Many of my non-farming friends ask whether things are really slowing down for us now that fall is approaching. In truth, it’s quite the opposite. We farmers often feel like we’re in a race to the finish line these last weeks of the growing season. As the days grow shorter and the mornings arrive with a chill in the air, we know that we have to work as hard and make as much money as we possibly can before frost hits and markets close for the season.

This is particularly true when the season was a trying one, as this one was for so many growers. On my farm, revenue for the month of August was about one-fourth what it normally is, because of heat and drought. I have spent the month of September trying to recover, to make the numbers look a little better at year end. I am cutting and selling flowers with spring-like enthusiasm. Luckily, early autumn has been beautiful, and there is real pleasure in being out in the wet fields as the rising sun backlights the flowers every morning.

Besides harvesting and selling everything left of this year’s crops, we’re also busy planting our winter greenhouse crops and our overwintering spring crops. We have dianthus, delphinium and larkspur planted in the hoophouses. The heated greenhouse has a crop of lilies and sunflowers for November sales. The vegetable hoophouse will be planted this week with spinach, lettuce, arugula and other hardy greens that we’ll be eating through the winter. The years now merge seamlessly.

That wasn’t always true. We used to think of each calendar year as a distinct growing season. We started work in the greenhouse in March, planted outside after first frost, and harvested and sold until frost hit in October. Like most growers, though, we have come to realize that growing only in the frost-free season wastes some of the best weather of the year. Cold-weather vegetables are deliciously sweet and crunchy. Field work is much easier when the weather is cool. We have come to love fall and all but the coldest weeks of winter.

Growers everywhere have made this discovery, and one of the biggest trends now in farmers’ markets is extending the season. Many farmers’ markets now run until Christmas, most until Thanksgiving. The good markets are back in business in time for Mother’s Day in mid-May, if not sooner. Having a building or shelter helps keep the market open, but it’s equally important that growers have plenty of storage vegetables and fresh greens to keep customers interested.

This issue focuses on fall and winter sales, and tells the stories of several growers who make a significant part of their income during the shoulder seasons. All these growers had to invest in their farms to make this happen. They had to build hoophouses, greenhouses, and root cellars. They had to buy walk-in coolers and barrel washers for root veggies. They had to keep employees on the payroll longer than before. And they had to juggle one more set of chores, planting their fall crops, during the middle of their summer seasons.

These growers would all tell you it’s worth it, though. You can’t hope to make a year’s worth of income in a five-month frost-free season. If you are ready to make your farm more financially stable, look to season extension.