When you look out your window in winter, what do you look forward to? Is it having a bit more time in your schedule to do some mixing and whisking in the kitchen? Or maybe you’d prefer to grow long legs so you can leap over it because you are really looking forward to the last frost date. We all have our own perspectives on winter but I believe we can at least align on the reality of it: it is frigid, vehicles slide into ditches, pipes freeze, our bodies creak and our lips crack. Despite all the practical challenges that winter presents, it also provides an opportunity to reflect, refocus, and look forward. 

There’s something remarkable about stepping outside and feeling the numbing tickle of the frigid air on your nose. Somehow it suspends you in the present moment. Perhaps this is why research is finding that our memory and attention improves during the winter. I know some of my most vivid memories occurred during this season when I was still living on my family farm. Like the time that I opened the front door to find myself face-to-face with the behemoth of our bull, Curly. Oh how I remember screeching, “Curly, get off the front porch!”

I would much rather be face-to-face to a Soil Sister. It is an entirely different experience, but one that is just as easy to remember. As I reflect on my experiences with connecting with area women committed to conservation and sustainability, I am reminded of how they continue to help me refocus on what is important — sustainable agriculture, land stewardship, educating, and encouraging others. 

One moment last year really stands out. While carpooling to Around the Farm Table shoot with three superwomen — Sue Nelson, Penny Molina and Kriss Marion, I mentioned that I do not currently reside on a farm but live near Cottage Grove. Kriss was sitting beside me in the backseat with her laptop on, can you guess where? Her lap. It nearly fell to the floor as her arms flew up in joy. She gasped, “no way! There’s an open Supervisor position! Would you be interested in that?” I hesitated, because despite having a sincere interest to get more involved and be an active member in the Cottage Grove community I concurrently had overwhelming insecurity and a sincere doubt in my tenacity.

I had expressed that and she reassured me that that is why women are here, to encourage you and push you past those feelings. So, I said, “Yes.” But as it turned out, we were too slow. A write-in had already won the election and I was just out of the district (like across the road kind of close). So, “why did the chicken cross the road?” “Why, to run for election of course!”

Although that opportunity did not work out for me, it paints the picture of how supportive, alive and thriving a community of rural women can be. I would not have met Kriss that day, or even attended the Around the Farm Table shoot had it not been for the invitation from Penny Molina. 

Invitation is so important. So starting last year, I committed to inviting others to events. I had invited my parents, siblings and friends to various potlucks, farm tours and educational events. They loved walking around other farms to witness what they do, the challenges they face, the collaborations they have, and the creativity they exert day in and day out. 

Attending these events culminated in us creating a conservation plan on the property that my parents, siblings and I co-purchased between Brooklyn and Belleville. There is a 10-acre parcel that was woodland decades ago but was turned into pasture by the previous owner. Since it borders a spring-fed creek, putting it into pasture was out of the question. So, in the coming weeks, we will be chainsawing and clearing the buckthorn and honeysuckle because when spring comes, so will 3,300 saplings to plant. The birch, swamp white oak, silver maple and sycamore trees will help the plant community thrive once again — allowing the sun to hit the floor for grasses, ferns and sedges to grow. 

So now I can say, not only am I looking forward to the year round opportunity to care for our land and our community, but so are my parents and siblings. As the numbing tickle sets in on my nose, I’m going to reflect on how winter is needed to recharge us so we can hit the ground running as soon as it thaws. 

— Sam Wendt lives on the fringe of Madison on a small 1-acre property where she loves to bake, cook, garden, forage for mushrooms and raise red worms. She is part-owner of land between Brooklyn and Belleville where she, along with her parents and siblings, are committed to conserving the land. They are currently in the process of clearing invasive plants and restoring the woodland to its former glory. Soil Sisters, a program of Renewing the Countryside, connects and champions women in the Green County area committed to sustainable and organic agriculture, land stewardship, local food, family farms and healthy and economically vibrant rural communities.