As a beginner farmer and with only a few more weeks of the farmers market left, I thought I had better get some advice on how to get the garden ready for winter. The more I thought about it, the more I realized there must be other first-time gardeners in the area. So last week I asked my fellow vendors to share some of their wisdom, in hopes of being enlightened before the light fades into the short days of winter.

Here I am, in my fall garden. What do I do to prepare for winter? Sheryl Ehlke from Willowdale Farm said to till the soil and cover the strawberries with leaves. My grandma also covers strawberries; she said they can deal with some cold, but what they can’t handle is the fluctuations in cooling and thawing. Patty Jacobs of Jacobs Farm said to remove all the tomato cages, stakes, dead plants and vines. Harvey Neel of Neel Garden also said to remove all vegetation, then to till the ground. Another farmer mentioned that they just let the land rest. Amy Holmgren of Prairie Harvest Farm said to pick as much as possible before the frost, remove debris and add to compost pile to increase next year’s fertility. Then work the ground and seed a cover crop if time and weather allow.

So now that I’ve picked all that I could before the frost, removed vegetation, planted a cover crop and covered my strawberries, how do I preserve or store fall’s harvest for the winter? Patti Floyd of Patti Floyd Creations said to store onions in the basement, tomatoes peeled and in jars in the freezer, and basil, sage, cilantro and chives dried and in jars. Bob Baley recommended storing potatoes in the basement where it is dark and cool. Ms. Holmgren said to store winter squash in the basement where it is cool but not damp, herbs frozen or dried, potatoes in burlap sacks in the basement from the rafters, cukes pickled, green beans frozen or canned, tomatoes frozen, canned or picked less than ripe, parsnips in the fridge, peppers frozen, cabbage into sauerkraut and beets pickled.

OK, I’ve stored my goods, but how to enjoy fall’s bounty? One thing I really wanted to know was what are some favorite fall dishes. Nancy Klecker of Nancy Jane’s Bakery said she likes squash and pumpkins. She cooks them in the microwave until soft and then uses them in her pies and quick breads. Randy LaCore said his favorite fall food is pancakes or waffles with pure maple syrup. Kathleen Bleckeberg from Aunt Nini’s Orchard likes sauerkraut, and that all you do is shred cabbage, add salt and caraway seeds, pack into a crock and cover and leave for a month! Melissa Oyer of Happy Mel’s Coffee said she likes butternut squash baked with brown sugar and molasses. Pawel Buda of DelaBlu farm said his favorite fall food is acorn squash cut in half and baked, then eaten with butter, salt and pepper and of course he also loves pumpkin pie!

I am a person of the moment, so I just had to ask what my fellow vendors enjoy about fall. Mrs. Jacobs said she likes “the fullness of time —the smells and harvest.” Bush Hog said he likes hunting and NFL. Jeff Jaeger of Otter Creek Ranch agreed that hunting is the best thing about fall. And of course, many vendors said that they like the colors of fall.

As for me, fall has always been my favorite season: leaves that crinkle and crunch, sunshine that truly warms you up and the return of hot chocolate and apple crisp. Now that my first season as a farmer is drawing nearer, I look forward to falling into the garden with final preparations for winter. Happy fall to you as well!

Kelly Firkins of Dela-Blu Farm is a member of the Albert Lea Farmers Market.