Picking Strawberries

Flat of strawberries crop June 2018.jpg

We set off early Saturday morning for strawberry picking as it was to soar into the upper 80’s. I like to be done by 10AM at the latest. The picking opens at 8AM at Atlas Farms, an organic farm near us.

The sign out front said 2 things:

• The price was $2.75/lb.
• The picking “was not their best” this year

I grabbed a map and it indicated where I had picked so well last year was also the best this year. So I took a wagon and headed out for that field.

Pam picking strawberries2 crop June 2018.jpg

They weren’t kidding, the picking was terrible. I have long arms and can pick 2 rows at once. Where I am sitting is where I started the 2nd flat. I started the first one down by the tall grass. That’s an awful long ways to have to pick 2 rows to get 1 flat.

Pam picking strawberries1 crop June 2018.jpg

They said between the cold, bad soil conditions, and some other problems, the crop wasn’t very good this year. Unfortunately, they are the best for organic produce near to us. So I just kept picking.

My husband came back to get me at the time I would normally have picked 2 flats. He helped me fill the first and we both did the second.

Picking strawberries - singing girl crop June 2018.jpg

This little girl was working near us picking and singing and humming to herself. It was a real sweet point during the picking. I think she said she was 6 years old.

Picking strawberries - 2 rows crop June 2018.jpg

This is how far we picked 2 rows and my husband worked on part of a 3rd.

Picking strawberries - 2 flats crop June 2018.jpg

The trek back to the farm store.

Pam soaked to the knees crop June 2018.jpg

This is the soaked to the knees in dew and strawberry juice look….

Processing strawberries crop June 2018.jpg

We’d picked 28¾ lbs of strawberries in 2 hours. Truly terrible picking. We got 17¾ quarts plus the 2 bowls full of strawberries for shortcake.

Strawberry shortcake and cream crop June 2018.jpg

This is Saturday night’s supper:

https://steemit.com/cooking/@goldenoakfarm/strawberry-shortcake-with-whipped-cream

Strawberry shortcake supper2 crop June 2018.jpg

My goal is at least 35# so a small flat on Sunday morning will finish it up. When we paid for the berries they said a field near the store might be better, so I will try that on Sunday.

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I enjoyed this story as if I've spent this day with you, your husband and that singing girl at the field picking fresh strawberries. What is it covering that plate full of strawberries? A sour cream?

That's raw whipped cream from the best farm in the valley. It's truly lovely stuff.

Oh, I see! It must be extremely nourishing and tasty. @goldenoakfarm, I adore raw farm products, they bring a lot of joy to my life! Thanks again for sharing it)

We loved your great content so much we wanted to showcase it in our weekly curation report where you will be paid from the post payout. Thank you!

You can find the post here;

https://steemit.com/helpie/@helpie/helpie-s-homesteading-curation-report-14-by-helpie-curator-llfarms

Now im so hungry... I'm hangry...