click here for 'Not so Fresh News' of years gone by

          Fresh News 2019
 
be sure to "refresh" to get the latest updates

Thursday Morning November 21 -- We had a nice little shower this morning, but not enough to leave any mud. All our Thanksgiving Activities will be up and running from 11-5 today. Per usual we will be open rain or shine today, although I doubt we'll get any more rain. The Farm looks good and we'll see you soon!

Monday morning November 11 --- First of all... THANK YOU! We had a great Fall with the help of all our awesome customers! We are now closed for 9 days to set up for our Thanksgiving Event! check out the Thanksgiving page for more info. We'll see you soon!

Friday morning November 1 --- Brrrr. wowee.  It got a little colder than I expected.  The forecast was 31,  at 6:30 it was 25 and I am sure at Strawberry level it was at least 23.  A little brisky for sure! 
    I can't see what the flowers look like because they are covered with a layer of frost.  I am pretty sure they are done for the year.  They put on a great show.  If the freeze killed them all, we while mow them down, lift up the plastic, cultivate the field and (you heard it here first!) get ready for the next new adventure ------ Tulips!  It is going to be a big gamble, who knows if it will work, we have no experience, the soil is not quite right, have we lost our mind? ---- probably all of the above but go big or go home so we have 140,000 Tulip bulbs on order.  The plan is to have the Tulips blooming in March when we have 112000 Strawberry plants just starting to produce.  Tulips like it cold, Strawberries not so much - hopefully this way we will have something for everyone to see/pick/do for my Birthday (early March).
    Texas the Maze has taken a beating but still standing (Yay, Texas).  The Freeze will turn it brown.  It is just a shadow of it's earlier self.  I don't know why but some folks are still having a issue finding all the towns.  We have decided to lower the entry price to $6 for the rest of the season.
    The Harvest of Fall Fun continues through November 10.  November has been growing in popularity over the years because of the greatly reduced crowds.  It is like a casual, care free, farm to yourself while all the activities (except flowers) are still going feel.  Hope to see you soon!

Wednesday evening October 30 ---  It was a wet sloppy day today.  Not enough rain fell to cause any problems, it might be a little damp in the morning but I don't expect any mud issues at all.  Our forecast calls for 35 degrees in the morning warming to the upper 50s by afternoon with full sunshine.  Friday should be the same.  The weekend looks even better.  We still have pumpkins to choose from and the activities will be going strong.  Over the years the first two weeks and weekends in November have grown in popularity because there is not a crowd.   This is the time to come to have a more casual fun Fall experience.  Hope to see you soon!

Tuesday morning October 29 ---- Happy Tuesday!  We are waking up to drizzle and overcast skies here on the Farm this morning.  The farm is open rain or shine but if the forecast holds true - expect some rain today.  It looks like the end of the week will be wonderful weather.  Hope to see you soon

Sunday morning October 27 ----  Today's forecast looks fantastic with a high around 79.  The flowers were picked on pretty hard yesterday so the picking is a little slim.  Other than that, everything looks pretty good and there should be nothing to stop you from coming out.  Remember, we open at 11am on Fall Sundays.  Hope to see you soon!

Friday morning October 25 --- Man o man, when the Front moved through yesterday the temps dropped like 15 degrees instantly and it was woooooonderful!  A little rain fell overnight.  We have checked the grounds and looks like we are mud free, just enough rain to settle the dust and freshen us up.  It is windy today and chilly, bundle up and come on out.  It is going to be great weather the next few days - Yes!  Hope to see you soon!

Monday morning Oct. 21 ---- A nice little shower passed through last night - just right to settle the dust and give some relief to this parched ground.  We could not have ordered a better amount of rain and the timeliness of it - in the night and not enough to cause any mud issues.   The drop in the temperature is a very welcome relief as well, it sure has been a hot Fall so far.  Pleasant temperatures are predicted for this week and coming weekend and no one is more excited about it than me.   
     Last weekend was a big one, thanks!  The flower field got worked on pretty good.  Thankfully there are a ton of buds out there just waiting to open up.  Flowers are out there to pick now but their abundance will increase throughout the week. 
     Pumpkins:  I am a terrible pumpkin grower, instead we bring pumpkins in by the truckload for folks to purchase.  Evidently there is a pumpkin shortage across America and as a result our supply is much less than in years past.  It is all about stems when choosing pumpkins.  Normally our growers pick especially for us with extra long exotic stems.  In order to secure our last load we had to go outside of our growers to folks that supply the cookie cutter big box stores that want uniformity.  As a result we have some nice pumpkins but nothing out of the ordinary.  If you see a nice pumpkin at the grocery store - you might want to grab it because ours are going to be about the same.  Hope to see you soon!


Thursday evening Oct. 17 ---- I do love this Fall weather!  The forecast for the next couple of days looks just as good except it might warm up a little in the afternoon.  The Farm looks pretty good, the grounds are a little weathered but still good for walking (at this time of year I always wonder why we worked so hard to have green grass through the summer).   This weekend the flower picking could be a little slim,  but if the thousands of buds decide to open on up, the flowers will be abundant - time will tell.  The Hayride continues to be a big hit - Granny has done an amazing job making Scarecrow scenes for everyone to look at as we drive by.  To be honest, every single event has been going very well this year (I hope I didn't just jinx us).  Hope to see you soon!

Tuesday morning 9:30 am --- A little drizzle is falling off and on this morning.  I don't think it will be enough to make any mud but enough to be a nuisance.  The radar looks like ti might be on and off most of the day.  Better bring an umbrella just in case.  The Farm will be open all day rain or shine.  Remember: we are closed tomorrow, (closed all Wednesdays)

Monday evening Oct. 14 ---- We have the best folks in the world come out and join us here at the Farm - Thank You, you make it all worth while.  It was a great past weekend and Columbus day Monday.  We are looking forward to a continuation the rest of October.  
     The Texas Maze has made a comeback with the recent rains.  It still doesn't look like it once did but the grass seems to have perked up and is beginning to stand straight again.  Yea!  The Flowers were worked on pretty hard this past busy weekend, we still have plenty to choose from for this week's picking and there tons of buds about to open that I hope will be ready for next weekend.
     Since we secluded the school groups to a different area of the Farm it has really opened the place up and made it more enjoyable for me on weekdays.  Weekdays are nice and easy with very few waits and almost a "I have the farm to myself feel".  They are a good choice if you can come then but remember: We are Closed on Wednesdays.  Hope to see you soon!   

Good Sunday morning! Oct. 13 ----  Yesterday was a fantastic day on the Farm.  Customers were happy, smiling and friendly coupled by amazing weather made for a great day.  We hope today turns out just as good.  The temperatures will be a little warmer but a still pleasant 83 degree high is forecast.  The Farm opens at 11 on Sundays.  We had a nice dribble of rain last night to settle the dust that was already starting to flare up, the grounds look great for today.   It is sure to busy as we pack more folks in less hours so come with a little bit of patience and all will work out just fine.  We are open regular weekday hours tomorrow (8:30 to 5:30) for Columbus day. Wow, a nice three day weekend.  Hope to see you soon!

Friday evening Oct. 11 ---  This mornings Front was amazing ...... ly cold!  Wow, the morning was blistery.  But it is going to set up a near perfect weather day tomorrow, Sunday and Monday.  The rain was just right to settle the dust and freshen everything up a bit.  The Texas Maze is showing a good bit of wear from the past drought and heat - I am a little discouraged after the way it looked when the season started.  Other than that, the Farm looks wonderful.  The grounds are in great shape, tomorrows high is supposed to be around 65. come on out - we will be waiting for you!

Friday morning Oct. 11 8:30 am  ---- It feels like Fall!  Yes!  What a difference a day makes!  From record heat yesterday to everyone's bundled up this morning.  We had a little dribble when the cold front blew through but the ground soaked it up fast.  We do have a chance for more rain this morning.   At the moment the radar looks clear.  Bundle up though if coming today, a North wind is brisky.  This should be a fantastic weekend and yes, we are open Monday too.   Hope to see you soon!

Wednesday evening Oct. 9 ----  The temperature was wonderful this morning with a little cloud cover it was great working weather.  Too bad we were closed (Wednesday).  Let's hope tomorrow is as nice.  It looks like it might be a little warm in the afternoon so shoot for the morning if coming tomorrow.
    I am looking forward to the big surprise!   What surprise? Have you seen the forecast for Friday and the weekend?  It will be a surprise if it holds true. Wow!  At the moment Fridays high is predicted to be in the upper 60's!  and Saturday low 70's!  Wow again!  Sunday and Monday look pleasant too! Wow again again.  If this holds true it will be a wonderful weekend temperature wise.  Let's hope we get a dabble of rain Thursday night to settle this dust - I feel like we need it soooo bad.  We have not had a drop of rain in nearly a month and a half!  I really can't believe the Mazes are still standing.  They don't look near as good as they once did (very disappointing for me)  but they still serve the purpose.  More people are finding all the towns now with an average time of about an hour.  The Zinnias are irrigated and they are putting on a show!  Overall the Farm looks very good for as dry as it has been.  Come on out and Harvest the Fall Fun with us, there is nothing here that should hold you back, we will be waiting for you! 

