Winter Harvest?

When I announced that I was moving to Montana, the immediate and spontaneous comment by most folks was "Do you know how COLD it gets in Montana?" Uh...yeah. But I have the power of "Hot Flashes" on my side ;)

To be fair, knowing how cold it gets and living "in" how cold it gets are two different things, so I'll let you know next Spring if my imaginings clash with reality. But in pondering the challenges of living in a region with a much longer winter than what I have been used to...the thing that has been in the forefront of my thinking is...the shorter growing season plus distance between population centers plus unstable economy (read no money). It will be a huge adjustment and real bummer to not have access to fresh veggies for months on end.

I searched around and ran across this guy - Eliot Coleman. WHAT? Winter Harvest??! His operation is in Maine and although its a large commercial outfit, he writes about how he and his family have developed methods to have green food coming all year in places like Maine WITHOUT heated greenhouses!

Here's a blurb about the book from his website:

"this new book focuses on growing produce of unparalleled freshness and quality in customized unheated or, in some cases, minimally heated, movable plastic greenhouses.

Coleman offers clear, concise details on greenhouse construction and maintenance, planting schedules, crop management, harvesting practices, and even marketing methods in this complete, meticulous, and illustrated guide. His painstaking research and experimentation with more than 30 different crops will be valuable to small farmers, homesteaders, and experienced home gardeners who seek to expand their production seasons.

A passionate advocate for the revival of small-scale sustainable farming, Coleman provides a practical model for supplying fresh, locally grown produce during the winter season, even in climates where conventional wisdom says it "just can't be done."

Hmmm! Well, I picked up a used copy of the book and...well...I am so NOT a gardener type!! But new situations require new skills. So, I'm thinking about a small "test" greenhouse (very small ;) to see if I can learn how to do this. Part of the "prescription" is to select specific species of plants that are cold hardy...I dunno... I'm treading into uncharted waters...LOL!