Fresh News

strawberry12.gif (1415 bytes) Fresh News 2012, straight from the strawberry patch.

--- Sweet Berry Farm is on Facebook. It is a lot easier to load photos to Facebook so be sure to take a peak ----Sweet Berry Farm Facebook page

Friday December 21 ---- I do not like weather surprises!! The forecast looked good Wednesday so I work goats all day yesterday. Last night I come in after dark, do some chores, sit down with the laptop and the low forecast has dropped by 10 to 15 degrees for last night! So here I go at 11pm out to check on pipes and turn water on. Earlier in the week we had record highs in the 80s, now lows in the bottom 20s -- this can't be good for the Strawberry plants. If I would have been paying closer attention we probably would have covered up some plants yesterday. I guess it is time to start checking the forecast three times a day.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Wednesday December 12 --- It was cold for sure.... so far everything looks fine here. The Strawberry plants needed something to slow them down. The recent warm days and nights had them a little too active for this time of year. Currently we are spending a lot of time with the goats, moving them from one place to another in an attempt to find something for them to eat. I believe it is as dry here now as it was all last summer. We did have some clover coming up in the pastures but that has dried up and gone away. We have been watering the Peach Trees and berries. It is important to remember that even though your outside plants are in a dormant state they still need water to prevent the roots from drying out. I believe that the roots continue to grow throughout the winter.

Thursday Nov. 22 --- Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Not to much to report now. The Farm is closed and we are taking advantage of this amazing weather to clean up from a busy Fall season. The Strawberry plants are becoming established now. Just a few more months till picking time.

Tuesday Nov. 6 -- The weather has been gorgeous the past few days. The Farm is still open for one more week. Sunday November 11 will be the last 'open' day of the year for us. The crowds have dwindled down quite a bit so the days are pretty leisurely now. We won't have Horse Rides this coming weekend but everything else will be going strong.
   This is the first in the past few years that the Mazes have not been killed by a frost or freeze as well as the flowers. It is nice to see them still green and growing. The Flowers are really putting on a show for the final weekend.
    A baby donkey was born last Sunday. Everyone loves to call the little fuzzball a cutie pie. And the goat kidding has subsided for a bit, round two should start in a week or so. The kids born in October are starting to get their feet under them so they are like a barrel of monkeys in the mornings and evenings. They run and jump and run and jump and run and jump some more. It is impossible to watch them and not crack a smile.
   The Strawberry plants are taking hold and looking good so far. Just a few short months and it will be picking time!

Wednesday Oct. 31 ---- Goodbye to a fantastic October, sorry to see you go. The Farm will stay open through November 11 with all the activities (no HorseRides the last weekend). Luckily we were just warm enough to escape a frost last Sunday so everything is still green and looking good. Historically the weekends in November are not crowded at all and the farm takes on a bit of a slower pace, a little more leisurely and relaxing. 102 goat kids so far, they like to play in the mornings so come early and watch the comedy.

The Strawberry plants are in the ground and now taking root. We will feed them soon in an attempt to get them to put on a little growth before winter sets in.

Monday Oct. 29 ---- And another amazing weekend! The weather is outstanding and all the events are running well.

The Farm will be open Halloween Wednesday and remain open through November 11.

Saturday morn Oct 27 --- Today will be a wonderful day to come out to the farm. All events are running well, we had a little shower yesterday that settled any dust, the Flower patch looks great, the Mazes are holding up well, we have a fresh load of pumpkins and to top it off --- sunny with a 62 degree high forecast = awsome!

Hints: you might want to bring a wagon to pull little johnny around in, just be sure not to leave it unattended or someone elses little suzy will latch on to it.

Thursday Oct. 25 --- I am just giddy with Joy. Yesterday we finished planting the Strawberry plants and unloaded more Pumpkins. Last night my favorite goat (well, most of them are my favorite) succesfully had twins (71 babies so far). This morning I look at the Forecast and it looks amazing! A chance of rain tonight is just perfect to settle the dust and keep the grass growing. Temperatures in the 60's this weekend = amazing!

Monday Oct. 22 --- Thanks to everyone that came out last weekend, it was one to remember. We are going to stay out of the flower patch till Thursday to give the blooms a chance to open. There are plenty of buds almost open, they just need a day or two to display their beauty. The pumpkin supply WAS dwindling, A friend of a friend of a friend has located us some pumpkins to restock our dwindling supply. We should have a replenished supply by this Thursday.
About 40,000 Strawberry plants planted, we are halfway there!
The goats are dropping babies left and right, 35 over the weekend. Baby goats are sure to bring a smile to anyones face.

Saturday evening Oct. 20 --- Wow, today was a really big day. Historically, the second Sunday before Halloween is really busy as well. If you are planning to come tomorrow you need to know our Pumpkin supply is dwindling and there are not enough open blooms to offer cut your own flowers tomorrow. All of the other events will be running and we will even have live music. 19 baby goats were born today, plenty more to come. We will open the gates a little early (around 12:30) to get folks into the parking lot.

Tuesday Oct. 16 11:30am ---- I thought it was going to burn off but after looking at the forecast, it appears it is going to be overcast most of the day. It has been spittin' rain most of the morning. Not enough to make you run for cover yet but there is a chance the rest of the day. Other than this little bit of moisture, the farm on the whole is drying out nicely. I suspect by Thursday the farm will be in great shape for "Harvesters of the Fun". Remember: we are closed on Wednesdays.

Sunday Evening ----- It doesn't sound quite right but "it was good we were so dry before the rain". The farm is drying out fast. We ended up running most of the events today. The biggest problem was the parking lot and the tunnel connecting the two sides. Both of those should be ok to go by tomorrow.

