Fresh News 2004,
straight from the strawberry patch.Fresh News 2004,
straight from the strawberry patch.
Friday December 31, 2004 ---- Happy New Year!!!
We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Speaking of December, we
opened up for two weekends with activities and even though they were not well
attended - we had a good time. I enjoyed the slower pace for a change and
all of us liked the fact that we got to spend more time with the patrons. The
barn I built (with the help of my brother in law - thanks Jones) for Christmas
activities will most assuredly be used the remainder of the year --- in fact the
tractors are enjoying it right now. Like most of my projects, it is not
quite finished. Hopefully I will be able to buckle down here in the coming
weeks and get it completed.
This is our 'down' time at the patch. We still have
lots to do but just in a slower pace and we don't have to stay till dark to get
them all done. Now is the time to get ready for the coming season by:
cleaning up the Strawberry plants by removing runners and any dead leaves, along
with pulling any weeds coming up around the plants and between the rows, a
little dormant pruning of the Blackberry plants is in order, we have three rows
we are going to change to a different variety so we need to renovate them, we
need to finish our barn, get our books straightened out, prepare a marketing
plan for 2005, develop the 'groups' program for the coming spring and start
notifying schools, put away all the Fall stuff and get the Spring stuff out,
inventory picking containers, cultivate the potato and tomato areas, build beds
and get ready to plant them (potatoes in February and tomatoes in March), burn
the grass off the Maze and cultivate it ---- and whatever else comes up.
Here it is the last day of 2004, a year that we are going to
properly name "the year of the weekend rains". Of the weekends that we
were open, over 60% of them were rained out ---- I suppose it was a good thing
that it wasn't 75% or more. We are very encouraged that we were able to do
as well as we did considering the weather. And thanks to our wonderful
patrons we are looking forward to a great year in 2005.
Monday December 13, 2004 ---- I am still trying to
break my habit of only talking about the weather, so I am not going to say "Wow,
what a beautiful and warm weekend we just had" or "whew, after that warm weekend
it looks like we are in for a couple of cold mornings coming up - at least no
real rain chances in sight".
Merry Christmas! Last weekend was the first ever
"Christmas on the Farm" and we had a lot of fun. Business was a little
slow but that was fine for us, that just enabled us to spend a little more
quality time with each customer. I guess the biggest hit was the cookie
decorating barn. A few customers even wanted blank cookies to take home
for the rest of the family to decorate. We had a few couples that came out
and really enjoyed the Christmas Workshop, proving that it is not only for
children. I personally enjoy popping corn over the fire the most and I
just can't get over how well my dads 100 year old corn sheller works.
The Strawberry plants seem to be recovering from the hail
storm we had a couple of weeks ago. They grow very slowly through the
winter so you don't see a lot happening. I just seem to look out on them
one day and say "wow, how did these plants get so full?". We have a lot of
little plantlets called 'runners' attached to the plant that should be pulled
off and of course, weeds to take care of.
The Blackberries just seem to "sit there" this time of the
year. They are dormant now, and we will take this opportunity to replant
some, move some and prune some.
We have one more weekend for "Christmas on the Farm" - come on out and enjoy it with us.
Monday December 06, 2004 --- I am not going to talk
about the rain that is falling as I write this. I am not even going to
mention that it is a little moist out there. The only thing I am going to say
about the weather is that this coming weekend is forecast ---- Clear and Dry!
"Christmas on the Farm" started last Friday with a group of
130 kindergarteners - we had a good time as they took a hayride, decorated
Christmas Trees, shelled corn, floated Christmas balls, decorated Gingerbread
men and made a corn kernel ornament. It looks like this coming weekend is
going to be very nice and we are looking forward to having a lot of fun.
Wednesday December 02, 2004 ---- How do you know you
are a farmer at heart? If all you talk about is the weather. We are
drying out a bit and are happy to get back in to do some work..
The 'Texas' Maze is history. The last hail storm
knocked it down. I was certainly sad to see it go but that happens. .
Soon we will mow it down and prep the land for next year.
The new barn is taking shape, we finished putting tin on the
main frame, now we just need to build the awnings around it --- and close in the
ends ----- and plug all the holes in the used tin ----- and get some sand out of
the creek for the floor ------ and ,,, well ---- it is getting closer to being
finished.
Are you ready for "Christmas on the farm"? Starting
this weekend (I see more rain in the forecast) we will open up with lots of
activities.
Monday November 22, 2004 ---- I think I need a bigger
rain gauge. I just realized a way to tell who the locals are - just head
to one of the Dams in a rainy situation like this. When the river is up,
everyone that has lived here very long seems to head to a Dam to see how many
flood gates are open. If you (not someone else) are lucky you might see a Jet
Ski go over the Dam along with a few docks and large trees - that's down home
fun. Every time I go I see folks that I haven't seen in years.
Perhaps we should schedule our next home town reunion around a flood event -
probably be the best turnout ever. How do you know if your a redneck
.................
We had a nasty storm come through last night that ended our
hopes of reopening the 'Texas' Maze in 2004. Not only that but it blew our sign
down, took some tin off the pumphouse and the hail worked the Strawberry plants
over pretty good. Luckily my wife had picked the biggest, reddest, ripest
strawberry just before the storm hit. She said it didn't taste very good
but that didn't seem to stop her from eating every last bit of it. Don't
worry about the storm, we can fix all the damage. I suppose it could have
been a blessing to slow down the Strawberry plants that have been growing like
mad. I am sure the plants will recover just fine, nothing a little time
won't take care of (seems like that is the case with most things).
Because of the weather and the condition of the patch right
now - I think the most prudent thing to do would be to close down and
start getting ready for Christmas. We are going to try open up Friday
December 3rd for "Christmas down on the farm" stay tuned for all the info.
Thursday November 18, 2004 ---- My cup overfloweth, and
so does my rain gauge. It looks like the sun might peak out today - that
will be nice. Even though it might be sunny, it is far too wet here to
have any fun. I would be afraid to take ole Fireball on the Hayride route
today in fear that we might make ruts two feet deep. Oddly enough, a day
or two of dry weather will certainly change the picture.. Other than a few
'wet' spots we should be dry enough to get around by Saturday (assuming the sun
comes out and the wind picks up a little).
The 'Texas' maze has sure taken a beating this fall.
