Strawberries have finally started. They are quite late this year, compared to recent years. The crop looks good so far.  When I start picking it always takes me back to our first years of farming. Strawberries are the one constant in our farming career…even before horses! We had our first crop in 1979 and opened our pick-your-own strawberry patch. It gave us enough money to encourage us to keep going and here we are 35 years later still growing and picking strawberries! (We got our first team of horses in 1980.)

The newest addition to our farm is a fancy new hay mower it has a German made cutting bar that cuts in both directions and doesn’t plug! What a wonderful tool! The Amish took the new blade and retrofitted it to be horse drawn. Ken is thrilled and the apprentices, whether they know it, or not are being saved from many tears of frustration. We have some hay in the barn and have more down, waiting to dry. Hopefully, it will be a good hay making year!

It is always nice to have new items to add to our CSA shares and we are happy to have the first sugar snap peas, beets, garlic scapes and of course strawberries. Our CSA Working Shares have been coming out and helping with the harvest. We appreciate their help. It is especially nice to have the young members come out and see where their food is grown.