10:33 am --- At least we don't have to worry about Dust! The farm will be open today ..... in a limited way though. The Candy Corn Maze, Berry Bounce, Pumpkin Grill, Ice Cream, Facepainting, Sandart, Stuff a Scarecrow, Goats and Picnic Area will be open and running.

At the moment, the activities NOT running today are: Cut your own Flowers, Sweet Berry Express Barrel Train, the Texas Maze and the Hayride. The tunnel leading to those events is flooded and until I figure a way to get through we won't be able to offer them.

Regardless, it is still wet and will be muddy out here. If coming anyway, wear rubber boots or old shoes. If this is the only time you can get to the farm - come on. If there is a chance you can come another time - I recommend waiting.

Sunday morning 8:35am --- Whoaaaaa! don't come out just yet, let me check everything out first. We had over 2 inches of rain last night. For sure the Horse Rides will not be running, their pen is already a mess. The Barrel train will also not be running. We have Pig decorations in the Barrel train field which ironically is fitting because after a rain that field can become a sloppy mess. I am heading out the door now and will have another update here in about one hour.

Friday Oct 12 ---- We are ready for another good weekend! All the events are ready to go. We unloaded two shipments of pumpkins earlier this week so the Jack O Lantern supply is pretty good.
There is a chance of rain this weekend so we will be updating this page throughout the weekend to let you know how it looks out on the Farm.

Monday Oct. 8 ---- What an awsome weekend! The weather was incredible and so we the folks that turned out. I am sure there might have been some but I did not meet one unhappy person. I think everyone was as excited to see the cooler weather as I was. If you were not able to come out, there is still plenty of time and we would love to have you.

Thursday Oct. 4 ---- We are very excited about this upcoming weekend. It looks like the weather will be great and the Farm is in excellent condition.

Monday evening Oct 1 ---- Well, this past weekend was a bust as a opening weekend but the much needed rain was appreciated. The grass has turned green and really has made the Farm look good. We had a good turnout today. I hope we have just as good attendance the rest of the week because I am proud to offer the farm to everyone. Everything seems so much better when the grass is green and the temperatures are comfortable.
The Texas Maze might be too hard. Only 38 folks went in on a rain soaked Sunday and none were able to find all the towns before quitting. Remember, Texas is an adult activity, one lady over the weekend was pretty frustrated that her kids were giving up before she could find the cities. It is easier when there are a lot of folks in it so maybe this weekend we will have someone complete it.
You will be hard pressed to find a field of flowers prettier than ours. The patch of blooms make a perfect backdrop to pictures of the kids.

9 am Sunday Sept 30 -- Today is going to be a checkered kind of day: gorgeous temperatures - check, horse rides - no check, facepainting - check, sandart - check, hayride - check, barrel train - iffy, flower picking - check, muddy spot for little johnny to jump in - check, Texas maze - check, candy corn maze - check, main parking lot - check, overflow parking lot - iffy, berry bounce - check, pumpkins - check, hungry goats - check, wet bottom from sitting in tractor seat - check, grass grew overnight - check, ice cream - check, old shoes needed - check (it is not muddy but grass is wet and a muddy spot or two).

so all this to say: it is a good day. Horse rides are a no go for today and Barrel train is iffy but everything else should be good.

8pm Saturday---- Arrghh! Just when things were drying out this afternoon here comes another round. I can't tell yet how things are going to look tomorrow, We open at 1pm on Sundays, I will check things out in the morning and post it here. I suspect things are going to be ok, the only thing I am somewhat worried about is the parking lot. It was awfully dry leading up to this rain so maybe the ground will soak up everything that fell today. One thing for sure, we won't have to worry about dust for a week or so.

11:30 am Saturday Sept 29 -- The rain has let up and the gates are open BUT the only activity we can offer today is facepainting, picture taking, flower picking, feeding the goats and pumpkins for purchase. It is too wet for the mazes, barrel train and hayride to operate today. IF we don't get much more rain, tomorrow will be a good day as everything but horse rides will be running. I will post again here this afternoon to keep you up to date.

7:30am Saturday Sept 29 ---- So far only 3/4 inch but it is still raining. The gates are going to be open. Horserides are a no go for today. We can not do the activities when it is physically raining. If it lets up we will but otherwise I would suggest coming another day.

9 pm Friday night Sept 28 ---- It just started raining here at the farm. IF the weatherman is right about the amount of rain, Saturday will be a wash out and you should not come to the farm. Sunday will depend on the amount of rain we get tonight and tomorrow. I will update this page early in the morning and throughout the day tomorrow.

Sunday Sept 23 -- Less than a week away! The place is really looking good and we are excited to offer it to everyone. The Flower patch is blooming well and will make a beautiful backdrop for your pictures. The Texas Maze is outstanding, even I am getting lost in it. The new Berry Bouncers are set up well and ready for action.
The Strawberry beds have been madea - whew! Sooo glad to get that job done.

Sunday Sept 16 ---- Are you ready for some Fall Fun? We are! Nothing like a cold front to get me into a Fall mood and a good rain (4 inches) to ease the pressure of the drought.
   The 'Texas' Maze looks fantastic. This is the first year in many that I am happy with just about all areas of the state. It is so tall in many spots that it will be very hard to use objects outside the Maze to get your bearings. I think that before some key cut throughs get made, it will be very hard. The harder the maze is, the more folks get frustrated and make new paths. At first the cut throughs make it easier but later in the season enough get made that it creates confusion because there is so many decisions to make. Now, lets hope we don't get a mean thunderstorm with straight line winds to damage it.
   The new Berry Bouncers (formerly Harvest Hoppers in the Spring) are sure to be a big hit with the kids. Even I can't resist jumping (although it is not very long before I am winded (but longer than my wife)) on a giant jumping pillow. We have two pillows in order to seperate the big kids from the little kids. Sorry no adults on the pillows with the kids although we already have several requests for a 'adults only' pillow. No shoes allowed but socks are required.
    The Flower Patch is already blooming. Just the other day a fella told me he has some of the best pics of his grandkids in the flower patch. He has them for several years running and indicated he is looking forward to bringing the kids out again this year so he can keep the string going.
    Granny has been working hard on Scarecrow Island. It seems that the GourdHead family has moved into Crowville, I sure hope we don't have a feud break out on the Island because Indians have been sighted down in the creek. I saw a Church go up in the town, hopefully the preacher will be able to keep the peace amongst all the new residents.