Right now it is laying over quite a bit. Only time will tell if it is
finished for the year. The grass normally pops back up when the weather is
warmer and it is still growing. With the colder temps and the fact that
the hay is past its' prime - I am not sure what it will do. We'll just
wait and see. Even if it did pop back up, I don't think it would be ready
for pedestrians until next week.
I am chomping at the bit to get in and work on the new barn.
If it will dry out just a little we will get in there and start building the
top. All the posts are set and cut off to the right height. Eastern
Red Cedar is one log that I don't mind getting the shavings all over me when
cutting it - I love the smell of this cedar. But as I was cutting the
posts off and the wind was blowing the shavings right in my face I thought "You
know, I like to smell this cedar but I don't know if I want to smell like a
cedar".
These animals are driving me nuts! I did not know we
were out of cat food, so when I got here and was attacked by cats I didn't know
what was happing. Now that I went and got food (they do catch mice but
like a free handout the majority of the time) they are finally leaving me alone.
We have another hidden consequence to the slow times - no little kids to chase
and pet the cats. So in the off season they want us to make up for all the
petting they are missing. Maybe I could rent some kids to keep the cats
petting quota met?
Monday November 15, 2004 ---- We seem to be in a bit of
a rainy pattern at the moment. It is pretty wet here and more rain is
predicted in the next couple of days. That is fine with me, at least we
are out of the busy season. You would think that with all the rain we have
had this year the soil would be full of water a good ways down. Well,
oddly enough, when we were drilling the post holes for the new barn we hit a
hard clay about 2 feet down and all the auger did was sit there and spin.
It was so dry that the soil just started smoking. I didn't take the time
to fill the holes with water and let them sit a day or so in order to loosen it
up for further drilling, Therefore, the posts are only set about 2.5 feet
deep and not the 3.5 we were looking for. Don't worry, I don't think it
will fall down --- maybe. Really, it should be OK, just don't let little
Johnny swing from the rafters. Really, I am just kidding with you ---- the barn
will be stable.
As much as we would like to have you, don't plan to come out
to the farm until at least two days after the rain stops. It is not much
fun if your feet get wet while walking around. Perhaps later this week
will be a good time to come out.
The rain has stopped for the moment. Guess I ought to
swim down to the goat pin and see if they have grown flippers or not.
Thursday November 11, 2004 ---- ahhh, finally a chance
to catch our breath. I am happy to say that I have done nothing today.
Yep, absolutely zip - and here comes Whataburger for lunch .....munch, munch,
munch............. (30 mins later) that was good, just hit the spot -- now
I gotta get kids from school (early release today), be back soon -------- (hour
later) ok I am back, now that the day is mostly gone I better not start anything
or I won't have enough time to finish it. Not only that but the wind
is really picking up out there and my hair might get messed up if I went out.
All of the Strawberries, here and in Lexington, are finally
planted. We finished in Lexington yesterday - perhaps a little later than
we would like. Not to worry though, I am very confident that they will
make plenty of berries next spring. I have learned that most things that
happen around here - happen for a reason. Because of this, I am sure they
were planted at just the right time. The Lexington farm is looking really
good and if you haven't been over there yet - you might want to go sometime.
The Strawberry plants here in Marble Falls are growing like
mad. These plants might have even been planted a little early as they are
starting to put out a lot of runners (little plantlets). In the down times
we will pull these runners off just for good measure. The 'Sweet Charlies'
have been blooming some and we might have those Christmas berries afterall (not
near enough for customers to pick -- just enough for my wife ,,,,,, and kids
,,,, and mom ,,,,, and grandmother ,,,,,,, and mother in law ,,,,, and the local
Varmits).
The posts for the new barn have been set --- just waiting for
them to settle in a little before putting on the top. Hope to start
working on that part next week. This barn will be all cedar instead of the
pine logs used in the current one. I guess I could go get the chainsaw out
this afternoon and get it ready - then I could say I have done something today
---------- naaa, that can wait till tomorrow.
Hope you are getting ready for
Christmas activities. My wife's brain is about to explode because the
wheels in it are turning too fast. In fact, I better get out of here or
she is liable to come up with an idea for me to think about, or do, or figure
out, or just nod in approval. Afterall, I would not want to spoil my day
of do-nothingness.
Thursday November 04, 2004 --- Wouldn't you know? Now
that our busy season is over, the weather is going to straighten up! After
a beautiful day today though I just can't complain too much. For the first
time in several weeks, rain is not in the forecast for the weekend. All
activities will be running as normal except with a much smaller more laid back
crowd.
The 'Texas' Maze has definitely seen its' better days.
The hay is no longer 7 feet tall across the board, instead it is about 5 feet
tall and ravaged in some spots. Even though it has some weather damage, it
is still fun. A big group of kids went through it today and after about an
hour I heard a lot of "can you help me find .....". The cooler weather
this weekend will make it very enjoyable walking across Texas.
One more person than I thought must be reading this --- we
picked up 9 'you bet' votes for Christmas activities and 1 "are you nuts" vote
(sent by my mom!). We are busy trying to build a new barn and plan those
activities ---- it looks like we are going to attempt to have a little
'Christmas Cheer down on the farm".
Thursday October 28, 2004 ---- When my wife came back
from a garage sale with a $10 canoe, I thought it was just for decoration.
Little did I know that her purchase was prophetic in nature. Hey come to
think about it, it was dry here before she bought that boat ----- it must
be her fault that we are getting these rains during our busy season (I knew a
woman had something to do with it!). Needless to say, both farms have had a good
bit of rain over the last week. Not to worry though all activities are
proceeding as normal (the Mazes were down for a couple of days but are running
now). It has been windy today and the sun has peaked out much of the
afternoon ---- the ground has dried up immensely since just this morning.
Unfortunately rain is in the forecast for this weekend (that Saturday thing
again). A little rain will be OK, we just don't need any high winds and
several inches. But look on the bright side, if we get a bunch of rain
this weekend -- I got a boat to get around in ----- I wonder, do pumpkins float?
The Strawberry plants are looking nicely. They are just
now looking like they are taking hold. If this warm weather keeps up they
will soon be blooming -- anybody up for Christmas berries? Speaking
of Christmas .... Rumor has it that something might be brewing for the month of
December. What do you think? Would you be interested in coming out to the farm for Christmas
activities (no trees though)? If so, please drop us a note at
areyounuts@sweetberryfarm.com
and say "you bet" or "no way". Since about 10 people
read this, if I can get 8 Yes votes ---- it would be a sure thing wouldn't
it?
