Full Circle: A Regenerative Farming Revolution
Seasonal Tips for Successful Winter Farming by Zoe Davis, Ph. D.
In Northern California, the garden’ s bounty stretches well beyond summer. With freshly picked beets, lettuces, carrots, and hearty cruciferous vegetables growing alongside stored treasures like squash, popcorn, pickles, jams, alliums, and other canned goods, it’ s easy to enjoy homegrown produce all winter long. And for many South Valley residents, that same spirit of self-sufficiency extends beyond the garden to the backyard coop, with a year-round supply of fresh eggs.
Winter is when planning ahead pays off. Here are my top seasonal tips for South County gardeners:
Zoe Davis, Ph. D.
Harvest preservation:
If you’ ve grown a summer bounty of winter squash( kabocha, butternuts and acorns are my favorites), make sure to store them well to enjoy them all winter long. Aim for 50-60F with average humidity.
If you’ ve grown dried beans, before the heavy rains start is the time to thresh( remove the dried pods from the beans)! Make sure the beans are fully dry before you store them in an airtight jar— they can last years!
If you’ ve grown popcorn, November is the time to pick it, let it dry( try popping a batch to figure out when it’ s ready- you can overdry!), and remove it from the cobs for storage.
Many fall flowers can be dried for permanent bouquets and used as fodder for winter projects such as wreaths. Strawflower, celosia, late dahlias, and statice are some of my favorites for drying.
Set yourself up for spring success:
After trees lose their leaves is a great time to get wood chips from arborists for paths and landscaping; ask to make sure they are from disease-free trees.
Save your compost dollars for spring unless it’ s for adding to beds where you’ re growing winter crops. If you apply compost to winterfallow beds now, you risk losing significant soluble nutrients in the rains and losing actual physical compost if your growing space has a slope. If you do add compost now, top it with some organic mulch( like some fall leaves!) to protect it from the winter rain. The leaves should largely break down over the winter and come spring, your soil will be ready for planting.( Continued...)
A Full Circle Farm wreath made with blonde wheat, sorghum, and silica-dried dahlias
36 WINTER 2026 Gilroy • Morgan Hill TODAY Magazine: Go. Make history... gmhtoday. com