Saturday Sept. 1 ----- We are extremely blessed to have the ability to apply enough water to keep things alive in the midst of this dry spell (three tenths since July 18). The farm is looking pretty good, the goats are the ones suffering as the pasture has dried up and blown away. We are now feeding pellets and hay to the goats to keep them healthy leading up to kidding time.
The 'Texas' Maze is already 8 feet tall in most places, barring any weather calamities, it is going to be awsome this Fall. We are excited about how all the venues are shaping up and are really looking forward to the 'Harvest of Fall Fun' starting Sept. 29 ..... get ready!

Wednesday August 22 ----- I am lovin this weather! We have only gotten two tenths of an inch or rain but the clouds and a break in the heat has been glorious. Are you ready for some Fall Fun, won't be long. The farm is looking good despite the lack of rain. Hope to see you in a little over a month.

Saturday August 11 --- Still no rain. Lots of heat and wind are really doing a number on the vegetation. We have enough water available to keep the Mazes, Peaches, Figs, Zinnias and Gourds growing but the pastures have dried up and withered away leaving the goats with very little to eat. The goats just don't do as good on feed as browse not to mention it is costly to supplement them.
About a third of the flowers have now been planted. Within two weeks we should have them all in the ground. Believe it or not, Fall season is not too far away - are you ready?

Saturday August 4 ---- Little did I know the "wonderful rain" of July 18 was going to be the last one for awhile. Our soil has very little water holding capacity which makes it tough on the plants to go even two weeks between rains. We are very blessed to have a good supply of water below us. Much of my day is spent moving water from one spot to another. The plants will sure tell you if you miss a spot.
The first of the Zinnias have been put into the field, only 14000 left to go. The planting is staggered so we don't have too many blooms at once. The flowers really need to be cut off to keep the plants growing and blooming well.

Wednesday July 18 ---- What a wonderful rain! Things seem to be on track here at the farm, which makes us nervous. The Arbors are painted and the vines have crested the sides and now up heading towards the peak. The vines require training every other day to make sure they are going in the right direction. We removed the Tomatoes in record time so my wife didn't have a chance to say "wonder if we should leave some and try to grow a Fall crop". 550 small square bales came out of 'Texas', lovin that and should be cutting more later this week. The girls have been busy making 3000 popsicles. I think Mom is trying to get them out of the kitchen so she can start making jelly.

Friday July 6 ---- While we are moving a little slower since 'closing' for the summer, we have plenty of things to do. The 'kitchen' has been stripped, buffed and waxed along with moving the sink, replacing the element in the hot water heater, replacing a few tiles and fixing the AC drain. Just a few shelves to hang, replace a freezer and refrigerator, then the kitchen will be good to go. We finished trimming and painting the office addition. The sprinklers were removed from Texas. Fixed a lot of water leaks in the Peach Orchard. Put out sprinklers on the Group Maze, Candy Corn Maze and the Peach Field. Wormed the goats. And most importantly - cleaned my truck!
Over the next week or so we need to: to finish painting the gourd arbors, 'Texas' has been cut - should bale it and haul hay tomorrow, build a porch on the side of the office addition, build an entrance to the Hoppers, build a fence to keep the goats out of the arbors when we let them out of their pen over the summer and remove the spent Tomato plants/trellis.
We hope you had a happy fourth and are having a good summer. Fall season is just around the corner.

Thursday June 28 ---- We are not going to make it to Saturday ....... we are out of produce, the Maze is getting cut .... so it is time to close down for the summer. The few remaining Peaches and Tomatoes will be picked and processed for later use. Spring 2012 was the best Spring season we have had in twelve years, boy does it feel good to have a whopper like that. A mixture of tons of fruit and tons of patrons and lack of inclimate weather made for a wonderful season. Thank You so much to all you folks that joined in on the harvest with us! Fall season will be here shortly, hope to see you then.

Sunday evening June 24 --- Only one more week to be open this Spring season. Come get your Tomatoes now because we are going to close down Saturday evening until the last weekend in September. We are uncomfortable letting kids into the Texas Maze because of the heat so we are closing it now. Don't worry, the "Harvest of Fall Fun" is right around the corner.

Saturday morning June 23 ---- Tomatoes anyone? still picking lots of Tomatoes although overall production has dropped. I don't see a whole lot of green ones so looks like they might be slowing down soon. The Maze is ready but it has been too Hot for most people to finish. I think it is time for the farm to close down for the summer. The 'Harvest of Fall Fun' will start the last weekend in September through the first weekend in November.
The Peaches have done very well considering the tree size. We are finishing up the Harvester and Cary Mac varieties and about to start Blaze Prince and Majestic. Bounty, Scarlet Prince and White River are yet to come. Since we will be closed we will process and freeze the peaches from these varieties. My wife has already figured out how to make Peach Popsicles and mom has begun making Peach Jam. It has been fun spending a couple of days in the orchard leveling out the orchard floor that I messed up last fall with a disc, pruning suckers and fixing water leaks. I am ashamed to admit that the orchard showed some neglect but we are changing that now. I love a well kept peach orchard - it is a thing of beauty.
All the Strawberry plastic has been removed and the fields cultivated, some even planted to a cover crop. This is the earliest we have finished this job and I am very pleased.
The girls got with it and pruned all the Blackberries. Just some cleanup work and they too will be in great growing shape.