Thursday evening, October 21, 2004 ---- I am sure you
already know by now, but just in case you haven't noticed , the past week
has been HOT! Geesh, where did Fall go? Luckily the temps are
supposed to come down a little this weekend ---- now if we can just keep the
rain away. Maybe it is just me ---- perhaps I am just a little sensitive
--- could it be? --- I wonder if you have noticed ---- surely not but, does it
seem to you that the chance of rain always goes up on Saturdays? and then it
goes back down come Mondays. Now how could that be? This past Spring
we had 7 consecutive rainy weekends and the only time it has rained this Fall
has been on the weekend. That seems a little odd to me. Actually, I
can't complain because the past weekend was great weather and we had a great
crowd to prove it.
If you are coming out to go through the Maze --- come in the
morning. The Maze is a lot of fun when it is cool, only a moderate amount
of fun to me when it is Hot. Kids especially get so excited that they
start running through the Maze. On a warm afternoon they soon come out red
cheeked and gasping for breath. Some are just not used to this and should
be cautioned to take it easy. Now I understand the new paths cut through
the hay heading out to the port o potties (I have learned not to put the
bathrooms by the side of the Maze), but not the new path by Alice or the new
paths in East Texas. I think I am a pretty tolerant fellow but I am
starting to get fed up with people that do not listen to the ONE rule and cut
through the grass ---- and it is not just kids doing the cutting! Why do
some customers check their integrity at the gate? Sometimes I feel like
some folks say "OK we are on the farm now, these people don't care about
anything so ya'll just run amuck, do anything you want to, tear it up".
Don't get me wrong, 98% of our customers are the best people in the world.
Even though there are some new paths in the Maze it is still
taking pedestrians about 45 minutes to an hour to get them all. And if you
happen to be in there without a lot of other people hollering "I found _____
over here" it might even take longer. If you happen to stumble onto Bettie
fairly quickly, you might have a pretty good chance of getting them all.
90% of the folks that come back out of the Maze to look at the map are looking
for Bettie or Vance --- HeHe.
I believe we are decorating the world with scarecrows!
This activity is really a lot of fun and something the entire family can do
together. We really get a kick out of seeing mom, dad and the kids
pitching in to form this masterpiece that becomes a new addition to the family.
Don't forget about the Disc Dog Tournament coming up this
Saturday.
Tuesday morning, October 12, 2004 --- Gotta get kids to school so better make this short.......... last weekend was good ......... temps are very pleasant ......... one block of Strawberries planted, one to go ........... Texas maze is lots of fun, average time about an hour .......... lots of scarecrows being stuffed ....... pumpkins painted .......kids running everywhere = lots of fun, come out and see us.
Friday morning, October 8, 2004 ---- the Mazes
----------- appear to be OK, a little damage here and there but still way good
to walk through. Even though the kids' maze has more damage, yesterdays
pedestrians came out saying "Boy, that was harder than I thought. I can't
imagine what the big Maze is like". Actually, we might have made the kid
maze too hard - it is slowing down the hayride. Oh well, someone is sure
to make some new key paths that will simplify it somewhat.
The 'Texas' Maze also has a little spotty damage.
Mondays' storm blew the cane toward the south, Wednesday we had a little
outburst that blew it back to the north. Perhaps God was taking pitty on
us and decided to stand it back up. I will do a little road work this
morning and we should be ready for pedestrians by lunch time.
The rest of the patch seems to be just fine for pumpkin
customers. We hardly have any muddy spots although your shoes might get
wet from the dew on the grass. We added a lot more picnic tables so don't
forget you are welcome to use them for no charge.
Strawberries - since it did not rain yesterday we decided to
get started planting. We only planted 7,150 plants - not too bad
considering all the starts and stops involved in getting started.
Hopefully we will at least double that today. The goal is to get the
plants in the ground as soon as possible - we'll see just how that works out.
Tuesday evening, October 5, 2004 --- regarding the
entry prior to this one --- we only received a little rain today which was good
for the Maze. I have now walked through "Texas' and the kid maze. It
seems the kid maze took the brunt of the damage. I have cleaned up the
pathways and perhaps if you are only 2 - 3 feet tall it will be OK. I do
not think it will come back as nice as it was. We will run a few groups
through it and see how they do.
The 'Texas' maze is a little better off than I thought.
Central and East Central Texas have some damage and there is a few other spots
that perhaps I can clean up. Now if we can make it through Tomorrow and
Thursday with minimal rain (since the grass is leaning now - a heavy rain will
weight it on down) we might be good to go again. I'll keep you posted.
And lastly, I am sure you will be glad to hear that my attitude has gotten
better as the day goes by.
Tuesday afternoon, October 5, 2004 --- Now it is
getting a little wet here. We had a storm Sunday night and again last
night. The one last night was a nasty little bugger that did a good bit of
damage to the 'Texas' and Kid Maze. The next couple of days will determine
how well the mazes come out of it. This is/was my favorite 'Texas' Maze
and am/were very proud of it so I was very disappointed to see damage take
place. Rain itself is not the culprit, when you couple the rain with large
wind gusts - the grass just has a tough time standing up. I suppose the
thing that upsets me the most is the feeling of being in the bull's eye - a
couple of miles each way of us did not get a thing. I think we will be
able to salvage both mazes ---- considering we do not get a LOT of rain over the
next few days. Stay tuned here and I will try to get you an update on the
mazes as soon as we can.
Regardless of how the mazes come out we still have lots of
things to do and pumpkins to buy. The area in and around the Pumpkins is
grassy and is OK for walking even today.
The Strawberry plants are coming tomorrow so we are trying to
get ready for them today ---- I better get back out there or everyone will
wonder where I went.
Sunday morn, October 3, 2004 --- Yesterday morning we
had a nice little rain shower that was over by 10am, the patch was very dry and
that shower was exactly what we needed. The farm conditions for today's
customers will be wonderful. There are no dust clouds blowing
around, the temperatures and very pleasant and while your shoes might get a
little damp from the dew on the grass, you will not have to worry about mud.
The paths in the Maze are not even muddy.
Speaking of the 'Texas' Maze --- we had our first night time
group last night. A bunch of 14 year old kids full of fire and energy.
