Our next day for U-Pick black raspberries will be this Saturday, July 6.  We will open at 8:00 a.m. and be open until we get picked out, which has been happening by early afternoon.  We encourage you to call before you come to listen to the message on our answering machine for the latest updates.  (740-536-7853) I will put a message on there as soon as we see that most of the berries have been picked.  Of course, even when we say there is low availability, you can come and look for the low berries and move the leaves (ouch!) to find the ones hiding in the center of the bushes. Some of the best  and biggest berries are there!   The rain and heat combination that we have had has made the berry crop look wonderful!  Looking ahead, we anticipate that we will still have berries to pick next week, but like we’ve said, call ahead to check.  We are finding that you black raspberry lovers are true outdoors people (you pick in any weather),  you are diehards (you pick 10-15 pounds at a time), and you have perseverance (you can still find the hidden berries in rows that have been picked through).  Thank you to our loyal customers and our new customers!  It’s so fun to see you and talk to you all at the farm!

Well, it looks like we will be opening this week!  We have had some warmer weather and everything is ripening up nicely.  We do just want to make sure you are able to get the amount of berries you want and have the best experience possible, so please call before you come out.  If we have a busy morning with 20-30 customers, all the ripe berries will get picked and we will close early for the day.  We will open again once enough ripen up.  Our plan is to be open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 8-8.  Our prices will be the same as last year.    U-Pick price is $4.00/lb. and Pre-picked are $6.00/lb.

And now on to the King….Elvis is in the building….or I guess in the field!  As the black raspberry plants ripen, the berry in the center of the cluster ripens first and is the largest.  It is called the king berry.  You can see the progression in the pictures.  Once all hint of red is gone, that berry is ready to pick.  And ooohh, it is so good and juicy!  But don’t forget about the others…they will ripen soon after the king and they taste good and sweet too!

We have been getting lots of calls about berries, and we are working to get the field ready for  picking!  We have had such a beautiful spring, and weather like we are supposed to have, not like the last few years where it has been so hot.  The past two years, we have been open the second or third week in June, but this year will be more like what it typically should be, the end of June to the beginning of July for the first ripe berries.  We are planning to be open this year on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.  To stay updated, you can visit our website, check our Facebook page or call our phone number to hear a recorded message.  We will keep everything updated to let you know when you can come and get berries! 

Here are some spring pictures from the farm:

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Over the winter, I took classes to become a bee keeper.  Having bees to pollinate our  black raspberries is supposed to tremendously help our yield.   It was all fine and good until this week.  As I walked into the bee supplier’s barn that held hundreds of packages of bees, I froze…I felt sick…I wanted to cry, but I  didn’t want this sweet old man to have to call the psych ward at the hospital!  It was one thing to take classes and talk about it all, but another thing to see hundreds and thousands of bees and hear the strong, steady buzzing.  I got my composure and brought the bees to my car and drove home with them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Raising honey bees has been an amazing thing to learn about, and the bees are fun to watch while they work.  The bees we got are really calm and  have been nice to me so far!  Stay tuned for more posts about my new hobby!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we started this venture with farming, John told me that you just plant the berry plants and they grow!  “How easy!”  I thought, and I jumped on board.   He still says that, but he adds…”You plant them, and they grow, then you weed, spray, prune in the winter, mulch, weed, rake, water…and…”   Love that guy of mine…he always has a project and the motivation to do it.  So, John has been doing the bulk of the work  all the work over the winter.  But today, I went out and helped in the field.  It was a beautiful spring day.

 

 

 

I worked in the rows ahead of the guys and raked out all the old canes that John cut out.  We have to put them in piles and burn the old canes to prevent the spread of disease if there is any in the plants.  I found these Killdeer eggs in one of the rows.   They were hard to miss since the Momma was having such a fit at me being even several rows over. Killdeer are so funny.  They squawk and spread their wings out like they are injured a good distance away from the eggs to try to get you to be distracted and not harm their eggs.  No worries…the eggs are still there.

 

 

 

 Here are a few more pictures from the farm today!

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New clutch of chicks means more eggs in May. (Mink got the last group)  Black Stars, Barred Rocks, Buff & White Orpingtons and Rhode Island Reds will provide plenty of large, fresh, brown eggs.  A few slots remain for weekly eggs…call for details.

Bobwhite and Georgia Giant quail available in June

Coming Soon…Ruffwing Farms will soon be adding Sheep.  New addition to barn and fencing in progress to hold our new flock.  (And Yes there will be a Border Collie for Emma…I mean for helping with the Sheep!)  Stay tuned for more details