Monday morning Oct. 7 ----  Ahhhhh  A nice little cool front blew in last night.  A little disappointing that we didn't get any rain with it but we sure will take the cooler temperatures!  Finally we are going to see some Fall like temperatures around here.  This will be a great week, hope to see you soon! 

Saturday evening Oct. 5 ----  Wow! Thank You!  Lots of folks have come out to Harvest the Fall Fun.  I tell you though, if you are not used to the outdoor heat - come prepared.  The mornings have been fairly nice but mid afternoon starts to get pretty warm - be sure to hydrate.  The Farm looks amazingly well considering how hot and dry it has been in what seems like forever.  I can't believe the Mazes are still standing because they haven't seen any water in over a month.  We have to warn people not to fall in the ground cracks now (not really but almost).  Oh well, it will rain soon enough and we are plenty happy either way.  The flower field looks great - they are liking this heat.  The Harvest of Fall Fun will continue through November 10th, we hope to see you soon!

Monday Sept. 30 ----  All planted!  yea!  Today we finished planting the 106,000 Strawberry plants. Whew, we are glad to get that job done.  It is time for Farmer Dan to take some take a little vacation ......... (Not really, I just said that because the daughters accused me of pushing to get the plants in the ground so I could take off and leave them here to run it when it gets busy ---- that is a good idea though, hmmmmm ) 
     We had a little shower this morning, not enough to settle the dust though.  The Farm looks pretty good considering the last time we had any rain was a month ago and it has been a gazillion degrees.  I am afraid that when it does start raining it is not going to stop.  We'll see and be happy with whatever happens.  Mornings are not so bad out here, afternoons are pretty toasty.  Hopefully we will get a cool front in here soon to break this heat.   Lots of people have come out and I have seen lots of smiling faces.  It is good to see folks enjoying the outdoors and each other.  We are looking forward to a great October, hope to see you soon!  

Wednesday Sept. 25 ----  Yahoo, things are coming together here at the farm and what??????? low 90's are predicted for the weekend.  That might not sound like a cool front but when we have been brushing up against a hundred for what seems like months, that is a significant change.  I can tell the biggest temperature change in the mornings, they are a little brisker to me.  Don't be afraid to come out to the farm now, just try to come in the mornings and bring/drink lots of water.  Pony rides are added to the list of events for this weekend and October weekends.
    Today was a productive day.  It started out by unloading 92,000 Strawberries plants from a semi truck.  Not long after that we unloaded two semi's of pumpkins.  I will readily admit we buy all of our pumpkins as I am a terrible pumpkin grower.  I have tried two years, in year one I had a weed patch and in year two we had a lot of pie pumpkins only to have them decimated by worms.  Instead we buy them, mostly from friends in Floydada, Texas.  I am pretty sure we are by far the largest pumpkin buyer in Central Texas and maybe all of Texas.  In a great year we will purchase 20 semi's of pumpkins for resale.  After unloading pumpkins and getting them on the ground,  we decided to plant 8000 Strawberry plants.  It was a good day and I will sleep like a baby tonight.  Tomorrow we hope to put on a show, 25000 plus plants planted is the target - think we can do it?  We'll see.  Hope to see you soon! 

Monday September 23 --- What a great opening weekend!  It was pretty warm for sure and a little slow but we still had fun!  Everything seemed to work pretty good and "the wheels didn't fall off" anything (well, one tractor required a little work).  The daughters have made a huge difference for the better.  This is the first year we have had the privilege of having both all year.  Everyone has commented on how good the Farm looks and how well decorated and they deserve all the credit.  Good job girls!  (If you are ready this, why? get back to work!).
  This is quite the hot and dry spell we are in!  We pulled all the sprinklers out of the mazes and they are very thirsty, the grounds are thirsty, we are all thirsty!  Oh well, it will rain soon enough.  We also need this heat wave to break.  The Farm is open now every day but Wednesday but it is more important than ever to come in the morning to beat the heat.
   We introduced 18000 Canadian Strawberry plants into the Sweet Berry Farm soil today.  It was a good planting day so the team piled in and got the job done.  Not bad for five of us, huh.  It is so hot Edder immediately put sprinklers out to help them with the afternoon heat.  These plants came straight from Canada and we will see how they do.  We expect another 92,000 from a different nursery to be delivered Wednesday.  With any luck we will get started planting them later this week.
​   Things are going great, the only thing we are missing is you!

Monday September 16 --- Yahoo!  We are in the home stretch!  It is about time to open up for the Harvest of Fall Fun and we are ready!  The Farm looks great as we put the finishing touches on things to get ready for you.  
    Granny has been exceptionally busy working on the Scarecrow Island Hayride and it shows.  She is the most talented, dedicated, creative person I know.  Not only that, but at a young 80 something she is the hardest worker on the farm (and that includes me).  I tell you, if we had a team of grannies out here there is no telling what this farm could become:).  The Hayride is our signature event here just because of her.  I dare say there is not another Hayride in the State of Texas likes ours, it is something we are certainly proud of.  This weekend is opening weekend and all Hayrides are free.  I hope you can take advantage of this amazing offer.
    Here we go again for another Fall  season.  Hope you can join us!

Monday Sept. 9 ---- Wahoo! we are super excited because the season is getting closer!  The more things we get done around here the more we realize Fall is coming.  A few clouds today blocked enough Sun to bring the temperatures down a tad and it sure was nice.  A chance of rain the next two days has us in jubilant anticipation.  The crews are working hard and I must say the Farm is looking good :)  Today the girls made a bunch more Ice Cream and did some necessary office work.  The guys built some shelves, removed sprinklers from the Candy Corn and Group Mazes and helped me move Goats across the farm.  A few goats went to the sale barn this evening - ugh.  I am not a good rancher because I would like to keep them all.
     Saturday September 21 is opening day!  Hayrides will be free that first weekend (this could be a huge discount for a big family) and Military personnel receive 15% off their purchases.  This is going to be a great Fall season that will last through November 10 - we hope you can join us!


Thursday Sept. 5 --- What a great productive few days - for someone who identifies with accomplishments - I am very pleased!  Sundays' rain provided perfect moisture for plowing Monday.  The fields were just right for making Strawberry beds Tuesday, Wednesday and half of today.  In all we made 10.6 miles worth of Strawberry beds but the best part is that we are very pleased with the completed bed.  They filled out well, pressed well, the drip laid well, the plastic mulch used to cover the beds is tight and the sides of the beds covered well (this is extremely important because it is a giant pain in the neck to run out and try to put the plastic on the bed by hand after the wind has it flying like a giant sail).  As I said before, they are so nice and pretty before animals walk all over them and the weeds grow up around them.  This was a big job, it is a great relief to have it done.
  Tomorrow we will be planting a few Zinnias that did not make it through the first planting.  Out of the 25,000 plants we planted we had a issue with about 5,000 that need to be replanted (oops), not too worry though - we will put in new plants tomorrow and they will be blooming before you know it.
    get ready - the calendar says Fall is coming!

Monday September 2 ----  A surprise little rain shower yesterday has us hopping like bunny rabbits!  We fertilized all the soon to be Strawberry acreage in the morning and rototilled two blocks in the evening.  Hopefully we will pull those beds tomorrow.  Then the big block Wednesday and the last two fields Thursday.  Trying to utilize all that moisture we can.  Those seem to be lofty plans but we are going to give it a shot.  The plan is to make about 10.5 miles of Strawberry beds this year.  The girls decided we needed to go bigger so we ordered 107,000 plants - up from 90,000 last year.  This very conservative farmer says "Yikes!".  Of course it is easy for them to say we want more plants because me and my crew have to do all the work to get it done!  All of the sudden I feel taken advantage of :).
   I think the girls started making Ice Cream today and lots of other stuff I am sure.  They are good workers and most of the time I like having them here (wouldn't want my daughters to get a big head).  
     We are getting ready for a fantastic Fall (I know, it was 103 today but it will come down eventually).  