I was a little amused that by the time they found all the cities they were no
longer running and jumping. I think perhaps we should bill the night time
Maze as a sleep enhancer. Those kids seemed to have a good time and with
all of their glow sticks they looked like a walking flashlight. I did see
some boys get scared by one of the cats that was out looking for mice. And
then there was a fellow that swears he heard a baby pig in there. Even
though we did not have much of a moon, I was able to walk the entire maze
without a flashlight. We are not going to be open for night time Maze runs
on a regular basis but if you have a group of 10 or more that want to go through
in the evening we will work something out.
H.O.S.A. --- Health Occupational Students of America ---- a
High School age group of kids ---- are selling sausage wraps, painting faces and
more as a fund raiser for their group. 100% of the funds they collect are
going to their organization. So stop on by and get a great sausage
wrap for a good cause. I believe they are planning to come out each
weekend in October. Watch next weekend for a local Skatepark Association
to do something. They are trying to raise money to build a public
skatepark facility for kids on land donated by the city. They too will get
100% of what they collect.
Monday September 27, 2004 --- Pumpkins galore! We
opened for the fall season this past weekend with tons of pumpkins and fall fun.
It was supposed to rain but we did not get a drop. Actually the clouds
Saturday kept the temps down and it finally felt like Fall.
I am very excited about the Maze - it really looks good.
Boy is it growing, it is now ready for one and all. Actually I would like
everyone to go through it now before it blows over. Perhaps this will be
the year it does not blow over? I was going to take some shots inside of
it but the battery on my digital camera will not charge. As soon as I get
another I will take a few pics for you
I did run into one little snafu when putting out the city
signs. Seems that I picked the towns and laid it out with a Rand McNally
map. I could not find the stake for Leo so I went looking for my map.
Well, I lost that original map and went to town to get another.
Since I did not want to go to town for just a map I decided to get a Coke.
A convenience store would serve that purpose. I got my Coke with ice, and
picked up any ole Texas map they had. Upon arriving back at the patch I
noticed it was a Mapsco map. This map did not have Leo on it, or Olive, or
Agnes. Since we had to open I had to think on the fly (really hard for me
to do), I left Olive and Leo in there and changed Agnes to Oran (which is on
both maps). Therefore, get a Rand McNally map to find the cities.
The Strawberry plants are coming next week --------- next
week!!!!!!! This is a really busy time for us, I guess I am going to have
to get off the couch and get to work.
Monday September 20, 2004 --- Do you remember the
sitcom "The Jeffersons"? And what was the song they sang at the intro?
I think it was something like "Movin' on up". Well,
that is the theme song for the Maze right now as it is, "Growin on u_u_pp" (hey
I got an idea .... maybe I could write this song "Growin on up" and use it
on the commercial advertising my perfume "Essence of Tierra" ----- I could sing
it while sittin on my sexy tractor surrounded by our 4 fat Goats, 2 rotundous
Horses, 2 dingo-stub-tailed Dogs and the unknown and ever increasing numbers of
Cats to give it a real farm feel---- that's the ticket! Not only will I make a
mint on the perfume but the song will be a sure hit)................ Where
was I? Oh yeah, the Maze. It is really doing well right now. I
just walked through it this evening and it is growing like mad. I
personally like it the best when the grass is over my head in height ---- not
quite there yet but soon will be. We will open the Maze this weekend and
it is sure to be fun, especially if you are 5'6" or shorter. By the
first weekend in October it will be just right for me ------ assuming of course
that it does not blow down, a real threat when these fall thunderstorms
come rolling through.
The Strawberry beds have all been made. I am
happy they are done but wish I would have done a little better job on some of
them. Oh well, maybe next year (the pleasure of farming an annual crop). A week
or two ago I was prepared to say "Man, this has been the best summer yet!" but
then things started going South. Now I'm just saying "this was a pretty
good summer but I sure am glad it is over". I need a few of those cool
fall days to improve my attitude.
Speaking of cool Fall Days ..... we are going to open up for
the Fall Season beginning this Saturday. Are you ready? The Fall
Season is much more festive than the Spring and it sure is a lot of fun.
This weekend might be a hair on the warm side ...... I hate to tell you not to
come but the patch is the most fun when you're not sweating like a pig.
When the temps get in the low to mid 80's everyone seems to be in a better mood
--- that's the time to come. See ya soon!
Monday September 06, 2004 --- Are you ready for some fun?! The Fall 'Texas' Maze is looking like it will be our best maze yet (only took 7 try's). Of course things could change in a heartbeat (as we can attest to) but so far it is looking very good. We have decided on the towns you will be looking for and the path ways have now been cut. So, get out your map and see if you can find Kent, Gomez, Sanford, Irene, Leo, Bettie, Alice, Olive, Agnes, Edna, Edith and Vance. These are all real towns in Texas and where they exist geographically in the state, we have a sign in our state. Pedestrians get a gamecard and the object is to find all the towns in Texas. The Maze will be opening on September 25 along with the pumpkin season. It will only be about 5 feet tall then but that is just perfect if you have 10 and under kids, by the first of October it should be a good 6 to 7 feet tall ----- just right for adults.
Tuesday August 17, 2004 --- Yipee, the kids went
back to school today ------ uhhh, I mean ...... shoot, the summer is already
over and the kids had to go back to school.. I sure am going to miss
having them help around the patch. Actually, for farm kids I think
they did very little this summer. I suppose if you would ask them they
might tell you how they slaved out at the patch ..... I mean having to open and
close the gate all the time ---- constantly feeding the goats, horses and
cats ---- driving the golf cart around while picking up tomato cages -- shear
torture.
'Texas' was planted yesterday, a little behind schedule
but I think it should be fine. Now we are working on getting the
sprinklers put out to get water on it. I am very happy with the way it
looks so far. We are looking for this to be the best year yet for
'America' and 'Texas'. The biggest challenge coming up will be to keep the
army worms out. After we get past the army worms we will just have to pray
that we escape these fall thunderstorms with strong straight line winds.
The 'America' maze in Lexington will highlight towns containing presidential
libraries (the same as the spring but with different pathways) and we are not
sure what we will be looking for in 'Texas', any suggestions?
Strawberry bed building time is right around the corner.
That is a job I look forward to and am glad when it is finished. We
are going to increase the size of the planting here in Marble Falls to 55,000
plants ----- start telling your friends now, if each person tells two, and
those tell two ---- then we might have enough pickers by next spring.
PUMPKINS !!!!!! get ready for some fall fun!!!! in
about 5 weeks (5 WEEKS?!?!, ughhhh so much for sleeping tonite!)