Monday morning June 18 ---- The Tomatoes have gone wild! This is the best Tomato crop we have had in years. The plants are looking a little ragged and overgrown but that has not kept them from producing. The biggest best ones are down in the bush and on the far end of the row.
The maze is going strong as well and is growing out nicely. Bring water because it gets pretty toasty in there.

We are going to close for the summer on Jume 30 only to reopen again in late September for the Harvest of Fall Fun.

Friday evening June 8 ----- Tomorrow will be good Tomato picking. Just like the Strawberries, the biggest, reddest Tomatoes are on the Far Side of the Far Row and the Far End. Go there first and you will surely load up.
The Potatoes are just about done, we have a lot that we dug in the store but the field is getting more sparse.
The Maze is open and is looking very good. It is getting taller and is just about right now.
We are going to be closed on Sunday ---- pleeeaaase don't come out Sunday.

Thursday morning June 7 ---- wonderful rain! It is a rare daytime rain event going on now here at the farm. The radar shows more coming, if it does not dissapate right before it gets to us, so I would postpone your trip until tomorrow. This rain will freshen things up so the picking tomorrow will be that much better.

Wednesday evening June 6 ---- Thursdays picking will offer lots of Tomatoes, Potatoes and Ice Cream. We will bring Peaches to the store for sale, the Harvest Hoppers and the 'Texas' maze will be open in the morning.
We are now picking Gala and June Prince peach varieties. We have been pleased with the quality and quantity of Peaches so far this year. Our 600 trees are still young yet and I really wanted them to concentrate of growing instead of fruiting this year. After a little neglect over the last year or so we are now turning more attention to cleaning up the orchard floor, doing a better job of watering and fertilizing. The trees are responding well to the attention. As you know, our farm is not 'organic'. We have not applied anything to the trees this year and it has been interesting to see what problems we will need to look for in the future. Grasshoppers, Moths and an assortment of beetles have ruined about a quarter of the fruit we have picked - they will need to be addressed in the future. We are trying to pick the Peaches tree ripe, this means that our Peaches are not going to last many days after your visit.

Saturday morning June 2 --- Maybe next time on the rain - errrrr. Opening Texas the Maze today. Just right for kiddos, a little short for my taste. It is growing fast and will be up there in no time at all. The Strawberries are played out, and Blackberries too. Just a few Tomatoes and Potatoes to pick. Lots of Ice Cream and Popsicles too.

Wednesday May 30 ---- Rumble, Rumble .... he,he,he ...... sniff, sniff, sniff, ahhhhh ...... could it be? I don't know if we will get any of that rain just North of us but at least someone is. It sure does smell good, and sound good.
Tomorrows picking will include Tomatoes, Potatoes, some Strawberries and Fresh picked Peaches in the store. It is pretty dry here so unless the skies open up the fields should be in good shape.
The 'Texas' Maze will be ready for pedestrians this coming Saturday, not quite as tall as I prefer but it still should be good. At least this way maybe folks will get a little breeze and it won't be quite as hot in there.

Saturday evening May 26 ---- Every purple sage plant I have seen is in full bloom - sure hope they are right and not the weatherman pertaining to the upcoming rain chances. the Blackberries are now finished for the year. Strawberries were picked today but not without a little work finding them. Onions are almost finished while Potatoes are in ample supply. Lots of Tomatoes were picked today, not sure how many ripe ones for the rest of this weekend. We picked some beautiful Peaches this morning, going to try to pick some for tomorrow before church. Afternoons are getting warm and dry, we encourage folks to come in the mornings if possible.

Wednesday evening May 23 --- Winding down, this has been a fantastic season (Thank You Lord!) and it is coming the fruit production is coming to a close pretty quickly. We will have Strawberries and Blackberries to pick tomorrow morning and perhaps each morning through the weekend. Other than a few scattered berries, I think this weekend will finish off both crops. We still have plenty of Potatoes to dig and Onions that have been dug. Lots of green Tomatoes but not a whole lot of red ones. We will be bringing Fresh Picked Peaches to the check out stand each morning. The 'Texas' Maze is growning and might be ready in a week or so.
Afternoons are getting hot and dry, we highly recommend mornings for picking.

Wednesday May 16 --- Tomorrows picking will be pretty good, especially in the Blackberries. The Blackberry rows will be dry but the rows between the Strawberry beds will have dry and wet areas. Potatoes and Onions are available. Some folks have found some Tomatoes and we are going to pick some Peaches and bring them to the check out area for sale. Our Peach trees are still small and we didn't really want them to set many so they could concentrate on growing. The first variety to ripen was Flavorrich and our family greatly enjoyed them. tomorrow we are going to pick some Carored peaches to sale. We will pick them ripe, if you have not had a tree ripe peach lately, wow, you don't know what you have been missing.

Monday evening May 14 - Good thing we finished planting Hay Grazer in the Peach Field, Group Maze and Candy Corn Maze today because it is raining here now. This past weekend was a very good one with lots of produce picked and fun had. This rain will make Strawberry picking pretty muddy tomorrow, Blackberry picking will be ok, taters and onions will be wet.
    Strawberries - still going but getting increasingly hard to fill up a box.
    Blackberries - good picking for at least another week, we are guessing that the weekend of the 26th might be the last good Blackberry picking weekend.
    Taters and Onions - taters are going strong, we are about to pull all remaining Onions and have them for sale up in the store.
    Tomatoes --- almost vine ripe, some folks picked some that were just about to turn. Unlike the rest of our produce, Tomatoes will ripen after picking (as tasty?)
     Peaches ---- we will be picking some and bringing them up to the store for sale.

