Triple Creek Berry Farm

Archive for March, 2010

Happy Spring You’all!

What a winter! We had lots of freezing weather, snow, sleet and the dreaded high heating bills. But alas, spring has definitely arrived in Kentucky with beautiful warm sunny days, spring rains, and other than a few brief cool spells we should launch right in to summer!

I’ve been busy inspecting the fields for winter damage and it looks like the berry bushes fared well.  I’ve been busy trying to get a head start on the upcoming chores. The fall bearing raspberries have been cut back and the June bearing have had their spring thinning. The canes of the blackberries were trimmed as well.  I added a row of Jewell and Bristol black raspberries as a trial and am anxious to see what will transpire.

Last week I went through and gave all the plants a handful of Nature Safe granular fertilizer to give them a springtime boost. A little fungicide was also sprayed as the buds were beginning to open. Since the farm is USDA Certified Organic, the products are OMRI approved. So if you’re thinking of going organic, don’t forget to thoroughly research your fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicide products. Just because a product says “organic” on the label doesn’t mean it is organic approved. The Organic Material Research Institute (OMRI) is the research/approval organization that approves products used in the production and processing of organic food.

Also, the National Organic Procedures (NOP) established by USDA explains that if someone is marketing and/or selling their product as “organic” their operation should be inspected and approved as USDA Organic. So, be careful and ask questions of the producer to ensure you are getting what you are paying for. Look for the organic stamp! Ok, I’ll get off my soapbox for the time being.

I received our yearly organic certification application and have begun completing along with organizing a notebook for the 2010 logs, etc. Once you get in the habit of collecting and logging data it’s not that difficult to keep it going.

I conducted our first farm tour of the year on March 18^th. It was a great opportunity to educate the public on the “certified organic” process and what to look for when purchasing organic food.

Matt and I spent the weekend of March 20-21 trimming and burning tree limbs from the fence rows. Ah, now I can get the bush hog in to cut those wild roses and briar vines.

We have lots of mulching to do this year and I quickly began on that chore. I mulch with aged chipped wood and use newspaper as a weed barrier. Just be sure the newspaper is printed with soy ink and do not use the glossy ads. Layer it really thick.

Easter is quickly approaching and before you know it summer will be in full swing.

Best wishes for a great springtime!

Anna & Matt