Wednesday July 28, 2004 --- Wow! things are goin our
way for a change. The Blackberries are all pruned, the grass is cut, the
maze is mowed (about to be plowed) and everything out here is looking very good
------ God is good!
Pumpkin season is right around the corner - get ready!
Monday July 12, 2004 --- Thanks for a great Spring
Season! We are very encouraged that the season turned out so well
considering the inclimate weather. With a string of rainy weekends ( 7
consecutive) overall sales were a little behind last year (our best ever).
If you would have told me before the season that we were going to have that many
rain days, I would not have guessed we would do near as well as we did. So
'Thank You' to all you folks that braved the wind, rain, mud, snow (we didn't
have any snow but it sounds better to include it) and sleet - this Gatorade is
to you.
Now the real work begin. The Blackberries need to
be pruned, mazes mowed and cultivated.
Thursday July (no it can't be July yet!) 1, 2004 ---
The way I see it, this rain event has saved me thousands of dollars. The
recent rains have caused everything out here to grow like mad --- so much so
that you would think we are in a tropical paradise. Since the wife has
always wanted to go to Hawaii, all I have to do is find me some Hawaiian boxer
shorts, and a flowery shirt plus a little ocean music in the boom box and waloo
- we are in paradise hon (perhaps I will go get some sand out of the creek to
add to the ambience). Only one problem now --- the sun has come back
out and things are drying out quickly, I better hurry!
The Blackberries are still producing very well. We will
have lots of berries to get us through this holiday weekend and the first part
of next week. The weekend of July 10th is somewhat iffy. We will be
open through the 11th with the 'Texas' Maze and if there are we will keep
picking berries till the last one is plucked.
Speaking of the Maze - still going strong. The rain has
knocked some canes down but with a little road work each day it is just fine for
travel.
Wednesday June 23, 2004 --- I was in Lexington
yesterday and I picked a Blackberry that was so big I could hardly get it in my
mouth. I was able to get it in but then I looked like a chipmunk ---- then
I squeezed it in my mouth and juice went everywhere ----- sure was good though.
We were late in getting the plants planted over there last year so we did not
get a huge amount of growth for berries to bear on this year. Subsequently
there is a lot of berries (in Lexington), but not a ton of berries, and because
there is not a ton of berries for each plant to support - the ones that are
there are HUGE.
Here in Marble Falls there are Blackberries everywhere!!!!
The maze is going good and the tomatoes are producing well.
Saturday June 19, 2004 --- Blackberries galore! If you
can imagine the Blackberry production as a Bell Curve - we are at the top of the
curve right now. I think that perhaps we have enough Blackberries right
now to feed all of Central Texas. Needless to say, now is a good time to
pick your blackberries. The 'Brazos' and 'Arapaho' varieties are finished
but the 'Kiowa' are going to town.
The Tomatoes are doing pretty well also. We have lots
of Cherries, Better Boy and Celebrity to pick.
'Texas' the maze is going strong --- but very HOT in the
afternoons, it is much more fun to do in the mornings.
Thursday morn June 10, 2004 --- We have had a
little rain shower over the last two days (about 3.5 inches) so the patch is a
little soggy today. Luckily the Blackberry rows are grassy between them so
it won't be muddy today, just squishy. I would expect it to dry fairly
quickly, by the weekend all you will see is the grass and weeds growing like mad
(better sharpen the blades on the lawn mower).
Speaking of Blackberries ---- they are yelling. We are
in the peak of the blackberry season right now and they are in prime form to be
picked. After much deliberation and pain staking contemplation, I have
decided that maybe the 'Arapaho' are my favorite this year. I started
eating them the other day and could not stop. Then we got in a pinch and
needed a box quickly, so to avoid the thorns I picked on the 'Arapaho' rows and
before you know it I had a full box.
The Tomatoes are just about ripe.
The Maze is still going strong -- average time about 48
minutes.
Strawberry season is over - we have mowed the plants down and
are getting ready to cultivate the field.
Wednesday June 2, 2004 --- 'Hot' would be the
applicable word right now. The last two days have been pretty toasty,
especially in the afternoons. Therefore I would try hard to make sure you
come in the mornings - when it is much more pleasant. We have started
turning the maze sprinklers on about 11am and running them through the
afternoon. These sprinklers put out more of a light spray than big water
droplets --- it makes the maze going much more fun and you really don't get very
wet by the time you finish. In fact, we have turned into a fruity water
park. As soon as I put out a sprinkler in the grass, it is overrun with
kids playing in it. I would call this the cardboard box concept - my kids
have more fun with a refrigerator box than the expensive toys we might buy them
--- same way with a sprinkler, it is amazing how much fun they have with a
simple pulsating sprinkler out on a grassy lawn.
The Blackberries are going great guns. I think it is
time to give my "are you a chomper or a juicer?" speech. It is easy to
pick out the 'eaters' in the patch - they are the ones trying to get the seeds
out of their teeth. Don't get me wrong - we don't mind if you taste a
few berries, that makes it more fun. Here is my speech as read from
June 3, 2002 -- " So many folks have told me they don't like getting the seeds in their
teeth. I immediately know they are 'chompers' and not 'juicers'. I myself am a
Juicer and get very few seeds in my teeth. A Chomper will throw the blackberry in
their mouth and chew it, thus releasing the seeds into the mouth where they are
destined to
lodge between the teeth. Whereas a Juicer will place the blackberry
into the mouth and squeeze it between the tongue and the roof of the mouth, the
juice is then released into the mouth where it can be savored and enjoyed. When the
juice is gone simply swallow the pulp whole or .......if nobody is watching, spit it out.
My favorite variety, "Kiowa", is starting to produce well.
For the biggest, plumpest, juiciest, ripest ones --- squat down and look up into
the canes. The really good ones are either on the very top (bring a tall
person with you for those) or hanging underneath the leaves (a short person
works good here). The 'Brazos' berries, which are better for cooking, are
about a week from finishing.
If folks would stop picking the tomatoes green, we would have
a few ripe ones. Seems like "fried green tomatoes" are more popular than I
thought.
Thursday morn May 27, 2004 ---- Yippee, last day of
school for the kids!
The Blackberries are producing like mad now, should continue to do so until
about the last of June
The Strawberries are still hanging on. I keep telling people they are hard
to find, only to have them go out and fill a box in nothing flat. They
come back and politely say "you don't know what you are talking about!"