Saturday August 31 ---- It is hard to believe, really hard to believe, stressfully hard to believe ....... our Fall Season is only 3 weeks away! I know, "WHAAAAAAT?!".  July and August were brutally hot and dry - it is still hot and dry, can cooler weather possibly be that close?  I don't know about the cooler weather but I do know that as soon as we open the gates it will start raining :).  
    Now it is really time to hit the grindstone, no more goofing off (pretty much all fingers are pointed to Farmer Dan).  So whats on the agenda? Well, water, move water, replant some zinnias, water, move water, move sprinklers, remove sprinklers, mow, water, move water, go event by event cleaning up, start building Strawberry beds, signage, make Ice Cream, etc.
    After checking irrigation today I got to spend a little time mowing in the Texas Maze.  Some of you might remember that back in the day we had a thing called Arcades.  My favorite game was called "BattleZone" which simulated driving an old tank.  When Zero turn lawnmowers came out I was a natural! at driving them.  I do love to mow with a zero turn mower.  In the early farm years we could not afford a nice zero turn so I push weed eated all the paths in Texas (I still can't believe I did that).  Now I mow them happily with a zero turn mower.  Our Maze is a field shaped like Texas that is planted solid.  When the grass is about a foot tall or so I mow the pathways.  As the grass grows we keep the pathways cut down.  The grass is now about 7 feet tall and the paths need to be cut - Fun and difficult!  I was happily mowing this evening when the sun began to set and some of the timed sprinklers came on.  Hmmm, I thought I was mowing central Texas but the sprinklers were set to come on in East Texas.  Imagine me on a mower in 7 feet tall grass with the light dimming, motivated to keep from getting soaked and LOST.  Gimminy crickets, my driving skills kicked in and ........... I couldn't find my way out!  Not to worry though, after a good bath I eventually found my way out.  I do believe this is going to be a good hard Maze to start the year out with.  This years theme is "O, How I love Texas", pedestrians will be looking for 12 Texas towns that end or have an O in them.  Ex.  San AntoniO, LlanO, AmarillO, HillsborO, ConrOe, EncinO, PecOs and five more I can't remember as I write this :).  

Tuesday July 23 ------  The Farm may be closed to the public for the summer but that sure doesn't mean the work has stopped. 
     We are attempting to make one major change that we are very excited about.  You probably remember there is a road that runs right through the farm.  Spring time activities are on one side of the road while Fall activities occur on both sides.  There is a substantial School group presence doing field trips on the 'Farm' side during the week in both the Spring and Fall.  Invariably there is a bit of overlap between school groups and general public.  We are going to attempt to move the School group area to the 'House' side of the road and completely separate the Field trip groups from the general attendees.   This will require planting an entire new school group maze, building a new block of Strawberries (10,000 plants) clearing land, planting grass, watering, trimming trees, picking up rocks, new picnic tables, moving fence, building parking, intensive planning etc. --- all of which is FUN but requires a little sweat and hard work (still FUN to get that sense of accomplishment).  So far, much of the work is done and I must say - it is looking good!  I think Deer eating the maze and strawberry plants are going to be the biggest obstacle - so far the deer have not been too big of a problem but as the country gets drier they are going to be attracted to the nice green salad bar we are offering.  If all goes as planned, public attendees won't hardly even know there are hundreds of school kids enjoying the farm at the same time. 
    The 'Texas' Maze and Candy Corn Maze are doing wonderful, maybe the best job we have ever done in terms of field preparation and planting.  The pathways have been cut, we are just waiting for some growth.  Worms and pig weed are the MAJOR obstacles we will be watching for in these mazes along with high wind storms that will lay it over.  We will have to live with these threats all the way until the season is over.
   The theme for this years Texas Maze is: "O" How I love Texas. In other words, game players will be looking for towns in Texas that end in or have O in their name.  Ex.  San AntoniO, LlanO, AmarillO, HillsborO, ConrOe, EncinO, PecOs and five more I can't remember as I write this :).  It will be fun, we are looking forward to it.
    The Zinnia beds have been made.  We are very happy with the way they turned out.  Yep, we have that new garden feeling when everything looks nice and clean before the weeds move in.  The seeds (40,000) are being planted now.  In two weeks we will be transplanting the small plants into the field.
    Of course, EVERYTHING is centered around water right now.  Nothing will grow without irrigation so much of our time is spent moving water, fixing water, watching water, timing water etc.

     The Farm is looking very good for the middle of summer and we are very excited about a great Fall season coming up.  Hope to see all of you then. 

Sunday Evening 6/2 -- We need to say a BIG THANK YOU to all of our great customers! so, THANK YOU! We appreciate your support of our family farm, and we hope to have you back in the Fall.. This spring was a great one! The strawberries were good, the weather was (mostly) good, and the people were even better! We can't wait until next strawberry season, but until then, keep us in mind for your fall pictures/family day! We're now closed to the public for the summer to do some farming and maintenance to get ready for the Harvest of Fall Fun. See you in a couple of months!!! 

Sunday Afternoon 6/2 -- Today is the last day for strawberry and blackberry picking! We have some berries out there, you'll just have to look really hard to find them. Strawberries are small this time of year, and hiding under the leaves. Blackberries are slim pickin's but if you look in the weeds you'll find a few. We are so grateful to everyone who has visited the farm this strawberry season, and we hope to have you out again for future seasons! We close down for the summer to do "behind the scenes" maintenance and farming to get ready for our Harvest of Fall Fun in late September.

Saturday Morning 6/1 -- The strawberries and blackberries are just about done. They have put on a great show this season! Picking will be tough today and tomorrow, but we still have fun things to do, and delicious treats to eat. The last day of the season will be tomorrow June 2nd. We are open tomorrow from 1-5. We look forward to having y'all out for the last two days of the Spring Season! 

Thursday Afternoon 5/30 (Lacy)--- We are relaxing in the beginning of summer! Strawberry picking isn't easy, but if you are willing to look out in the field and spend some time out there, you will find some!! Some customers today got full boxes! Blackberry picking is hard! Bring gloves, because the good berries are down in the weeds and the thorns. All the customers I warned today came back and told me I was right. So listen to me!!! You'll need your gloves to feel safe from both leaves and creatures. But, if you are determined and strong-willed you will walk away with some blackberries! We have fun activities for the kids, too! For about $16 per kid you can do all the activities, and it will take you a good hour and a half to two hours to complete (not including picking time). My daughter's favorite (she's almost 3) is the Barrel Train. She'll buckle herself in, and tell the tractor driver to hurry up and get going. Sometimes, she refuses to leave the barrel and we have to take her another round. If we only have time for one ride, I'll bribe her with the homemade vanilla ice cream. Works every time. 

Sunday Evening 5/26 -- We're enjoying our Memorial Day weekend, how about you? The strawberries are getting harder to find, but we still have some out in the field to be picked. Like I said in the last post, you'll really have to search under the leaves and maybe walk a little further. We will have some blackberries in the morning, and you'll really have to reach down in the bush to get some! We have a good supply of ice cream and popsicles and the goats are ALWAYS happy to see you!

Friday Noon 5/24 -- Another pretty day here on the farm! We had a good group of folks come out yesterday but there are still berries in the field. It is going to be like an Easter egg hunt for the berries, but they are out there, you just have to look and move those leaves! If you are coming for blackberries, there are a couple of tricks you need to know. 1) bring gloves and long sleeves 2) bring the tallest and shortest member of your family nobody likes to reach up high or get down low in the bushes to get the good berries and 3) you have to pick them black AND plump. Open all weekend and Memorial Day! We're not quite sure how long the berries are going to last, but we're thinking that June 2nd will be the last day of the season.

Tuesday Afternoon 5/21 -- What a beautiful day today is! Thursday will be good berry picking (closed Wednesdays), but picking will get a little harder everyday after that as we come towards the end of the strawberry season. Blackberry picking will continue to be good in the mornings. We're open regular hours during Memorial Day weekend and we're even open on Memorial Day! See you soon!

Friday Evening 5/17 --- Another good day on the farm! Tomorrow should be a repeat. There is a chance of rain tomorrow, but no worries! The farm is open rain or shine. Lots of strawberries to pick, blackberries will be good picking in the morning. It's gonna be a sweet kind of weekend with our delicious strawberry lemonade on tap. Hope to see you soon!

Thursday Evening 5/16 --- Thursday turned out to be a good day as usual. We had lots of strawberries all day. Blackberries were slim pickin's in the afternoon. More blackberries will ripen up over night so picking will be good again tomorrow morning. We will have a good supply of strawberries for tomorrow and through the weekend. We will have lots of fun here at the farm tomorrow and we look forward to seeing you here soon! 

Wednesday 5/15 ----  Thursday and Friday should be great picking with very low chances of rain and abundant berries!  We have a good chance of rain predicted for Saturday but Sunday looks great.  Let's hope that forecast changes and we get good weather Saturday too!
    Strawberries  ---- are really putting on a show here towards the end of their season.  It looks like ripe Strawberries will be plentiful all the way through the weekend.  The fields have dry and wet spots.  I recommend bringing boots if you have them because invariably those biggest best Strawberries will be in the wet spots.  I thought they would be winding down by now and I think it is still coming just a little later.  We see enough green berries to get into next week easy enough.  I don't recall a year in which we picked many Strawberries in the month of June. 
    Blackberries ---- lots in the mornings to pick - just depends on the crowds as to how long the ripe berries last through the day.  Normally there are still plenty of Blackberries at the end of the day but they are in the hard to find places - down low and inside the canes.  It seems that the majority of our pickers only pick a small 'window' in front of their eyes so the trick is to go low or go high.  The Blackberry canes are very thorny - a stick here or there just makes them taste better.  This could be where the statement "No Pain, No gain" came from.  
​   Hope to see you soon!

