ground on January 26 at farmer Dan's home in Ann Arbor.

The USDA recently published an updated mapof United States hardiness zones, showing that the weather is getting warmer. Home gardeners and farmers alike will need to make adjustments to this change.

Farmer Dan shows he's wearing his t-shirt in the hoophouse this January.