Which is true most of the time.
The 'Texas' Maze is a lot of fun. Three adults did it in 48 minutes, two
kids needed help after 1.5 hours.
Still digging potatoes too!
We are open Memorial day --- hope to see you soon.
Friday morn, May 21, 2004 ---- Good Morning!
Gotta get kiddos to school so will summarize:
Blackberries ---- "Katy, bar the door!! We are about to be
overwhelmed". Needless to say --- they look and are producing great, come
and get'em!
---------- shhhh, I'm going to tell you a secret --- the berries I like the best
("Kiowa") are just starting, there is not many yet but the ones out there can
hardly fit in my mouth (I am somewhat of a dainty kind of farm guy) - man are
they huge. If you want some exercise, while being rewarded for your
effort, walk up and down the rows to the Right of the red pumphouse.
Strawberries --- where did they go?????? they are
vanishing fast, if you want some NOW would be the time to get them.
Red Potatoes ---- diggin away
the A-Maze-ing 'Texas' maze ---- we're waltzing across Texas
now! Come in the morning, cause it is too Hot to do it in the afternoon.
Thursday morn, May 13, 2004 --- Good Morning! I
think today will be the first day to pick Blackberries in '04 - are you ready?
The ripe Blackberries will not be overly prolific today but that will soon
change. I look at the amount of berries we have coming with
excitement and fear ("how are we going to pick all these?!"). We like to
have an abundance of fruit for pickers to harvest --- this Blackberry year
should be one of those years. Be sure to tell all your neighbors,
relatives, coworkers, parishioners, friends, acquaintances, teachers,
students, workers and even innocent bystanders that the Blackberries are big,
bountiful and bodacious at Sweet Berry Farm. I would expect that by this
time next week Blackberry production will have sharply increased and we will
have plenty for everyone.
Those Strawberries are still hanging on. We have been
pleasantly surprised by the amount we are still able to pick.
This weekend will be a good time to pick Strawberries,
Blackberries and dig your own potatoes.
Wednesday May 5, 2004 --- Last call for Strawberries in
2004. Strawberry production is soon going to dwindle, so now is the time
to get some before they are gone for this year. We will have lots of
strawberries for the remainder of this week, then next week will still be good
but it will take a little longer to find a box worth, and then even harder the
week after that. Only once have I ever picked a fair amount of
strawberries in June - perhaps this will be the second year to do that but I
would not count on it.
The temperatures are starting to creep upwards now and that
will trigger the plant to stop fruit production and switch to runner production.
Strawberry plants reproduce two ways, seeds (fruit) and runners (plantlets put
off by the mother plant). When the nighttime temps are consistently above
70 degrees and the daytime temps approach 90+ - we start to see runners.
The field will be removed before too many of these runners are formed but if you
happen to be out picking and see a little plantlet shooting off a plant - give
it a good jerk and take it home with you. Plant the runner in a pot, mist
it daily, and you might get it to root and become your very own Strawberry
plant. Remember, Strawberry plants are cool weather plants - they do not
like our Texas summers so keep them well watered and well mulched.
Well last weekend was not a total wash - just half wash.
Saturday was miserable with lots of rain and a stiff cold north wind.
Sunday turned out nice and after we navigated through the mud we were able to
pick a few berries. That made the 7th weekend in a row that we had
inclimate weather. It looks like this week is going to be nice for a
change. With no rain predicted for at least the next week or so, we will
soon dry out and clean up ------ just in time to get your last Strawberries and
first Blackberries and first taters too.
A few Blackberries are beginning to turn red, I bet we pick
our first Black one by next Monday. Not this coming weekend but the next
(May 14) should be the official kick off to a boomer Blackberry crop.
Monday April 26, 2004 --- I vote that we move the
weekend to Monday and Tuesday. The past six weekends have been rainy,
windy and overcast only to have the weather improve on Monday and Tuesday.
I am happy with the way the field looks considering all the rain. A
drawback to having a Pick Your Own farm is that the majority of your business
occurs on the weekends. Understandably, with all the rainy weekends our
crowds have been way down - yet we have been able to get the majority of the
ripe berries picked up to now. I think we have at least three weeks
of Strawberry picking. We have lots of berries for this week, then will
have a few less next week and the third week from now is somewhat questionable.
We normally (is their a 'normal' anymore?) end the Strawberry season by
May 20 only once have we ever picked strawberries into June.
Blackberries ----- in about 2 weeks? What a crop we
have --- so far. Be sure to use all those frozen berries you have and get
your recipes ready.
Potatoes --- almost ready. I am going to dig some for
supper and see what they look like.
'Texas' Maze --- growing! I mowed out the
pathways today - no idea how hard it is going to be yet. Most of the
state is growing well, we have a little problem with the area right below where
the western side of the panhandle starts up but I think it will grow out of it.
Hopefully we will open the Maze up around May 20.
Tuesday April 20, 2004 --- do do do do, do do do do, do
do do do do (no I am not talking about the trail behind the goats) - it is
scary music sound - do do do do "They're coming!!!" - do do do - "The
Blackberries are coming!". I look with amazement at the Blackberry crop
that will be ready for harvest in about 20 days. 'Unreal' is the only word
I have to describe it, well 'yeHAW' might be another word, 'Yipee' would
work, 'Wahoooo' kinda describes it ---- Ok, Ok so I do have a few more
words. Perhaps the best way to sum this up is to say "Help! We need a
bunch of Blackberry pickers in mid May!"
But at the moment ----- we are still picking those luscious
red Strawberries! We continue to have ripe fruit to pick but it has not
been as abundant lately as in years past. We had cut back a little on the
number of plants we planted here in Marble Falls. Couple that with a bit
of a decrease in production and this unusual weather and you come up with --
just enough ripe berries to get by. The warmer temps forecast for this
week should get the plants to going, so I expect a lot of berries to be ready
throughout this week. We still have a good many green berries and are
hoping to pick Strawberries into the second week of May.
them taters are gro'in good. The red 'new' potato
plants are beginning to bloom so we should start digging in mid May. Leave
your spade at home, we have one for you to use.
The trails in 'Texas' have been cut, now we are just waiting
for it to 'Grow, baby - grow!'. Let's see, it is about 6 inches to a foot
tall now --- only 6 feet to go. You might be surprised at how mast it will
grow with a little sunshine and warm weather. We are hoping the Maze will
be ready for pedestrians about May 20 although it will not reach its' full
height till the first of June.