Sunday evening 5/12 --- Wow! Thank you for a great Mother's Day! All the moms were really excited to get their pumpkin ice cream today! The blackberries got picked over pretty good today, so there will be slim pickin's tomorrow, but by Tuesday there should be a good supply. We still have plenty of strawberries on the plants!! Come out for strawberries soon, because they will fade quickly here in a couple of weeks. If you have been putting off coming out to the farm. DON'T WAIT ANY LONGER! 

Saturday 5/11 ----  The Farm is open Mothers day (1 to 5pm on Sundays) and rumor has it that we might see some sunshine!  The ripe Strawberry availability will be fantastic and the Blackberry picking will be good.  There will be mud between the Strawberry rows, the rest of the Farm is in good shape.  It is a great time to come out and enjoy the farm.  Hope to see you soon!

Friday afternoon 5/10 ----  It has been rain free so far today - maybe we can make it through the day that way!  And the rain chances have dwindled a bit for tomorrow (30% depending on who you listen to).  
     Strawberries --- We will have loads of ripe ones available for picking tomorrow and Sunday.  The aisles between the Strawberry rows will be somewhat muddy.   Be selective when picking your Strawberries - there is plenty to choose from.  The berries sitting in water on top of the plastic will probably be a little soft.  The plants are getting big so move those leaves around to find the big berries hiding underneath.
     Blackberries ---- lots of Blackberries to pick at opening each day.  I don't expect the next two days to be very busy picking days so I would expect ripe berries to last at least through the mornings.  I can still find berries when everyone else says they are picked - just get low and look up into the plant.
     You know what Saturday and Sunday mean on the farm?  Yep, you guessed it Strawberry Smoothies!  My anticipation has been building all week - maybe I will have one for breakfast in the morning.
​      All the activities will be running strong. Who knows ------ you might be lucky enough to see a goat giving birth (3 kids born today).    


Wednesday 5/8  --- Pretty nasty skies and a hard shower this morning has yielded to beautiful sunny skies this afternoon.  Much of the rain has run off but the aisles between the Strawberry rows are sure to be muddy.  
     For Thursday: 
               An abundance of Strawberries to pick!  The aisles between the rows will be muddy - come prepared (boots are great).  Be selective with your Strawberries - this much rain for this long can create soft spots on the berries.  The Strawberry fruit does not like warm, humid wet conditions with no wind drying them out between rains.  We grow them on raised plastic covered beds to help with this.
               Lots of Blackberries will be available to pick too!  The lanes between the Blackberry rows are grass covered and do not normally get muddy.  Shouldn't have to worry about your shoes in the Blackberry patch.
​
Monday evening 5/6 ---- The fields are drying out a bit. For Tomorrow: Ripe Strawberry chances at 100%,  Rain and ripe Blackberry chances are very low.  We will still let folks look through the Blackberries tomorrow.  If you squat low and look up into the plants you will probably find some Blackberries.  Hope to see you soon!

Sunday evening 5/5 ----  Wahoo!  We love to see big full boxes of red berries coming up to the check out station at the end of the day.  The Strawberry plants continue to produce well.  Tomorrow will again be excellent picking and the fields are even going to be mostly dry. 
    There will be some Blackberries to pick tomorrow!  We picked 30 pounds on Saturday, stayed off of them today and will probably have about 40 pounds of nice ripe Blackberries to pick tomorrow.  The Blackberry patch is not very big, even at peak production we only have about 150 pounds a day to pick.  Lets be honest, Blackberries are not sweet to me.  They are good but have a strong taste.  My mother eats them like candy but I am a little more reserved when it comes to Blackberries.  To get them less strong (more sweet) make sure each little pocket (called a Druplet) is nice and plump.  Those will be the juiciest and best tasting.
     For the coming week - Strawberry picking will continue to be excellent and we will pick Blackberries each morning.  We do have chances of rain starting Tuesday.  The Farm is open rain or shine.  The Blackberry patch does not get muddy, but the aisles between the Strawberry rows do.  We will keep you posted.  

Saturday evening 5/4 -----  A gorgeous day it turned out to be indeed!    Overflowing boxes of giant, juicy, wonderful Strawberries came out of the fields today.  And it looks like tomorrow will be a repeat!  
    The Farm is open 1 pm to 5 pm on Sundays.  There will be plenty of berries for everyone to pick, be selective and only get those you prefer.  Come prepared for some mud between those Strawberry rows.  Invariably, those big luscious, Strawberries are in the muddiest spots.  The Berries are mostly clean since they are on raised plastic covered beds.  It is a great time to come enjoy the day with us, hope to see soon!
    Goats:  We took the kids out of the pen down by the picnic tables and it doesn't look like any mothers there will give birth tomorrow.  Three mothers in the back pen started giving birth at 6pm this evening, so far four babies have been born.  I think two of the mothers should have a twin by the time I get back down there to check.  It is too bad they didn't have them earlier so folks go watch - it is an amazing and stressful thing to watch.  Maybe a mother or two will have babies while you are here tomorrow - just be prepared to explain this process to your children - it can be messy.  Stay at the goat pens by the picnic tables if you prefer not to see this.
    
Saturday 7:45 am 5/4 ---- It is going to be a beautiful day!  I recommend taking your time to get to the farm today.  There are tons of Strawberries everywhere, plenty to last today and tomorrow with extra left over.  Another pretty good soaking last night has left the aisles between the Strawberry rows muddy.  Come prepared for that, otherwise it will be a glorious day with no chance of rain predicted. 

Friday morning ----  About an inch last night.  The skies are clear at the moment and the temperatures are wonderful.  This morning will be fantastic picking, better be prepared for slippery conditions to get them though.  The Farm will be open all day, hope to see you out.

Thursday evening --- The first drop of rain held off until 4pm today - it sure was nice before the rain drops came down.  It has been a slow steady rain for about an hour as I write this.  The Farm will be open tomorrow.  I believe we have had enough rain that it will be somewhat muddy between the Strawberry rows even if it were to stop right now.  To my amazement, this afternoon I picked a 7 pound box of some of the best looking and tasting berries of the season in 8 minutes.  I can't remember a year in which we produced berries like this, this late in the season.  I mean giant, deep red, luscious, juicy strawberries. These big berries are the perfect size for me because I like to take a berry and suck on it like a pacifier, extracting every bit of juice.  Wow! is all I could say. 
      It is not supposed to rain on Saturday or Sunday - ripe berries will be plentiful.  There is sure to be mud to deal with - rubber boots will be a very good choice.  The problem this weekend will sure enough be stopping.  

Wednesday 4pm 5/1 --- So far no rain here.  We still have a decent chance tonight.  It looks like rain chances have dropped for tomorrow.  The Farm is open rain or shine.  Currently the fields are dry and could use a little rain to settle the dust.  You might want to throw some boots in the car just in case we do get a shower tonight. 
    Ripe Strawberries tomorrow will be plentiful!  The picking is good enough now that we are picking for our freezers too! We are trying to get them now because I think production is going to drop off next week.
    Goats!  FYI: there are lots of pregnant goats in the pens.  I expect many to kid in the next few days (three today so far).  If you are not prepared to explain to your children this process - you might want to stay away from the goat pens.  Sometimes this is an ugly process and not all kid babies survive.  I know there are flies in the pens - it happens, especially in these weather conditions.  Some children and parents will be very concerned about the flies, that goop hanging from the back end of the mother, the nursing of kids, etc.  We will see how it goes but I am considering swapping these goats out with some that are not pregnant.  When delivery goes well, it is very educational and exciting to watch.   Don't worry, we have been raising goats for a long time - it might seem like we are not compassionate when you send your children up to inform us of your concern but believe me - we love our goats and will try to help them as much as possible.  One thing experience has taught us, sometimes our 'help' causes more damage.

Monday evening 4/29 ----  It was a slow picking day today which is just fine.  The berries are always harder to find on Mondays if the previous weekend was good weather.  
       Tuesdays picking will be fairly good.  I will find out in the morning but I bet I could pick a box in under 20 minutes tomorrow.  There are a few weeds starting to grow in the fields - more times than not, there is a big berry hiding right beside it.   No one ever picks around or under a weed - go figure.  Might as well just go ahead and pull that weed while you have your hands on it, it will make you feel good.   We have a 40% chance of some rain tomorrow, shouldn't hurt a thing if we get a little shower.
     I think that by Friday the berries will be jumping in the box again.  And .......... there could be a little surprise berry to pick Friday or Saturday.  shhhhh don't tell anyone yet tho.
       

Sunday evening 4/28 ---- Yes! it was another great day!  The Fields were worked pretty good today.  There will still be berries to pick tomorrow, might take a little hunting tho.  Instead of filling a box in 20 minutes, it might take 40 minutes tomorrow.  Tuesday will be even better and once again, Thursday I expect to be loaded with berries.  At the moment, there is a decent chance of rain mid week - lets keep an eye on the sky!  Hope to see you soon!