Friday May 11 ---- Two plus inches of rain yesterday - sure is nice!
Field Conditions:
Blackberry patch - very little mud, great picking, don't fill box too full, bring something to put box on in car so they don't juice on the carpet.
Strawberry field - will be mud to dodge, some rows are fine others wet. Kids will find the muddy spots, berries look good, little harder to find so they require a little more hunting.
Potatoes and Onions - pretty wet, if no more rain today they will be in good shape for the weekend.

All the fields will dry nicely and be in good shape for Saturday if we don't have more rain this afternoon.

Wednesday evening May 9 ---- Tomorrows picking will be fantastic! Blackberries, Strawberries, Potatoes and Onions all in ample supply. The rain storms are supposed to hold off until late afternoon and a cool morning will make excellent picking weather. The aisles between the Strawberry rows might be a bit slippery so old shoes will be in order.
We were on a tractor all day today (and it was great) plowing and planting more Haygrazer. A little more to do tomorrow before the rain and we will feel like we are in good shape.

Sunday morning May 6 --- Bring on the Rain! Just a little fell last night, just enough to make the picking better today.

Saturday evening May 5 ---- Great picking today! Everyone seemed to be amazed at the size and quantity of the Blackberries. We will have Blackberries to pick Sunday afternoon, especially down low and inside the canes. Should be another good picking day tomorrow afternoon.

Thursday May 3 ---- Saturday morning will be a special time - Blackberries, Strawberries, Potatoes and Onions all available in ample supply!!!! Pick your Blackberries first since the ripe ones probably won't last all day.

Wednesday May 2 ---- Blackberries! we are going to start picking those sweet, plump, delectable, big ole juicy fruits this coming SATURDAY. Come early in the morning to make sure you get plenty.   I think the picking is going to be pretty good for everything: Blackberries, Strawberries, Potatoes and Onions.
We have been working away in the Peaches and have even picked our first ripe fruit. I haven't mentioned much about our Peach orchard here because it has had a tough time getting to this point and I do not like promising something that might not come to fruition. I am now ready to say that I think our Peach trees are going to live and we will be offering fresh Peaches in the coming years. There will be some fruit available this year. These first couple of years I think we are going to pick the peaches and have them on the counter for sale.
   Texas the maze is having a hard time getting started. It is now growing and we will see how it does this month. We normally try to have a Spring Maze but this year could be an exception. The next few weeks of growth will determine if we open it up this Spring.

Saturday morning April 28 ---- 20 minutes per box is what it took us to pick 6 boxes yesterday afternoon. After we have been spoiled by "the berries are just jumpin in the box" it is hard to remember what real picking is like. At least this way it is more of a challenge. We still have some blooms that seem to be setting but I see 'runners' starting to come out. The blooms indicate berries in a couple of weeks but the runners say that the plant is shifting gears into a vegatative mode.
   Potatoes and Onions are in ample supply. These are the largest Onions we have ever grown.
   Blackberries are getting close. I am sure we will be picking them by next Saturday. It seems like alot of folks are interested in them so plan now to come early.

Monday evening April 23 ---- The last two boxes of Strawberries picked today were some of the prettiest I have seen in awhile. The ripe Strawberries are out there but instead of picking a box in 10 minutes it is taking about 30 mins. The Strawberry plants are still putting out some blooms, if those set we will have berries for another 3 or 4 weeks. The hot afternoons are not so good but at least the nightime temps have not climbed above 70 on a consistent basis.
   We started digging Taters and pulling Onions last Sat. and I have already had three meals of nothing but.... and enjoyed every one. The potatoes are all Minnesota Red New potatoes. If you have never dug potatoes, stick one of the available spades into the ground at an angle about 8 inches from the base of the plant, push down on the handle while pulling the base of the plant with the other hand - walla! potatoes! The taters aren't hiding more than a couple of inches deep.
We have three varieties of Onions: Red Candy Apple, Texas Early White, and 1015Y Yellow Super Sweet. Be careful to look at the size of the onion before pulling it --- remember: if you pull it you need to purchase it.  Unfortunately we do have some folks pull the Onions and try to put them back - that doesn't work.


Saturday evening April 21 --- Today was a good day. Pickers today were able to find Strawberries, Potatoes and Onions! The wife and I just enjoyed a great meal of potatoes and onions. I do love these red new potatoes. Tomorrow afternoons picking should be equally as good. Blackberries are getting closer, about two weeks or so away.

Friday April 20 ---- It's Potato and Onion time! We are going to start harvesting them both tomorrow. The onions are as big as we have ever had, 35 cents each is going to be a good deal. I can't wait to bring some of those potatoes home. I really do like to eat those red new potatoes.
Whoa, the Strawberry plants are slowing down. The ripe berries are harder to find now.   The berries are available but you have to work a litttle harder to find them.

Sunday evening April 15 ----- The lawnmower races were a big hit and a lot of fun. There was 7 divisions ranging from stock, really slow, to the fast ones which screamed around the track at 35mph. Everyone had a really good time and raised a little money for the American Cancer Society. The next race is set for March 24, 2013.
The Strawberry plants are still producing nicely! The berry size is a little smaller but the taste is just as big as early in the season. The temperatures have dropped some and it sure is nice! This cooler weather is going to be great for the Strawberries. We have lots of blooms right now, if they set we should have berries all the way into Mid May.
   'Texas' is coming up! We are still working on getting sprinklers put out. It won't be long and we will be cutting the pathways.

Thursday evening April 12 ---- Worked on the mower racing track today, it is really nice. My wife is thinking about racing her $100 garage sale mower in the stock race so all you people thinking about racing should just drop it because you will lose if she races. If coming out for the races, bring a lawnchair or blanket to lay out on.
The Strawberries are doing really well. The picking is fantastic and should be all the way through the weekend. Now is a great time to get your Strawberries.