Friday evening April 16, 2004 --- Well what do you
know, those Strawberry plants have been busy little beavers ripening
strawberries. I believe we will have plenty of berries for tomorrow -
especially for those folks coming out before Noon. I'm not sure what this
weather is going to do. I thought it was supposed to be partly sunny
today, instead it was cloudy, cool and windy - go figure.
The Blackberry crop is looking like it will definitely be the
largest one we have had. The canes are covered with blooms and a good
percentage of them haven't even opened. The Brazos berries have small
little blackberries already, which should be ready in about ........ three
weeks! Use up all those frozen blackberries because we the fresh ones
should be ready by mid May.
Tuesday April 13, 2004 --- What a weekend! Historically, Good Friday is the biggest day of the year for us ------ this year was no exception. Consequently, the Marble Falls farm is out of ripe berries at the moment. We have lots of berries on the plants but few are ripening in this unusually cold weather (37 degrees here this morn). The weather forecast indicates that perhaps we are in for a warming trend the next couple of days - if that happens we should be back "in the berries" by early next week. The Lexington farm is producing like mad and we still have berries over there - if you wanted berries this week, I would head that direction. That farm is only 45 minutes east of Round Rock or 30 minutes north east of Bastrop. Click on the Lexington Directions for a map and verbal directions.
Tuesday, April 6, 2004 --- Have you ever heard the
saying "When it rains, it pours"? Today I can testify to the correctness
of that statement. A sizeable storm just passed and left us with about 2.5
inches of rain. So, bring your boat if you are coming out today.
Have you ever heard the saying "there is a silver lining in
every cloud"? Today I can testify to the correctness of that statement
also. First, our patch dries about the same whether we receive 1 inch or 8
inches of rain. Therefore, with a little sunshine today and tomorrow (as
predicted) we will be in good shape by the time Thursday comes around, for sure
by Friday. Second, the berries are nice and clean. Third, I imagine
the maze sure did enjoy a little drink. Fourth, the Pecan trees and Blackberry
bushes like it too. Fifth, perhaps with the standing water down by the
fence we will attract a flock of ducks that will take up residency here.
Sixth, just not many feelings like mud squishing between your toes. And last but
not least, don't have to mow the grass today.
The Strawberry production here in Marble Falls is picking up
nicely. I can safely say that we have plenty of berries in both locations
for you to pick. Remember, the ripest berries are always on the far end of
the row. The furthest away from the check in counter is where you want to
start picking. As you walk down the row, heading to the far side, be sure
to look about 4 rows to each side of you. This way you will be able to see
'pockets' of ripe berries that have not been picked yet.
The 'Brazos' Blackberries are in full bloom and certainly are
'purdy' (as my grannie says). Be sure to bring the camera when you come.
Monday March 30, 2004 ---- Wow! The berries over
at Lexington are coming on STRONG! It is amazing, the two farms are only
about 100 miles apart yet the slight temperature difference has certainly
affected the maturity of the crops. It appears that the berries in
Lexington are about a week and a half further down the production cycle
than the Marble Falls berries. So what does that mean? The Lexington
farm is loaded with berries, the MF farm has a good supply of berries.
Here in Marble Falls, we have yet to run completely out of ripe berries but we
have come close. Production is picking up fast, soon we will also be
covered up with berries.
The early Blackberries are beginning to bloom -- what a
pretty sight!
Monday March 22, 2004 ---- Ahhh, the smell of freshly
tilled moist soil! One of these days I am going to figure out how to
bottle that smell and make a fortune on the fragrance. Yep, I can see it
now "Farmer Dan's Fresh Dirt Smell" ---- it's goin to sell like hot cakes!
Sure, go ahead and laugh. I just want you to know that ... "She thinks my
Tractor is Sexy" ----- just wait till she gets a whiff of my "Essence of
Tierra".
We certainly are tired after planting both 'Texas' and
'America' last week. Everything went right for a change as the soil
conditions were just perfect for the preparation and planting stage of this
project. Hopefully we will have the Mazes up and running by Mid May
(this is bold because we have folks wanting to go through the Maze now ---- they
will not be ready until MID MAY).
The Blackberry plants are beginning to put on new growth.
There is an awful lot of flower buds just about to pop open -------
that means just a couple of weeks to Blackberry picking! (May 12th). I
sure hope we don't get another late freeze like last year that wiped out the
Brazos berries.
I suppose you would like to know about the Strawberries?
Coming right along. Berry production is picking up a little. Like I
said before - this week will be pretty good picking, next week will be a little
more abundant and "Katy bar the Door" two weeks from now will be unbelievable.
Monday March 15, 2004 --- Shhhh, we officially 'opened'
today. Why keep it quiet? Because fruit production starts slow and
quickly builds. In other words, we have some red berries to pick now but a
TON more are on their way. This week we will have a few to pick, next week
we will have a good many to pick and two weeks from now we will have tons to
pick. If you want to come out this week, I would call before leaving
the house (830-798-1462) just to make sure there is plenty of berries
available. Remember, when the plants start producing well - they ripen
berries practically overnight.
The weather has me completely turned upside down. After
a wet weekend, we started out cloudy and overcast this morning. Then the
sun came out in glorious fashion about noon and started drying things out - I
thought maybe things were looking up. It was so nice that I mixed up some
bags of concrete and started building a little slab in front of our office.
I am working away when I hear a clap of thunder. "Thunder ----- no way,
couldn't be" I said. About that time I had to stop what I was doing and go
get the kid from school. Because I was afraid of being late I did not
cover anything up. Just about the time we returned back at the farm ---
the bottom fell out of the sky. As I am standing in a puddle watching my
newly formed slab being pelted by a deluge of rain I think "this stinks".
Then a few little slivers of ice fell from the sky and I think "this really
stinks!". Luckily the ice stopped and all we got was what seemed like
multiple inches of rain. If your thinking of coming to Marble Falls for
Strawberries --- I would wait at least till Thursday ----- unless you bring your
boat with you.
Monday March 8, 2004 ---- This beautiful weather has me
seeing Red! A good kind of red that is ---- in the form of Strawberries!!!