Late Saturday afternoon ---  It is so nice to see big full boxes of red berries coming out of the fields toward the end of the day.  There are still berries in the field for picking tomorrow, a little harder to find than today but still there.  Tomorrow we will have 'down Yonder" Strawberries, the biggest concentration will be - down yonder.  Go to the far corners of the field and pick back for the best picking.  Even though most of the fields are dry, there are still plenty of spots for the kids to find mud between the Strawberry rows.   Remember: the Farm opens at 1 pm on Sundays.  Hope to see you soon!  

Friday afternoon 4/26 ---- This is going to be a great picking and weather weekend!  I know we are going to start out Saturday with tons of ripe berries.  I expect to have plenty all the day through and plenty on Sunday as well.  Adults tend to come out of the fields with clean shoes ---- kids come out with muddy feet.  The Strawberry fields have dry spots and muddy spots.  The dry areas get picked first.  Boots, old shoes or bare feet are great to get into those wet unpicked areas.  The main walking areas of the Farm are all dry.
      The Strawberry plants should continue to produce berries through Mid May.  Blackberries should start around May 11.  I am sure there will be a week or so of overlap where both types of berries can be picked.

Wednesday evening 4/24 --- A thundering rainy day has yielded to a gorgeous sun filled evening and sunset.  The Farm looks beautiful ....... and wet.  
     The berries are back!  It looks like we will have tons of berries to pick for at least the next few days.  I do not expect tomorrow to be busy, and Friday not much more so.  I would think that the berry supply will be great all the way through Saturday.  I would also expect to have plenty of berries on Sunday but we better wait to see how Saturday turns out before we make that determination.  
    The fields are wet!  Rubber boots, old shoes or bare feet will be foot attire for tomorrow.  There will be mud between the Strawberry rows tomorrow.  The main parts of the farm are grassy and will be easily traversed.   Friday should be drier but still wet, hopefully by Saturday the fields will be more accessible.   
 

Easter Sunday evening 4/21 ---- The fields are picked pretty clean.  We need a few days to ripen up some berries.  Tomorrow will be slim picking - by afternoon some berries should be ripe - if coming tomorrow, shoot for an afternoon picking.  Tuesday will be better picking and by Thursday we should be swimming in berries.   Weather permitting, the end of next week should be good jam picking.  I would expect the weekend to be good because we won't have a huge holiday (Good Friday) just before.  Hope to see you soon!

Saturday afternoon 4/20 ---- and yet another mostly awesome day.  Today, ALL the people were awesome, ripe berry supply was not so awesome.  The first few hundred pounds picked today were mostly ripe - about mid morning half boxes of not quite ripe berries were coming up.    A warm full moon tonight and a few hours of extra ripening in the morning will certainly help but I still think the picking tomorrow will be fairly slim.  It will be a great day to enjoy the outdoors, eat ice cream, let the children do the activities and pet the goats and horses.  Not a good day to load up on berries.  Give the plants a couple of days and we should be swimming in berries again.  The long range forecast is showing good weather Thursday through next weekend.  I would think those days will be the next "jam" picking time.  
   A funny story:  today I gave a lady a long spill about the berries when she finally cut me off and said "I really just came to check out the Gift Shop".  Since the Gift Shop is the daughters arena I keep forgetting to mention it.  Be sure to check it out when you are here, I am told they have some really cute stuff  (I haven't seen any little boys and girls carrying around stuffed tractors so I suspect my daughters are missing the boat - geesh, the oldest daughter was plowing the fields when she was 13). 
    Looks like we will have some Blackberries to pick in Mid May.  Keep your fingers crossed, spring storm season is not over.  We will be out to open the Farm tomorrow at 1, right after we go to church and celebrate what we believe Easter is all about.  Whether you spend it with us or not - we hope you have a Happy Easter.

 
Friday evening 4/19 ---- What a good Good Friday!  Whew, a mess of folks came out today and picked a bunch of berries and had a wonderful time.  If you ever lose faith in humanity, just come out here on a gorgeous day like this and see all the happy families and smiling faces.  The Ice Cream and Smoothies were a big hit too.  I am trying to ration myself to three smoothies per week - I am doing good because today I only had one so tomorrow and Sunday are looking good for me!
     Picking for Saturday 4/20 --- The earlier the better tomorrow for sure.  Some berries will ripen overnight tonight but not near enough for a big day.   At the end of today I was telling some folks the picking was going to be slim to none and what do you think they did?  Went out and picked a full box of nice red berries!  The secret - they got in amongst those plants and moved the leaves around to find the berries hidden between the plants in the row.  I will agree, many pickers will walk down the row and only pick the berries visible to them.  The trick is to move the leaves and find the berries hidden underneath.  When I pick, I take my hand and disturb the entire plant in a swirling motion.  Physically lifting the berries off the plastic to see how they all look.  The fields are drying but we still have some mud to contend with - come prepared.  Today, I saw adults with little to no mud on their shoes and kids covered in mud. 
     It is too early to tell how many berries we will have for Sunday.  A few extra ripening hours Sunday morning (we are open 1 to 5) will help but to be very honest ......... come out for a beautiful day on Sunday to enjoy the outdoors, the activities and ........ a few Strawberries.  With this sunshine and a full moon, maybe I will be surprised!
       

Thursday evening 4/18 ---- He/she that has rubber boots is a happy he/she.  The kids don't mind either way.  

Good Friday the Farm is open!  and waiting for you!  There will be lots of ripe berries to pick.  Historically Good Friday can be a big day so maybe the earlier you can come in the day the better the picking will be.  There will be some mud between the Strawberry rows to contend with.  The biggest ripest berries are in those muddiest spots so rubber boots are a fantastic idea.  I expect the Farm to dry quickly because of today's wind and sunshine but just to be safe - be prepared for some mud tomorrow.  All the events plus Face painting will be operating.

The forecast for Saturday and Sunday looks pretty good but be sure to check here Friday night to see how the berries look.  I would think it will be important to get here close to opening on those two days for the best picking. 

Thursday morning 4/18 ---  Well now, that was a pretty strong storm last night!  I hope you (and your backyard) fared ok.  We measure gusts in the number of port o potties blown over - last night was a three down windstorm (don't worry, they were clean and we have already wiped them down again).  Believe it or not, we do not have a rain gauge.  Judging by the rain puddles, we had about 3/4 of an inch.
    The ripe berries are plentiful!!! getting to them is going to be a bit of a challenge.  The main grounds are just fine, between the rows of berries not so much.  Expect some mud if coming today.  The wind is supposed to kick up this afternoon which will go a long way in drying us out some.  
     Berry supply should be awesome starting the day tomorrow.  We will post toward the end of the day to let you know what to expect concerning mud.

Wednesday morning 4/17 ---- A LITTLE rain would be great today to settle the dust and wash the dirt off the farm from all the wind we have had of late.  Jimminy crickets has the wind ever been blowing!  I think the underside of the leaves have gotten more sunshine than the top the last few days.  Rain is in the forecast for later today and tonight, tomorrow through the weekend look great and dry forecast wise.  As previously mentioned, the farm could use some rain.  If I could order the amount we receive, I would call for half and inch.  Regardless of the amount, the aisles between the rows of Strawberries are sure to be slick tomorrow.  Muddy if we get more than an inch. Come prepared.
      Ripe berry supply will be pretty good tomorrow and Friday morning.  Just depends on how many pickers show up as to how long they last Friday.  Historically Good Friday is a big day - the earlier you can come, the better. Whether you come see us or not - we hope that you have a great Easter Weekend!  For me it will be great because I believe He is risen!

Sunday evening 4/14 ---- This was one of the days where the stars seemed to line up - the weather was picture perfect, the sun was beautiful, the temperatures were just right and we started the day with a ton of ripe berries.  A much bigger than normal crowd came out so by late afternoon, berry supply was diminishing.  Not to worry though, lots of berries are on the their way.  Tomorrow mornings picking will be a little slim but we should be back in them Tuesday and definitely by Thursday.  We are open Good Friday.  Historically that is a big day, if coming Friday - earlier arrival times will be best to ensure plenty of berries to pick.  

Saturday afternoon 4/13 ---- The rain has stopped, the sun is trying to peak out and we have a brisk cool Northwest wind.  That was a pretty good little shower, luckily it didn't drop too much rain.  We don't have any standing water but we do have some mud to deal with today.  Hopefully with this wind and the fact that the ground was dry, we will dry out quickly. 
       Ripe berry supply is great ...... and they are freshly washed!  This afternoon and tomorrow should be great picking (remember: 1 to 5 on Sundays).  Now is a great time to get your Strawberries.  Hope to see you soon! 

