I saw my first strawberry flowers of the year today. That means the first ripe strawberries will appear in about 4 weeks. This is a little behind the last few years, so we do not expect to have saleable quantities until the second week of June.

Last week we planted another 28 rows of strawberries: Jewels, Honeoye, and two new varieties, Wendy and Darselect. These replace a number of old, weedy, weakening rows that we disked under last year after harvest. Yesterday we removed the mulch on the overwintered strawberries. There are many healthy-looking plants, ready to grow. We expect ripe strawberries in early June.

The strawberries continue to beat expectations, with very good quality berries still available to the patient picker. We will be that patient picker Thursday morning, and you can witness the fruits of our hard work with another good supply of strawberries at Valley Flowers in Spring Valley. Blueberries should also be available through most of our 8:30-1PM stint, along with peas, lettuce, herbs, chard and various greens. Such extended red/blue overlap of fresh-picked berries is almost as rare as the cicadas (who have become our Blueberry U-Pick mascot). Enjoy them while you can!

Good news for Princeton Market shoppers Tuesday morning! Portions of our strawberry field are still harboring tasty Jewels, and we expect a good supply of strawberries for the Tuesday Farmer’s Market. They will accompany the blueberries, peas, herbs and salad greens for a colorful display from 8:30 to 2:00 at Darius Miller Park by the train station.

The strawberries are passing the baton to their little blue cousin, but Strawberry U-Pick is still open Saturday and Monday mornings 7AM-Noon. Make the drive for blueberries and while you’re here pick a few more quarts of fresh strawberries. You have to work harder for them now, but they’re worth it. Free samples to encourage you on your way.

Early Thursday morning, the strawberry crop is showing a moderate rebound. Picking conditions are better than expected, with a fair amount of medium-sized berries. It now appears we will have a decent supply of strawberries through the weekend, with some still available next week. U-Pick is open Thursday morning 7-12, Thursday evening 4-8 and Saturday morning 7-12.

Thursday morning at Valley Flowers, the strawberries and blueberries join forces for a memorable mix of color, flavor and natural goodness. We have a good supply of our fresh-picked early blueberries at $5/pint and a moderate supply of Jewel strawberries at $4.25/quart. Both have home-grown flavor that’s hard to find. Sorry, no quantity discounts at this time. This is likely our last significant supply of strawberries to Spring Valley. Edible pod snap peas, snow peas, herbs and various salad greens will also be available.

Tuesday morning picking results show that the strawberry crop is now in decline. This morning’s pickers are harvesting 2 - 3 flats per row of tasty strawberries. We expect size and quantity to decrease through the rest of the week. Because of these conditions, we cannot take any more strawberry orders. U-Pick hours remain as previously announced. Early arrivals at the Princeton and Spring Valley markets can find a moderate supply of strawberries this Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday and an increasing supply of blueberries.

Saturday, June 9, 2007
Tiskilwa Strawberry Festival!
Someone is bound to eat some strawberries like these on Saturday. Why not you, and why not among lots of friends and neighbors? You might even make some new friends if you share your berries.

It’s a community gathering, a celebration of natural delights and a prayer for the stamina to keep up with them. Mark your calendar for Tiskilwa’s 14th annual Strawberry Festival - Saturday June 9th, 11AM - 2PM at West Park in Tiskilwa.

Strawberry shortcake, a hot lunch by the Boy Scouts and 4-H club, fresh strawberries, Plow Creek Bakery goodies and more. Wagon rides will be available for transport to the strawberry U-Pick and a tour of the farm. Children’s activities will include face painting and group games. The park has a large lawn and playground, restrooms and a covered pavillion.

Strawberry U-Pick will also be open throughout the morning. After your strawberry shopping is done, don’t forget about the town-wide garage and yard sales in Tiskilwa.

After another good U-Pick turnout on Thursday, the field is ready for a day off. U-Pick will be closed Friday, June 8th to ensure a good supply of strawberries for our Strawberry Festival. Come out to West Park in Tiskilwa on Saturday to enjoy some on shortcake or come out to pick your own Saturday from 7am to 7pm.

For the last three days, lots of happy U-Pick and Ready-Pick customers have given the strawberry field what it needs - a thorough picking every other day during moderate daytimes and cool evenings. We expect to continue this trend tomorrow, now with a gradual decline in total production. Thursday morning U-Pick can satisfy a moderate crowd with very good picking conditions. The forecasted Thursday heat should provide a surge of ripening for the Thursday PM and Friday / Saturday sessions.

Now is the time for easy picking of excellent quality strawberries at Plow Creek Farm.  The majority of our patch is now yielding 5 or more flats per row.  On average, today’s pickers filled a 10 pound flat in less than 100 feet. 

With a daily yield of thousands of pounds, there is room for a happy customer or two on most of our 102 rows of strawberries.  Picking conditions should be excellent throughout the week.  This week’s U-Pick hours:

every morning 7AM - Noon, Monday thru Saturday

evenings 4PM - 8PM, Wednesday and Thursday

extended hours on Festival Saturday June 9th, 7AM - 7PM

Tropical Storm Berry Has Arrived!