A few berries are starting to ripen but only a very few right now --- it will
still be a week or so before there is enough for us to start picking. I
think the Lexington farm will open up this weekend so if you have a Strawberry
crave that you have to satisfy immediately , Sweet Berry Farm at Lexington will
be the place for you to go. Once again, I don't think we will have
enough berries to pick here in Marble Falls for at least a week. Next
Monday we should have a real good feel for the Marble Falls 'opening date'
this spring.
The plants seem to be in excellent shape (some are a tad
small but should grow out of it) and we are hoping to have a boomer of a crop at
both farms. We are so much at the weathers mercy that we seem to stay on
the edge of our seat most of the Spring. We are set up to handle most
freezing weather but it is hail storms that worry us the most right now.
Two or more rainy weekends hurt pretty bad also. Since the majority of our
business takes place on the weekend, a few rain outs sure do hurt. But
hey, that's what farming is all about ---- right??? (and to think we chose this
profession on purpose!)
The taters are all planted even though a little later than we
like. It took us so long to get them planted that I am sure we had to hit
the right date (according to the Almanac) at least once. How are we going
to tell which ones though?
Haven't mentioned much about the Blackberries lately --- I
guess because they have been Dormant! The 'Brazos' variety is putting on
new growth now. We have 4 new rows of 'Brazos' next to the Strawberries in
the front block. These rows have turned into an extra thick hedge almost 6
feet tall. When these begin to bloom in the first of April it will set up
a beautiful picture with Strawberries in the foreground and a mass of white
Blackberry blooms behind.
We plowed up 'Texas' today, it won't be long before we are
planting it. Hopefully it will be ready about mid May for
pedestrians
Monday March 1, 2004 ---- The weather today was
absolutely incredible! Sunny skies, slight breeze and 72 degrees - very
nice. The only problem with this kind of weather is that we want to do
about 100 things while we have the chance and only get maybe 1 done.
We were able to pull the covers back off the plants today.
In spite of the high temps being in the 70's last week we had two nights that
dipped into the mid and upper 20's, therefore the covers had to be
deployed. Then cameth the rain and we are just now slightly dry enough to
get them out of the field. We sure could use a little dry weather for a
change - I am growing weary of slopping around in the mud.
So what did the plants look like when we got the covers off
them? ............ wonderful!!!! We are going to have a bumper crop of
berries and not too long from now. I am shooting for pickable berries not
this weekend but maybe the next for sure the week after that. We will see
how the weather plays out but we possibly could open up around March 13 -----
Are you ready?
Thursday February 20, 2004 ---- Wow, what a weather
change! Last Saturday we woke up to snow on the ground (the most snow my
deprived daughters have ever seen - all 1 inch or so of it) and today we topped
out in the upper 70's. In fact, one week ago yesterday the temps did not
get out of the 30's.
Last week we had most of the plants covered up during the
cold spell, this past Monday we pulled the covers off to air out the plants.
Man-O-Man is the 'Sweet Charlie' variety blooming like crazy or what? We
went from "Alright! here come the berries!" to "Oh No, the berries will be ripe
in only a few weeks!" in about 2 minutes time. It didn't help that I
started doing a little calculating: lets see - we have 10,000 Sweet
Charlie plants and they are averaging 10 nice blooms per plant = 100,000 berries
------ depending on size we will say there is about 20 berries to the pound on
average = 5,000 pounds, I would say the average picking per customer is
about 8 pounds = 625 customers needed, since there is about 18 people that read
this = each one of you readers need to come out in about 4 weeks and bring at
least 34.72 people with you. Now this calculation does not include the
10,000 Festival plants that are averaging about 4 nice blooms per plant.
Luckily the 20,000 Chandler plants have only a few scattered open blooms (but
there are many down in the crown just waiting to pop out!) ------ Honey,
what did you say the phone number to the newspaper was?
Speaking of advertising, if ever you have an idea of where we
might advertise that will give us the most bang for our buck ---- please send it
over. Much of the time we just feel like we are spinning our wheels so we would
much appreciate any advice you might have.
Get ready --------- the Strawberries are coming!!!!!
The weather will dictate exactly when we will open but we are shooting for mid -
March (this is about the time our prayer life becomes its' strongest).
Hope to see you soon and don't forget ---- we are
counting on you to bring 34.72 people out.
Tuesday February 10, 2004 ---- Sorry, I have been stuck
in the mud for the last month and just now got out. Needless to say it is
nice and wet at the moment - too wet to build Potato beds, which need to be done
posthaste. Yep, its time to plant them taters - get those spuds in the
ground. We will plant soon (hopefully) and they should be ready for
digging in Mid May.
The Strawberry plants are doing well. We have been
plagued by nuisance freezes lately so we just covered up the entire patch with
the frost covers. I have not looked at the plants under the covers lately
but as we covered them I noticed a lot of flower buds deep in the crown. I
can only assume that these buds are beginning to open up now ----- which means
that we have the potential to open for picking in Mid March.
Use up all those berries in the freezer ------ the new season
is just around the corner!!!!
Saturday January 10, 2004 --- It seems that I kinda
forgot to update the page for awhile doesn't it? So what have/are we
doing? Well, since you ask, I am working in town and the wife is hard at
work on the farm. She has finished mowing down the maze and is now busy
cleaning up the barn and trying to find places to store everything. She is
bottle feeding two more goats (how can such a cute little animal be such a
NUISANCE? I can't even walk around at the patch without falling over
them).
I am sure you are wondering about the condition of the
Strawberry plants ---- they seem to be in pretty good shape. I would
probably prefer that the plants in Marble Falls were a little bit larger at this
time but I don't think that is something we cannot overcome in the Spring.
Actually smaller plants normally means larger berries, just not as many of them.
We had/have a good bit of Deer damage in Lexington. Fortunately we now
have a fence up over there and the plants should recover nicely. I suppose
we should have put the fence up to begin with but we did not realize that the
only 10 deer in the county lived right behind the patch. We could not
harvest them because it is illegal to shoot a Doe in that county. Oh well,
the fence should help keep other 2 legged and 4 legged critters out.
The Blackberries are not doing much at this time of the year.
We do need to go through and do a little pruning and re-trellising of some
canes. We have turned the water on recently to give all the berries
a little drink.
Be sure to see the new pic of the America Maze in Lexington -
it has a link of the home page. I think it turned out pretty good for the
first try at it.
For Fresh News from previous years, just click the link below:
Somewhere along the way we lost Fresh News 2000. I have some old pc's in the barn, maybe I can find it there.