Saturday morning 10:30  --- now we are getting a shower.  Let's hope this little band moves through quickly.  I don't see anything on the radar behind this band so maybe this afternoon will clear up.  There is sure to be some mud between the Strawberry rows until the ground can soak this up.  The Farm will be open all day and we will put up a post after this cell moves through.

Friday evening 4/12 ---- The temperatures might have cooled down a bit but Strawberry production sure didn't.  Ripe berry supply should be great this weekend but .... we do have a chance of rain Saturday morning.  The Farm is dry at the moment and if we can keep rainfall totals under two tenths we should be good.  More than that and we are sure to have mud between the Strawberry rows, the main grounds will be fine.  The Farm is open rain or shine and hopefully if it does rain it will be in and out.  Currently the forecast is to clear up in the afternoon.  We will try to keep this updated again tomorrow morning for updated info.  Hope to see you soon!

Thursday afternoon 4/11 --- Wow!  Ripe Strawberry supply is ..... wow!  Tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday look like the picking will be excellent.  It is hard to predict too far down the road but, weather permitting, we think there will be a very good supply for Easter weekend too!  
      The fields are dry and in great shape right now.  We do have rain in the forecast for Saturday.  The Farm is open rain or shine but still keep an eye on the radar if coming that day.  

Tuesday afternoon 4/9 ---- Whew, it is a warm one!  and tomorrow is supposed to reach into the mid 90s.  That is good to ripen berries, not too good to keep the plants producing blooms.  Strawberry plants like cool weather.  The varieties of Strawberry plants we grpw will shift into a vegetative mode of reproduction when the day length gets longer, temperatures start getting into the 90s during the day and 70s at night..  Even though the days are getting longer now, the cooler temps this weekend will slow this shift. Many of our plants are blooming well which should mean they will continue to produce into Mid May.
      Those big, ole giant, luschious red Strawberries continue to be abundant.  I would classify this as jam picking time!  We are closed Wednesdays so Thursday and Friday should be off the charts good!  Hope to see you soon.

Monday 4/8 ---- Hey hey, the sun and wind are doing a good job on drying us out!  There are still some wet spots but not the mud we had at the beginning of the day.  By Thursday the fields will almost be completely dry (keep an eye on little Johnny will still be able to find a puddle).  The leaves on the Pecan trees are starting to put on so the picnic area is almost shaded now.
     Strawberries ---- they have arrived!  we have finally turned that corner and supply is outpacing demand.  I expect to have an ample amount of big, red, juicy ripe Strawberries all week.  Don't worry about being the early bird, there will be plenty of berries all day long this week.  The problem now is keeping from picking too much.  I certainly don't mind if you fill up all 4 or 5 of those boxes but you should know ----- each box can hold $20 worth.  And if you heap it up like a small mountain --- $25.  The worst thing ever is thinking you have filled your quota and you find yourself on the far end of the row because you will pick at least two or three more pounds on the way out by picking "just one more .....".  
    Weather permitting - it looks like there will be a great supply of berries for Easter weekend too.  Yes, we will be open Good Friday.

Sunday evening 4/7 ---- The weather and berry forecast for the coming week looks fantastic!  The main grounds will be dry but there is going to be some mud between the Strawberry rows for the next few days.  I saw some of the biggest, reddest juiciest looking Berries come out of the field today.  I think the picking is going to be good all week regardless of the time of day you come out.  Hope to see you soon!

Saturday evening ---- The sun came out and made a very pleasant afternoon.  There will be lots of berries to pick tomorrow.  Come prepared for some mud though.  Even though the farm was very dry before this rain and will soak it up quickly, I still believe we will have wet and muddy spots tomorrow.

Saturday 12:30am ---- We had a few fast little showers this morning but here at 12:30 we are in a pretty good downpour.  Before this shower we had no standing water.  The radar shows us right on the edge of the cell, if it will shift 4 miles East we will be in the dry zone.  
    The berries are nice and washed now and there are some to pick.  Better wear old shoes tho. We will be open till 5:30 regardless of the rain.  
    Sunday should have lots of freshly cleaned berries to pick.  Most of the grounds are grass covered and should be just fine.  I am sure there will be mud to deal with between the Strawberry rows - come prepared.

Friday evening 4/5 ----  and another great day on the farm!  Those big beautiful ripe berries held out all day and it sure felt good to tell customers walking up at 4pm that they had good ones waiting for them.  
      Saturday --- Berry supply will be pretty good BUT we have an 80% chance of an inch or so of rain.  The farm is open rain or shine,.  Just pull your shoes off and wade out there in the mud if it rains - the berries are worth it and it makes a great story to tell.  I will try to update here if/when the rain starts tomorrow. 
     Sunday - could be wet, depending on tomorrow.  Berry supply should be pretty good.  Remember - open 1 to 5 on Sundays. 

Thursday evening 4/4 --- Amazing day! The berries and weather aligned today for sure AND I think tomorrow will be just as good!  We are going to have to start selling side boards for the boxes because they are coming out of the field heaping over with berries falling out.  Those full heaping boxes remind me of getting the clothes out of the dryer - I always drop one sock and when I bend over to pick it up ten more drop off my pile.
     I expect plenty of berries to pick tomorrow all day - no need to rush out to be the first picker.  The Chandler variety is finally starting to pick up the pace so that should give us around 50,000 plants now producing.  
    At the moment we have a pretty good chance of rain in the forecast for Saturday.  The farm is open rain or shine and if it does rain the berries will be nice and clean.  We will keep the site updated often if it goes to raining.
​    Hope to see you soon!

Wednesday evening 4/3 ----  So far, only drizzle here.  There is still a chance of light rain tonight but I don't expect it to make a difference as the farm is really dry.  I will update here first thing tomorrow IF we get a shower to make standing water.  The Farm is open rain or shine.
      We have some berries to pick tomorrow! Yea!  I estimate about 400# worth of ripe berries, just depends on the turnout to how long they last.  90 degrees is predicted for tomorrow so more will be ripening as the day goes on.  These berries have me buffaloed.  They are still not producing like I would expect.  As I look at the farm in general I don't see anything just busting out.  We haven't even had to mow the grass but a time or two.  I am sure that before long we will be trying to slow everything down.  I guess all we can do is sit back and watch.  Hope to see you soon.

Monday afternoon 4/1 ---- This sunshine is no joke!  It is wonderful!  The morning started off cold but now things are changing for the better.  Tomorrows picking is not going to be very good.  Thursday morning is the time to come for ripe berries.  We will keep you posted about Friday after we see what Thursday morning brings.  
    So far this season we are a good bit behind normal production.  Most of the problem was small plants planted about two weeks late last Fall due to an abundance of rain.  The plants seem to be trying to catch up we just need a better singer than I to get them dancing.
   The Blackberries are still blooming.  They have lots of green berries that should start to ripen about mid May.

Sunday late afternoon ----  This doesn't sound right business wise but ..... I am glad today was not very busy.  Even though it is cool today, the sun has come out and the Strawberry plants are sure to respond.  We will have some ripe berries to pick Monday and Tuesday but the real fireworks will be Thursday!  Monday and Tuesdays are normally slow, Wednesdays we are closed equates to a few days to fully ripen a lot of berries that are itching to turn red.  I am optimistic that later this week will be that time when supply begins to outpace demand.  We are always happy and thankful here for whatever comes our way but we are super extra excited to have the loads of ripe, red, plump and juicy Strawberries for harvest.
     Speaking of weather ---- what's up with this cold front?! The Mesquite trees are in full leaf, Pecan trees are budding and starting to leaf, the Blackberries are past full bloom, grass is growing and wildflowers are well into bloom surely we are beyond freezing weather, right?  The forecast I go by shows 36 Monday night. What is concerning is the chance for winds to go calm, skies to clear and a low dew point - all indicators that the temperature could drop like a rock and go lower than predicted plus the chance of a frost.  It is dry here now so we could be set up for a 'black' frost, a kind of dry frost.  I will look at all the forecasts in the morning and determine if we are going to cover any plants up.  Only the tender blooms on the plants are in danger (fruit 30 days from now), the fruit itself will take several degrees colder than the blooms and surely it won't get that cold.  It did thunder here on February 8 which is supposed to mean a cold spell April 8 - I guess we will see if the old timers are right. 

Saturday noon ---  Turns out this is a popular day to visit the farm! Thank you for thinking of us!  Yep, to be very honest, we are picked out today and I don't think tomorrow will be good picking either since this cold weather is not going to ripen up any berries.  There are soooo many green berries in the field that just need a few days to ripen.  Next Thursday should be great picking.  I expect to have berries on the following weekend.

