Over the Fence Conversation

We've been working on refining our mission statement, which includes the importance of that nostalgic feeling of a small farm experience. This morning, as I looked out the kitchen window, I was struck by the image of Vince and John, our neighbor, chatting over the fence as they do from time to time, solving the world's problems, I imagine, or perhaps discussing the weather or maybe the price of hay. The content doesn't matter as much as the conversation itself and the pause from their morning chores to catch up on each other's lives. It seems to me the quintessential farm scene that probably doesn't happen nearly as often anymore as farms are larger, fences wider, and communication technology more advanced. Neighbors are our friends in this lifestyle we've chosen and we are lucky to have great ones. (It helps that they already have fences in place for us to share...)

Renovating Strawberries

June-bearing strawberries in the left row (not renovated) and center row with cleanup finished.

Ever-bearing strawberries planted with plastic mulch, these are easier to clean up and keep weeded, now I need to figure out how to fertilize each crown.

Strawberries are prone to disease that cause rot. The way to help stop rot is to remove the dead plant material and increase air circulation. This is supposed to happen right after harvest, but I did not make the time to clean up the strawberries until now. We had some more dry weather so I was able to work in the soil to remove weeds and dead plant material.