Monday, May 27, 2019

Red Raspberries Ripening

   Many red raspberries are ripening now and for the next 4 weeks.  This evening I picked 5 pints of red raspberries from 2/3 of the row.  More raspberries ripen each day, and need to be picked each day, so we could really use some customers to help pick red raspberries this week.
Red raspberries started ripening fairly heavily today, and we could really use some customers to help pick red raspberries this week.
   All raspberries are sold pick-your-own only, for $2.32 per pint + sales tax.  We're still open by appointment until May 31, so if you want to pick red raspberries in the next few days, phone 620-597-2450 a day ahead (or at least a few hours ahead) and leave a message on our answering machine saying the day and time you want to come pick them.
   About 15 inches of floodwater is still covering 95th St., the road to our farm.  Floodwater should cover 95th St. through at least Fri. May 31, maybe longer.  Customers can still get here to pick red raspberries, by driving around the 1/2 section, as our workers do to get to work here.
About 15 inches of floodwater is still covering 95th St., the road to our farm, but you can can still get here to pick red raspberries, by driving around the 1/2 section.
   From Hwy. 166, go south on 90th St. (the gravel road 1/2 mile east of 95th St.) for 1.0 mile, then turn right (west) on Star Rd.  (Ignore the Road Closed sign there, as there's no water on Star Rd. before you turn north on 95th St.)  Go 0.5 mile west on Star Rd., then turn right (north) on 95th St.  Go 2/3 mile north on 95th St., then turn right onto our driveway.
   Our summer hours (see sidebar at left) start this Sat. June 1, but if water is still covering 95th St. then, it will still be a good idea to call ahead and let me know when you're planning to come.  We're still very busy thinning peaches.
   This morning 8 workers and I slogged through the mud and standing water in our peach orchards, in our rubber boots, to continue thinning the excess fruit.  Our peach orchards are on the east side of our farm, where I can't always see or hear people coming in the driveway.  So if only a few red raspberry customers come due to high water, it's helpful if you call at least a few hours ahead and leave a message on the answering machine saying when you're coming.  Thanks.

Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Floodwater Covering 95th St.

   The Neosho River has flooded again, and this time we have about 15 inches of floodwater covering 95th St., the road to our farm.  Floodwater should cover 95th St. through Memorial Day, Mon. May 27.  Hopefully the floodwater will recede by Tues. May 28 or Wed. May 29.
Parts of our pecan orchard and our neighbors' pecan groves are flooded, as is the lower part of 95th St.  The stop sign where 95th St. joins Hwy. 166 is at the rear of the photo, looking north.
   Our workers had to drive around the 1/2 section to get to work here today.  Seven workers and I slogged through the mud and standing water in our peach orchards, in our rubber boots, to continue thinning the excess fruit.  The goal was to finish peach thinning by May 31, so the remaining fruit have time to develop good size before peach harvest begins in the last few days of June, but continued rain has hampered progress, so we'll probably still be thinning peaches until early June this year.
   We've gotten 10.36 inches of rain in the past 3 days, and 18.32 inches of rain over the last 3 weeks.  That's 6 times the ideal rainfall of 1 inch per week.  This evening we had some brief hail; I'll check for fruit damage tomorrow, and hope there wasn't much.  Several tornadoes touched down in the area this evening, and I'm thankful we didn't get one, and praying everyone else stayed safe.
Red raspberries have just started ripening.  I picked a handful to eat yesterday and today.  Many will be ripe in June.
   Red raspberries have just started ripening.  Pick-your-own red raspberries could've started on Memorial Day, Mon. May 27, if floodwater was gone off 95th St.  Red raspberries will ripen heavily starting in early June.  All raspberries are sold pick-your-own only, for $2.32 per pint + sales tax.
   We're still open by appointment until May 31, so if you want to pick red raspberries in the first few days of their ripening season, phone 620-597-2450 a day ahead and leave a message on our answering machine saying the day and time you want to come pick them.  By early June, when we're open our summer hours (see sidebar at left), red raspberries will be more plentiful and you don't need an appointment.  
   The sidebar at left tells seasons for all our crops, open hours for each season, payment methods, etc.  I'm still harvesting asparagus each day, and we'll still have asparagus for sale until about June 8.