Saturday morning 3/30 --- The country has turned green!  Tree leaves are coming out, the wildflowers are starting to bloom and the grass is green.  Today is a good day to enjoy the outdoors but NOT a good day to load up on Strawberries.  The first boxes out of the field this morning were great but I think the picking is going to get slimmer as the day goes by.
    Here at 10am we are experiencing a little drizzle and it is cloudy.  Our forecast is for partly cloudy skies this afternoon but a north wind is supposed to kick up so wear a jacket if coming today.  It is also supposed to be cool the next three days (is this the last cool spell of winter gone by? upper 30's forecast Sunday night!).
    To make a long story short:  I think next Thursday will be the next best Strawberry picking.  There are a ton of green berries, I believe we are on the brink of busting wide open with ripe berries!
     

Monday evening 3/25 -- Another fantastic day!  Weather like this will get the Strawberry plants moving!  I am still holding out that Thursday morning will be great picking.  I think berry production is about to outpace demand so I feel confident there will be ripe berries to pick each day through the weekend (we will keep you updated here as to whether or not that is true).  Hope to see you soon! 

Saturday evening 3/23 ---- (Be sure to refresh the page to get the most recent update)
     Pretty much ditto yesterdays post.  Since we open at 1pm on Sundays and there was not much of a crowd today, I do expect to have some ripe berries at opening.  No telling how long the supply will last.  I think we will be back 'in the berries' next Thursday and hopefully production will keep up with demand from that point on.  Regardless of berry supply, folks are still having a great time - hope to see you soon!

Friday afternoon 3/22 ---- (Be sure to refresh the page to get the most recent update)
​      Let's be honest.  The Strawberry fields are loaded with GREEN berries and hardly any ripe ones.  Tomorrow will not be good for Strawberry picking.  Of course we will let anyone look but don't expect to find much.  It will be a good day to let the kids run around and do the activities (Sand Art, Paint a pot, Barrel Train, Berry Bounce and feed the animals) and of course ....... eat Ice Cream and drink these incredible Smoothies (I am drinking one as I write this).
      It will be Thursday the 28th before we have ripe berries.  Overall the future crop looks good.  Weather permitting, we think all of April will be fantastic picking.  Once we get beyond these Spring Break weeks the crowd dwindles and production picks up.  Soon we will be swimming in ripe berries.

Thursday 3/21 - Wowzers! What a great day weather and customer wise! We started the day out with a lot of very nice berries but with a very big Spring Break crowd the picking was getting tough by noon. Over 1500# were picked by 2pm.  All of the activities have been a huge hit and it warms our hearts to see so many families having some good ole farm fun.
     Fridays ripe berry supply will be marginal at best. This warm weather is great,, and the crowds have thinned out here at 4pm.  I would expect a few hundred pounds to ripen overnight if we can keep folks from picking green ones.  I do not expect as big a crowd as today but just in case - the earlier the better for ripe berries.  The farm opens at 8:30am, most of our crowd gets here at 10am.  Even though the picking might be a little slim, I guarantee we will have plenty of ice cream and fun for the entire family. Hope to see you soon!
     Saturday --- could be ok in the morning, how good depends on Fridays picking.  At the moment we have a 60% chance of a tenth of an inch of rain. Which is really not very much.
     Sunday ----  Since a majority of our customers have a drive to get here - they don't like to chance the rain.  The farm also opens at 1pm on Sundays giving a few more hours to ripen.  I expect berries at opening - will let you know as we get closer just how many.
     The rest of the season -- weather permitting - the overall Strawberry crop looks great.  Production is slowly picking up and by the end of March we should be easily doubling and tripling the current output.  If all goes as planned (does it ever), the Strawberries will produce through mid May.  We will have some Blackberries this year starting about May 15.

Wednesday 3/20 -----  Happy first day of Spring, and what fantastic weather to celebrate the occasion.  

     There are lots of berries showing color today - tomorrow will be great picking in the morning.  Just depends on how many folks show up as to how long the ripe berries last.  Since it is Spring Break for many people I expect a pretty big crowd.
      Only two or three little muddy spots remain in the fields.  Every where else on the grounds are nice, dry and clean.  We still recommend closed toe shoes though.         
      Highs in the 70s and lows in the 50/60s are perfect to ripen berries.  Strawberries will ripen overnight especially in a full moon and these temperatures, if they don't get picked too hard tomorrow we should have berries Friday and Saturday mornings, even Sunday afternoon.
      Production is increasing every day.  Without Spring Break crowds next week the ripe berries will build and build.  I expect that by March 28 production will out pace demand and the picking to be fantastic all day long.  Weather permitting, we will have tons of berries all the way through April.  Normally the Strawberry season begins to wind down in Mid May and be finished by the end of May. 
     All the activities will be going strong through the rest of this week.

Monday evening 3/18 -----  Hola, it was another beautiful day!  Days like this will get those Strawberry plants moving.  We are starting to see some color back in the fields - we just need to keep them from getting picked too early.  Remember: Strawberries ripen very little after picking.  I am still holding out that the ripe berry supply will be the best Thursday morning of this week.  It looks like production is going to pick up rapidly ------ you guessed it, the week after Spring Break.  The last week of March and first two of April should be fantastic picking -  come this week to let the kids run around and come in two weeks to load up on berries.  Only two or three mud puddles remain.  The grounds look pretty good for this time of year and the kids are having a grand ole time with the activities.  Someone please come eat these smoothies!  I can't eat any more (but I will for sure), they are amazing.  Normally we just have smoothies on the weekends and I can regulate  my consumption but since this is a special week we have them every day ------ (next week I will start my diet). 

Sunday afternoon 3/17 ---- What a gorgeous day!!!  This is the kind of weather the Strawberry plants need.  I am still holding to Thursday being the best day of this week to visit the farm for ripe Strawberries.  All of the activities will be going this week.  For just fun - come Monday or Tuesday, for Strawberries and fun - come Thursday!  
     Reckon Spring has Sprung?  March 20 is the first day of Spring and there is not any freezing weather in the 10 day forecast.  It did Thunder here on February 8 which, according to the old timers, means we are going to get a frost or cold spell on April 8.  I guess we will wait until then to take the bags that hold the frost covers down out of the field.

Saturday afternoon 3/16 ----  A cold morning turned into a pretty nice afternoon.  A lot of folks came out today to enjoy the activities, Ice Cream, Smoothies and such but none of them left with ripe Strawberries.  Tomorrow will be the same.
     Open 1 to 5 on Sundays.  The weather looks like it will be great tomorrow, the Ice Cream, Popsicle's, Smoothies and Lemonade will  be exceptional, the activities (Berry Bounce, Barrel Train, Sand Art, Pain a Pot, Face Painting) will be fun and the goats are sure to be hungry!  It will be a great family day ............ without many Strawberries to pick.  There are TONS of green ones on the plants and they will ripen with a few days of mild weather.  For Strawberries - I think next Thursday will be the day that the picking starts to be good again.  Production is picking up so I think the plants are going to be able to keep up with harvesters soon.
      The fields are mostly dry now but there are still a few spots for the kids to fall in the mud - be careful.  

Friday afternoon ----- Winter came back!   We are going to cover some plants up for tonight just in case it freezes.  This is not good ripening weather and we are out of RIPE berries at the moment.  There are tons of green ones out there that need some sunshine to turn red.   The farm and all activities will be open this weekend just don't expect to find many ripe berries.
      I think the latter half of next week will be off the charts.  If you are trying to plan your outings for next week - Thursday should be fantastic.  If I had to guess.... I believe there will be berries for Friday and the weekend too as production is picking up quite a bit. Of course we will let you know right here.

Thursday late afternoon March 14 --- What a great day!  I think I will petition all the schools to have rotating Spring Break schedules.  The berries picked this morning were incredible!  By afternoon the boxes coming out of the field were not as full and not as ripe.  A lot of berries will ripen overnight and there will be ripe berries to pick again tomorrow morning.  How long the supply last depends on customer flow.  Overall production is ramping up, and before you know it we won't be having this problem.
    It has been windy all day which is doing a good job of drying out the fields.  It will be easy to stay mud free and it will also be easy to find some muddy spots. (guess where the biggest berries will be - yep, right in that muddy spot).
     The kids activities will run all day, the ice cream will be good all day and I guarantee the fresh homemade smoothies will be exceptionally delicious (I have already had two today!). 

Wednesday evening March 13 --- Tomorrow will be wonderful picking.  I think the problem most people will have tomorrow is picking too much.  It is very hard to stop picking - one box can hold $22 worth heaping up - keep that in mind when handing each of the five children a box.  I guess I don't mind too much but I want you to have enough funds to buy ice cream and popsicles and still be happy on your way home.
    A pretty good rain shower fell this morning, expect some mud between some of the Strawberry rows Overall the farm looks pretty dry but the kids will be able to find some mud without trying too hard.  Today was warm and sunny, exactly what we needed to ripen up some berries.  It all depends on customer flow as to how many berries we have to pick this weekend - I'll keep you posted here.  The good thing is production is starting to pick up so more and more berries are available each day.

Monday evening 11th --- It was a good slow day.  Tomorrow we have a pretty good chance of rain and always closed on Wednesdays soooo Thursday looks great!  There will be some berries to pick tomorrow if you have to come out Tuesday but later this week will be much better for sure.  