Monday evening April 9 ---- Lawnmower races this Saturday 11am to 3pm, sanctioned by Lone Star Mower Racing Association benefits American Cancer Society it will be fun, come watch. There is a stock division, have riding mower? bring it and race, you could win a cool trophy. no entry fee, 20hp or less, no zero turns, rider needs a helment. email dan@sweetberryfarm.com if interested.
   the Strawberries are still going pretty strong. The berries are getting a little smaller but there is still plenty to pick.
   Blackberries, Potatoes and Onions coming in May.
   the 'Texas' maze has been planted, we need a little rain.

Saturday evening April 7 ---- It has been a great weekend and we still have one day to go. The farm will be open tomorrow (Sunday) from 1pm to 5pm.   The Barrel train will not be running but the Hoppers will be bouncing. We still have very nice berries to pick.

Friday evening April 6 ---- It was a busy day today but all those pickers weren't able to harvest all the ripe berries. Tomorrow will have pretty good pickings as well. The Harvest Hoppers have been a big hit and a lot of fun. The goats are always hungry and waiting for some attention. Tomorrow we will be making and selling Strawberry smoothies, they are fantastic! We don't make them all the time, just on special weekends and this is one of them.

Wednesday evening April 4 ---- The warm weather is concentrating the ripening = holy moly, look at all the berries! I think it would take every person in the city of Austin to pick all the berries. Needless to say, the picking is going to be pretty good over the next few days.  We have lost some berries to sun damage and being overripe so be sure to tell the kids to be picky, there is plenty of just right berries to choose from. My wife likes the really ripe maroon berries, I like the bright red just ripened ones.  Keep in mind, the maroon really ripe berries will not last long after picking. It is good that the high temps are supposed to be in the low 80s the next few days. It would be nice if the lows would drop into the 50s, the plants do not like it when the lows break into the 70s.
   Painting and making trophies for the Lawnmower races coming up. I am getting pretty excited. There will be a stock division for anyone to race in. The mower can not be zero turn, has to be less than 20 horsepower, must have all factory parts and have the blades removed. The engine can not be modified other than turning up the rpms (3600 or less).  The rider must have a helment, long sleeves and long pants. The races are a cold start meaning that the drivers must run across the track, start the mower and take off. You can win a really cool trophy and have bragging rights. It should be a ton of fun so come on, bring your mower and lets race! The farm will cover all entry fees so what are you waiting for? It will be a fun way to help out the American Cancer Society. The races begin at 11am.

Monday evening April 2 ---- A little warm! bring Spring back please. The plants are producing berries like crazy and the warm weather is speeding things up even more. We do have some sun damaged berries so be choosy when picking, there are plenty of nice ripe berries to harvest. Now is the time for us to start putting berries in the freezer.   The berries we pick now will end up in the jam, ice cream, lemonade and popsicles later. We should have plenty of ripe berries to pick through this weekend, late next week is a little suspect.


Thursday evening March 29 --- Another good picking weekend coming up! The Strawberries are still doing amazingly well. The picking is very good right now, and I think it is going to remain good through next week. It seems that Spring is early to a lot of plants and trees this year, unusually early. As we look at the Strawberries, I can't help but think we are having a normal 'April' flush of berries in March and production might slow down after Easter. A little early to tell right now, we'll have to keep a look out. One thing for sure, NOW is a great time to pick Strawberries!
   Two weeks the Lawnmower Races! Sat. April 14 11am to 3pm ---- put it on your calender!

Monday evening March 26 --- Big weekend, picked lots of berries, nice weather today - Berries have recovered and are plentiful again! I would expect to have an abundance of ripe berries the remainder of this week. A chance of rain Thursday could make the weekend picking 'out of this world!'. We are just a'glow around here, this has been the best season in many years so far.
   We are plowed up Texas today. Just a few more passes and it will be ready to be planted. Hopefully, it will be ready for Maze goers late May/ first of June. It is hard to believe it should be 5 to 6 feet tall by then - boy does it grow fast once it gets started.
   The new Harvest Hoppers are a big hit with the kids. If you haven't seen them they are 40 by 60 feet inflatable pillows that are just a lot of fun to jump on. They are open for 'hoppers' Thursdays through Sundays.
   The only thing I am not happy with at the moment is that I feel our Peach trees are not getting the attention they deserve. We still have some much needed work to do in there. The trees are a tad small for three year olds but I am just tickled pink that they are alive! Maybe this is the year they grow like mad.

Friday evening March 23 - Picking will be great tomorrow. Remember, walk to at least the middle to far end of the row before starting to pick. Most pickers start too early and have a full box just as they get into the really good berries. There are plenty of berries to choose from so be picky. Tell the kids the 'redder the better', Strawberries ripen very little after being picked.

Thursday evening March 22 - Lots of berries tomorrow, plenty for everyone. Harvest Hoppers and Sweet Berry Express Barrel train running tomorrow through the weekend. Good time to come, not much here to stop you. Hope to see you soon!

Wednesday evening March 21 ---- The only problem pickers will have tomorrow is ...... picking too much. Remember a full box of berries is about $15, when the berries are this plentiful it is very hard to stop picking. Be prepared if you give three children all their own box - you will be going home with a lot of berries and should be ready to make jam, give gifts or have a spot in the freezer open.

