I saw my first strawberry flowers of the year today. That means the first ripe strawberries will appear in about 4 weeks. This is a little behind the last few years, so we do not expect to have saleable quantities until the second week of June.

Last week we planted another 28 rows of strawberries: Jewels, Honeoye, and two new varieties, Wendy and Darselect. These replace a number of old, weedy, weakening rows that we disked under last year after harvest. Yesterday we removed the mulch on the overwintered strawberries. There are many healthy-looking plants, ready to grow. We expect ripe strawberries in early June.

This year a limited number of CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) shares are available. A share costs $430 at the beginning of the season. You get a weekly box of a variety of in season produce, which you pick up at the farm, at below market prices. We have the advantage of the share being pre-paid, which is greatly apprecitated for our early season expenses. ” Support local agriculture.” Email Erin using the farm email: farm@plowcreek.org expressing your interest. It would help to include your phone number. Shares really are limited - your payment reserves your spot.

The Case is dead. Long live the John Deere!

Our old Case IH gave us many years of good service. But we’ve been told it is no longer worth the major repair needed. So we bought a used John Deere 6210. So far it is working well.

We pray for a good farm season to help make the payments.

Saturday morning, raspberries will be plentiful at the Princeton Farmer’s Market, Peoria Riverfront Market and Sterling Market. At Princeton and Peoria, you can also find a good supply of watermelon, green beans and eggplant. Tomatoes and herbs will be available to the early shoppers.

For Princeton Farmers’ Market, on Saturday we will have lots of watermelons and raspberries for Labor Day weekend. We also have a fair amount of tomatoes, including delicious (but funny looking) heirloom tomatoes, but don’t come too late. We also have grapes, onions, herbs, and other vegetables, and of course, Plow Creek Bakery goodies. Sorry, the last planting of sweet corn will not be ready until next weekend.

We picked the red raspberries fairly thoroughly for market on Friday, and they are ripening slower in this cloudy weather, so there will not be lots of berries to pick on Saturday. You may find several pints, but not large quantities for jam or freezing. Plenty should ripen by Monday.

Fall Red Raspberry season is underway, and you can find a good supply at Valley Flowers in Spring Valley Thursday from 8AM to 2PM. Sweet Corn, Tomatoes, Muskmelon, Bread, Cookies and Watermelon (5 varieties) will also be on display.

Back at the farm, Raspberry U-Pick will be open Thursday from 8AM to 8PM.

Now is the time to stock up on Plow Creek tomatoes.  Canning tomatoes are available at $16 / bushel or $9 / half bushel.  A bushel weighs almost 50 pounds.  These are the same tomatoes we sell at market, but with blemishes which you can easily cut away.  To place an order, call 815-646-4862 or use the online order form.

Yesterday we harvested about 75 watermelon, including Red Seedless, Yellow and Sugar Baby (a very sweet red variety with a solid, dark green shell). They are delicious! Find yours today at Valley Flowers in Spring Valley, on Saturday at the Princeton or Peoria market, or 6 days a week at our Market Barn.

August 10th update: the accompanying photo shows an additional 250 watermelons which were harvested on Friday.

Plow Creek tomatoes and melons make another extra appearance at Valley Flowers on Monday from 8:30 to 2:00. A good sampling of other vegetables will also be present.

Note that our shade tent and tables are now less visible, since the city of Spring Valley has required us to set up in the parking lot rather than the sidewalk.

A Tuesday morning field survey indicated that the blackberries are entering peak harvest. Experienced pickers should be able to take 8 or more pints per hour, with a total of 40-50 pints available for each U-Pick session.

Blackberry U-Pick will be open Wednesday 4PM-8PM and Thursday 7AM-5PM. The U-Pick price is $2.50/pint or $2.00/pint for 10 or more.