Today was cool!  Tomorrow a little warmer as well as Wednesday which means the plants will ripen up a bunch of berries over the next few days.  The Berries look fantastic!  I wish I could say it was excellent farming and cultivation by all the farmhands but we all know better:).  

Sunday afternoon 10th ----  Another great day!  The fields were worked over pretty good today - they need a little rest.  We have a decent chance of rain tomorrow and Tuesday, closed Wednesday sooooo Thursday should be pretty good picking.   Strawberry production will begin to ramp up quickly so I am hopeful that there will be a good supply Friday and Saturday too, Sunday is a question mark this far out.  I will keep you posted here daily for the next week or so to let you know how things are shaping up.
    

Saturday afternoon 9th --- Hey, it's been a great day!  A good crowd has harvested some beautiful berries and had a ton of fun.  The goats and horses are so happy to finally get some attention.
     Sundays picking is going to be tougher but not impossible.  Folks arriving closer to one are going to have better availability than those arriving at 3 or 4.  The warm night is going to ripen up a good amount for tomorrow.
     Monday and Tuesday look a little rainy, Wednesdays we are closed so Thursday looks like it will be great picking for sure.  The season is just getting started, in just a week or two we are going to be swimming in berries!

Friday evening March 8 -----  and March is marching on!  The weather was great today and so was the picking.  Everyone was able to get all the berries they wanted and maybe even more.  Tomorrows picking will be good, not fantastic yet but still good.  Be prepared to walk a little farther to find the berries.  The fields are nice and dry, we do have a small chance of drizzle tonight but I don't expect it to bother anything.
          Word of caution: it is very hard to stop picking - one box can hold $20 worth of Strawberries.  Of course I am tickled to death if you want a few boxes worth but I want to make sure you reeeeeeeaaaaallllllyyyyy wanted a few boxes worth.  
           Also:  the best berries are always on the FAR end of the row.  Even though you see a nice berry right there on the front of the row - don't pick it!  go to the FAR end of the row and pick back because down there is where the really good ones are.   Hope to see you soon!


Thursday March 7 ----  It was a fantastic opening day here on the farm!  Just the right number of folks came out and "wow!" did they ever pick some nice berries.  Tomorrow should be equally as good, the fields are dry and the activities are running.  Hope to see you soon! 

Wednesday March 6 --- Hey hey!  We pulled some of the covers off today and ........ yep, we are going to open for the season tomorrow!  There is a good supply of berries to pick and Sandart, Paint a pot and the Berry Bounce activities will be going.  

        The great freeze ---- we had covers pulled and even double covered a lot of plants.  We did lose some blooms that were touching the underside of the cover.  Of the plants that where single covered we lost about half of the blooms but the fruit, which can take colder temperatures, is just fine.  Most of the double covered blooms are fine.  This translates to possible slow down in production around April 10 but it won't be too much.  

Sunday evening March 3rd ---  All 6 acres of Strawberry plants are now covered up hopefully to protect them from freezing temperatures the next few nights.  We plan to remove the covers Wednesday and officially open for the Spring season Thursday March 7 - Yea!  

The covers should give us 5 - 7 degrees of protection --- let's hope we don't get much below 25!  A lot of our Peach trees are in bloom, I expect those blooms to be killed.  And now you know why we are not Peach growers.  The Blackberries have not put out much so they should be ok.

Saturday evening March 2nd  ---- The Farm will be open tomorrow from 1pm to 5pm and we will be having a "It's Farmer Dan's Birthday" Sale --- Pick one box, get a second free!  That s like a $18 savings!

To be honest ........... It is a "we still have a lot of berries we need to get picked before we cover the plants up to protect against the below freezing temperatures heading our way" Sale.  Much of the 6 acre Strawberry patch has been covered but the Sweet Charlies have been left alone.  That is where the berries are at, and those are the ones we need to get picked.  Judging "opening" day is very hard every year because we are soooooo conscious of making sure there are berries to pick when folks get here.  The production bell curve at the start of the season is just getting beginning and we certainly try not to encourage too many people to visit lest they out-pick production.  We started slow this year as planned but then production picked up and the weather turned off poor so here we are with some ripe berries we need to get picked exasperated by the fact that everything needs to be protected from this cold spell!  Just another day in the life of Sweet Berry Farm :).  

The plan is to remove covers next Wednesday and officially open the season Thursday March 7.  Let's hope the temperatures don't get too low!!!

Saturday March 2nd --- There is a good supply of ripe berries to start this day off with! Our forecast for today is cloudy with a high near 54, 30% chance of precipitation.  Hopefully we will get them picked today but if not, we will open up tomorrow afternoon too (I'll post here later today to let you know).  

Late tomorrow we will have to cover all the plants up for the impending cold spell.  We hope to be picking again by next Weekend.

Friday March 1st ---  The picking today will be wonderful.  Only a few customers braved the cold yesterday so there is that much more today.  The farm will be open until 5:30 today (even the activities).  Just depends on the amount of pickers we have today concerning whether or not we are open tomorrow.   If you wanted to come Saturday - I think you can plan on it but be sure to call or check here first to see about berry supply.

Looks like Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights are going to be below freezing! yikes!  We should have all 6 acres of Strawberries covered so there definitely won't be any picking those days.

Thursday 28th ----  We are going to open up today for pickers!  and the weather has decided to ........ not entirely cooperate :).    Yesterday was hot and Sunny, at 7am this morning it was chilly and damp!  Here it is at 8:30am, the air still has moisture in it, it is cloudy and the temperatures have warmed a bit.  Our forecast for today is mostly cloudy with a high of 51.  Tomorrows forecast is partly sunny with a high of 75.

Ripe berry supply will be great today, call before coming tomorrow just to make sure we have plenty.  With this weather I do not expect a crowd today so I am pretty confident tomorrow will be good picking too.  

Saturday March 2nd?  that is the question.  IF we pick all the ripe berries today and tomorrow there will be no picking Saturday.  IF we don't get the berries harvested we will allow picking Saturday MORNING only.  In the afternoon we will have to cover the plants to prepare for the cold spell Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.  

The covers will be removed next Wednesday the 6th and we will possibly officially open the season on the 9th.  Temperatures and ripe berries will be the deciding factor.



February 26 ---- Special Premier 'Picking' this Thursday and Friday!  We have sent out a message to the Email list and those of you reading it here are privy to this information.  We might even pick some berries Saturday morning if they are not picked out and/or covered.  A cold spell is heading this way so I think we are going to cover up the berries Friday/Saturday and leave them covered through next Tuesday (we can't risk letting a freeze get them).  When we uncover them next Wednesday we will be able to take a look at an official opening date. 

February 24, 2019 ---- Hey, Hey, Hey what do you know?  Well, I know we have a few berries to pick!  Yep, you heard it right here!  We haven't had any brutally cold temperatures this winter, nothing much below 25 degrees and we have been deploying the frost covers when a freeze is approaching so ....... most of the blooms the plants have put on have been saved from freezes.  Friday the 15th we picked about 260# and about 100# on Tuesday the 19th (all of which went into the freezer to use in Ice Cream, Popsicle's, Lemonade and Jam).  Throughout this last  week we have been schmoozing all the neighbors and farmhands with a box of berries, even the preacher got a box (I hope the rest of the church staff doesn't read this - if so, hmmmm yours is coming soon). 

   Until production gets going strong - we are going to allow those folks who call to pick berries.  If you would like to pick some berries here at the first of the season - give us a call (830-798-1462) before heading this way and we will let you know if there are berries to pick.  As I write this I feel like there is about 200# of ripe berries ready, with more coming by late week.  The variety ripening now is "Sweet Charlie" (better come get some Ron and the rest of you Sweet Charlie loyalists - they are big and sweet now.  The size has not dropped off yet).  The reason production is not crazy yet is that we only have 25,000 Sweet Charlies planted and it is still early in the season.  Another 30,000 Camarosa are starting to ripen a few berries to add to the mix.  30,000 Chandlers are covered with blooms that should transform into berries by March 20.  As we approach and move into March the average temperature will increase and the days will lengthen which will greatly increase the amount of berries ripening each day.
  
   I would expect to fully open by March 12 or earlier and be wide open by Spring Break (March 18 - 24).  SO FAR, we are happy with the condition of the plants considering the problems we had getting into the field with healthy plants last October due to rain and plant production issues.  IF we can keep from getting caught off guard by a freeze and we have average growing days - we look to have a tremendous crop! Ye Haw! 

January 8, 2019 - Lacy - Happy New Year to all! We are still closed for the winter, and we have to wait on the strawberries to open up again. They should be ready about mid march. However, with the rainy fall we had it might delay strawberry production. Things are slow here, Raelynn and I are working on cleaning up the place after a lengthy vacation, Edder and the boys are doing whatever farmer Dan says to do. Which is mostly rounding up the goats that keep jumping the fence!