Tuesday evening March 20 ---- I just realized it is the first day of Spring, wahoo?! Over 4 inches of rain last night -- the berries are pretty clean right now, freshly washed. We need the extra day of dry time so it is good we are closed Wed.. Thursday will be great picking but still muddy so come prepared. Berry production is about to really pick up. I expect we will have plenty of ripe berries through most of the weekend if not all weekend. We should be back into 'be choosy because there are tons of berries to choose from' by Thursday. We all feel better when we know everyone will be able to find plenty of berries.
   I had a win-win situation last week. I don't like to eat fresh Tomatoes except on a hamburger so I am not a very good Tomato grower and we have not had a good Tomato crop in several years. All this combined means I didn't really want to plant many Tomatoes. My wife on the other hand is the opposite of all I just mentioned so she ordered 400 plants. When they came in she asked me to plant them ..... ughhh ..... wait a minute ..... if we have a good crop - it is because I planted the plants, if they flop again - I can say 'I told you so'. Therefore, win-win for me! In the one really good year we did have we planted the plants in early March and did not have a late freeze, maybe this year will be a repeat?

Friday evening March 16 ----- This afternoon was pretty slow picker wise, that might actually be good for the pickers coming out tomorrow. We should have ripe berries in the morning again. With rain in the forecast next Monday and Tuesday, closed Wednesday = next Thursday will be awesome picking and I am pretty sure the ample supply will hold out through the weekend. Normally pickers do not have to worry about getting to the farm early, it has just been a busy week and the season just started. Believe me, maybe as early as next weekend, the Strawberries will be as abundant as ever.

Wednesday evening March 14 ---- Okie dokie, here is the scoop. Tomorrow (thursday) we will have ripe berries in the morning. The earlier you can come the better. Spring Break has been very good to us and we don't have enough ripe berries to last through the day if we have the same kind of turnout as earlier in the week. The sweet berry express barrel train will be running tomorrow for the kiddos. The horses and goats are awaiting some attention and lots of folks are taking advantage of the picnic tables and a relaxing day.
   NEW - GIFT SHOP. Openin tomorrow for the first time! I must say I have not seen what is in there but I saw two trailers come in today loaded with items. Take a look, I am sure there are some things in there you just can't live without!
    Whew .... opening early is really driving us hard to finish what was supposed to be done before opening. We are putting the finishing touches on the Harvest Hoppers and hope to have them ready for jumpers on Friday. They are two 40 by 60 feet canvas' that inflate to say 4 or 5 feet high. Object: jump yourself silly. We have two so smaller kids can go on one and larger kids the other. These things have been pretty intensive on the installation end. I hope they will generate a lot of smiles soon.

Monday evening March 12 ----- Whew, a lot of pickers came out today! The plants were worked over pretty good. More berries will ripen overnight but not enough for all day if another crowd turns out. If coming tomorrow - come early, the earlier you can get to the farm the better the picking will be. Since we are closed Wednesday, Thursday morning will be the next best picking day. We still have a little mud ---- guess where the ripest berries will be, yep right by that muddy spot. Remember - go to the FAR end of the row and pick back for the best berries. Note: our internet is down so that makes our ATM down - it might be late Tuesday before it is fixed

Monday morning March 12 ----- Todays forecast is for Sunshine! Last Friday and Saturday were rainy/drizzly cold days but my o my did yesterdays sunshine turn things around. We had a little over an inch of rain last week so it will take a couple of days to completely dry out. There will still be some muddy/slippery spots to deal with today. It is so nice to know that when a car pulls in the gate we are going to plenty of berries for them to pick. Todays picking will be amazing, the berries are in ample supply. The berries will ripen quickly in this sunshine, I would expect to have berries all week long.

Sunday morning March 11 --- Not raining here now and there is none on the radar heading our way. It seems to be moving to the East. The sun is supposed to come out today, that will be a welcome sight. I can't look at the fields right now, there are soooo many incredibly big, nice berries out there that need to be picked. The rain sure did dampen our business the last couple of days. We are thankful that it was cold enough to slow the ripening down a little bit. It is so nice to be able to tell folks there will be no problem finding berries. We will be open today at 1pm, it will still be slippery/muddy between the Strawberry rows so be careful.

Saturday morning March 10 ---- Good Saturday Morning. Todays forecast is for "periods of rain, high near 52, rainfall totals close to half an inch, 90% chance of rain". We did have a shower last night. We will have some slippery spots/mud between the rows of Strawberries, the rest of the Farm is grassy and will be good for walking.   We are open, wear old shoes if coming today. Only the smile on pickers faces will brighten todays forecast, unless you are in the area - today will not be a good day to experience all the farm has to offer.

Wednesday March 7 --- Tomorrow will be good picking! Rain is forecast for Friday and Saturday so tomorrow will be a good day to load up. We will keep this page updated on field conditions over the next few days.

Sunday evening March 4 --- Thank You folks! The ripe berries were building up but an excellent crowd this weekend worked them over pretty good. We have LOTS of berries coming and will even have some tomorrow but it will take a few days for the ripe berries to build up to the "I picked a box in 15 minutes" level. I would expect it to take 30 minutes or so to pick a nice box of berries tomorrow. It is amazing how many berries will ripen up overnight. We will have berries to pick tomorrow, but it will require a little more diligence getting them. We are just estatic over the start of this season, only once have we opened the season this early and never with the 'bang' we are having. I do think we are going to have a little slow down in berry production before a huge surge coming around March 20.
The early season has caused some anxiety as well. We are adding onto our office (previously a 6 by 12 portable shed) and I thought I would have a month more to finish it - now we are eagerly trying to get it finished (the 'office' is now on our dining table!). The new 'Harvest Hoppers' (jumping pillows) are installed but we need to build a fence (which requires going out in the pasture and cutting cedars for posts) before we can open them up. And then there is everything else = time to get out of the Lazy Boy!

Saturday morn March 3 ---- Today will be an excellent day for Strawberry picking. I just can't say enough about the size and quality of the berries right now. I will say that if you pick the dark red real ripe ones (which my wife likes to eat the most of) that you should eat them within a day, they will not last two or three days in the fridge.

