The soil condition is always the limiting factor in when I can start spring planting: if it's still cold, it's easy enough to create a warmer microclimate for the seeds or seedlings, but if the ground is still a wet, mucky mess, well, I'm back to waiting again. It's always a relief to feel like I'm getting a jump on the earliest bed preparations (and good to let the soil settle a bit before planting). It'll get there eventually. Much of the time farming's just a hurry-up-and-wait game, especially this time of year.
The hens are thinking about spring, too, laying an ever-increasing number of eggs. For the next few months, the ladies are also laying their best quality eggs. A few of you noted that the eggs are suddenly much richer and creamier than usual, with super dark orange yolks. Getting the hens over onto a new, fresh green pasture further boosts the seasonal jump in quality and quantity. Egg fans, this is your season!
We start eating a lot of eggs now, and will continue to do so until the hens start to slow down a bit in early summer (or you start eating more eggs). Eggs for breakfast, eggs for lunch, eggs for dinner. We like 'breakfast for dinner' now and again, but not every single day, so it helps to have a number of recipe ideas on hand that feature an egg on it. It's not hard...what's for dinner? Just put an egg on it - sauteed greens with a soft-cooked egg on top is particularly yummy!