Blog going away, change to web page

Followers of this blog have probably notice the neglect. Sorry.  I just never got disciplined about keeping it up to date along with the Facebook.

Well, hopefully this change will be better.  I created a webpage that is easier to update.  So please go to our new website: http://www.gierkeblueberryfarm.com

It is not very fancy but it should be better at organizing and archiving information.

The Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/GierkeBlueberryFarm) will also remain and it will continue to have more "fluid" information.

Thanks!

Late-ripening varieties, last 3 rows, not quite ready, but getting there

Just walked those three rows of the late-season-ripening variety of blueberries. I would say that they are less than 50% ripe. I didn't see any bushes better than that. Blueberries don't ripen overnight, so I think there is still a week or so before they are ready. We remain open and available, just not yet ideal, although the place is peacefully quiet and after this heat wave subsides, probably pleasant.

Paltry picking for the rest of the 2015 season

We are sorry to report that the picking is going to be poor until the late-ripening varieties ripen, likely at the end of September.  We are going to remain open until those are picked out or we experience a destructive freeze, whichever comes first.

We do not anticipate another "wave" of ripeness and so just assume the picking will be poor unless we post otherwise.

Picking Prospects Remain Bleak

Well, Lynn and I just inspected the patches and it is looking bleak for this weekend. Ripening progress is not noticeable. Until the very late season, when those couple of rows of late-ripening varieties turn blue, I think we are looking at pretty much "recreational picking" from here on out, which means there is no point coming from afar. You will be certainly disappointed in what you can get in a few hours. You are welcome, starting early Saturday, but we are not encouraging you to come with the expectation of filling even one bucket. It is a combination of being thoroughly picked out of ripe berries and the ones coming in to ripeness are doing so slowly. We didn't see a single bush that was even 50% ripe.

Locals will have a shot at the late-season berries and we'll post when they turn blue. Assume that they are unripe until we report otherwise. Last year they were not ripe until the end of September.

Closed Monday Through Friday, Aug. 31-Sep. 4

We pretty much got picked out of ripe berries on Saturday morning, Aug. 29th.  We are going to let things ripen up this work week, remaining closed to picking, and re-opening for picking on the morning of Saturday, Sep. 5. Hard to say what percentage of the remaining crop, will ripen by then. We'll report conditions at the end of this week and post the outlook again on the 5th.

Best to stay home, now, and think about Saturday, Sept. 5 (early).

Picking Status is already awful, sorry, not enough berries ripened for the numbers of pickers that showed up this morning. No one really got more than 4-10 lbs, but there were so many pickers that the berries that ripened during the past work-week hiatus have been pretty much picked out. Because we promised to be open this weekend, we'll stay open today and tomorrow, but plan on it being more of an outdoor outing rather than a picking expedition. We WILL CLOSE for the WORK WEEK (Monday through Friday) again this week. Better conditions are likely next Saturday.

Saturday, it'll be...

Everyone has been honoring this work-week closure to patiently await for more ripening. We are seeing a lot of progress (more to go) and we'll be opening to allow everyone to harvest the newly ripe berries at dawn on Saturday. We'll stay open all of Saturday and Sunday, and re-assess Sunday evening about whether to close again (likely).  Assuming when we re-open the next Saturday, Sept. 5, that we can just remain open until the crop is picked out. We'll keep you posted.

Here are some pictures from the opening morning this year, taken by one of our volunteer workers: