Groundhog Day on the Farm

February 2nd marks Groundhog Day, the old tradition where a groundhog emerges from its burrow to predict the weather—if it sees its shadow, we get six more weeks of winter; if not, spring is on its way. This year, the groundhog did see his shadow, meaning winter isn’t over just yet.

Of course, for many people, Groundhog Day is better known thanks to the 1993 film starring Bill Murray. In the movie, his character finds himself stuck in a time loop, reliving the same day over and over again. That idea of repetition? We know it well. Because while our days aren’t identical, our years certainly follow a familiar pattern.

Right now, in January and February, we’re clearing out last season’s chilli plants, making repairs to the tunnels, and sowing seeds for the season ahead. It’s the same cycle as last year and the year before that, and we’ll be doing it again next year too.

By March and April, the heat in the greenhouse will be back on, and we’ll be busy re-potting young plants, moving them into the tunnels, and preparing the wholesale crop for planting out. The work is familiar, but the excitement is fresh—every season is a new opportunity, with new challenges and (hopefully) new successes.

That said, we’re not just repeating the past—we’re always looking for ways to improve. This year, one of our big projects is installing a rainwater capture system. We’re starting by collecting all the rain from the roof of our large greenhouse. The first phase involves linking sixteen 1000-litre IBC tanks, creating a 16,000-litre rainwater reservoir. This will allow us to mix rainwater with our supply of river water, reducing costs and improving irrigation. Rainwater has a lower pH, which should help our chillies grow even better.

So while Bill Murray’s character in Groundhog Day tried everything to escape his loop, we’re quite happy to be right here, doing it all over again—only a little better each time.