Tuesday Feb 28 ---- 'OPEN!' Now is your chance to get some AMAZING berries. We will be opening the season Thursday March 1, after which we will be following normal Spring time hours of operation.

Monday Feb 27 ----- I am sorry to keep taunting everyone but I just have to say "man, the berries I am eating right now taste better than ever!!" I ate so many yesterday that I felt like I was having a sugar rush. This is about as proud as I have ever been of the impending crop and quality.
We covered up most of the plants last Friday and I am glad we did because the uncovered plants had some blossom damage. Gretchen and I uncovered them late yesterday to avoid the drizzle - another good move because they would have gotten wet today and been a real bear to deal with.
We going to take a hard look at them tomorrow to nail down an opening day, for sure it will be within ten days and I am leaning toward this weekend.

Friday Feb 24 ----- We covered most of the Strawberry plants up today.  Temps are forcast to be in the mid thirties tonight - the plants have alot of blooms and immature berries - just too risky not to cover.   Speaking of family early Strawberry eating benefits ....... an Uncle I haven't seen but once in 20 years shows up today.......  Funny hugh? Thanks for the help Uncle Eddie, come back anytime.

Wednesday Feb 22 --- Days like today will sure enough hasten the opening of the Season, I even cracked a sweat out there. The weather today was beautiful and I'll bet the Strawberries liked it as much as I. Look for an announcement mid next week on the opening of the 2012 Strawberry season, it is really close. We are picking a handful of berries now but not near enough to open to the public. Sorry, I guess one benefit of being in the family is getting to eat all the fresh Strawberries you desire before the season officially starts. Our fingers are crossed, the crop and plants look very promising at the moment.
We have a new big thing coming! Saturday April 14 the Lone Star Mower Racing Association will be holding lawnmower races at the farm.  100% of the funds raised will be given to the American Cancer Society.  Tickets will be $5 per person and the event should be alot of fun.  Check out their website lsmra.com for a glimpse of what is to come.

Saturday Feb 18 ---- I guess I am the only one in the country that wouldn't mind if it quit raining for a few days. Now that I said that I will probably be run out of town but all this wetness on the blooms/berries is not very good. Rain one day and dry five days would be good but not the other way around. We did pull the covers off before the rain started and I am grateful for that, there is no way we would be able to get into the field right now. The Strawberries do not slow down for the weekend or a rainshower, they keep marching on and will be here in just a few weeks. Assuming we don't get caught by a freeze or other calamity ---- I think we will be open in the first part of March (three weeks from now!!!).

Sunday Feb 12 ---- I am very glad we left the covers on! The last two nights were well below freezing and todays high was about 45. Yesterday Lacy and Mom just had to get under the covers and see what was going on ---- out they came with some very nice berries. We have three rows (about 2000 plants) of the 'Sweet Charlie' variety which produces a little earlier than our mainstay 'Chandler'. There are some nice berries on these three rows that seem to be a magnet to anyone at the farm. I like to pick the very first nice berries of the season and say a quick prayer over them to let God know he gets the first best berries of the year. Well, I picked three really good ones last week and showed them to Matthew, to which he replied "on that's nothing, you should have seen the ones I already ate. Boy were they good". Of course we won't have enough berries on these plants to open with but we have some 'Chandlers' coming on so we might be ready for harvest in just a few weeks. For now, we will try to pull the covers off as soon as the dry out and get them ready for the next deployment.

Tuesday Feb 7 ---- Getting closer! We covered all the Strawberries up last Saturday, afraid of freezing weather over the weekend. It did not freeze and now the covers are wet from rain. A wet blanket 50' wide and 300' long is a mess to work with, ughhh. We are in an time frame I don't like - green berries and blooms on the plants with thirty something degree temps at night. The covers need to be off during the day so the plants can get sun and more pollination, yet they need to be on at night because just a few degrees drop could spell disaster. I think we are going to leave them on all this week and try to get them off the first of next week.
   We have now planted all the potatoes and onions - grow baby grow.
   New! - we just put in two new jumping pillows. They are 40' by 60' each, inflate to about 4 or 5 feet high and are a lot of fun to jump on.  Everyone should have a blast playing on the hoppers this Spring and Fall.
   Next, doing some construction. The floor in the office and Ice Cream parlor needs to be replaced. Everyone thinks the 6' by 12' office is too small so I guess we will try to expand it while replacing the floor.
   The Berries are coming - maybe early March!

Thursday Jan 19 ---- Getting closer! This Spring like weather is wonderful. It has us motivated and excited about the upcoming season. The plants seem to be cautiously responding with a small amount of growth. Today we are going to work on installing two inflatables for the kids to jump on - should be interesting. The temperatures look mild for the next week, will we have an early season??????? our weather changes so that February might turn out colder than January so who knows. We will be opening in March, soon we will be able to say if it is early or late March.

Friday Jan 6 ---- The weather this week has been amazing! I have tried in the past not to talk about the weather so much but I just can't help it. Everything we do here has something to do with the weather. I have now started looking at five different weather forecasts each day - watching for cold weather headed our way. We want to make sure the Strawberry plants do not go below 15 degrees in the month of January, 32 degrees in February. We have started making sand bags to hold the covers down.  Getting the covers out will be next.  My mother is busy pulling weeds in amongst the plants (I did not ask her to! that is her own doing (bless her heart, Love you Mom)). Soon we will get the whole family out there (gotta get some work out of the girls before they go back to college), if you hear weeping and gnashing of teeth you will know I asked them to go pull weeds. And just so you know, I have already done a bunch of rows by myself.
   The onions we planted in December are struggling. They always look bad after planting though and should pull out of it.

For Fresh News from previous years, just click the link below:

Fresh News 2011

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Fresh News 2008

Somewhere along the way we lost Fresh News 2000.