Blackberries

Our blackberries were a bit of a dud this season, and we won't be opening the patch.  We were away on vacation and the patch wasn't well maintained.  Hopefully they're bounce back nicely next year! :-) 

Strawberry Patch is Closed for the Season, Blackberries Ready Soon

Thanks to all of you, we've had a phenomenal strawberry season!  There are no longer any strawberries in the patch.  

Now, we're getting geared up for blackberry season.  There are tons of blackberries on the vines and they should be getting ripe within the next few weeks.  All of our blackberries are thornless.  If you'd like to be added to our e-mail list for updates on picking conditions, hours of operation, and seasoning openings/closings, send us an e-mail at browdersfreshpickins@gmail.com.

Pick Your Own Strawberries - Now Open!

As of Saturday, April 14, 2018, we're OPEN!  Come pick some of these delicious berries :-)

For your convenience, we’re open 7 days a week, 7 am to 7 pm at our farm, less than 5 miles from downtown Smithfield.  14489 Bethel Church Lane, Smithfield.  When you arrive, please park in front of the greenhouse.  Grab a container.  Those are yours to keep.  Pick as much as you’d like.  There is a black box near the corner of the fence by the gate (where you grab your buckets) for your cash or checks (made out to ‘Browder’s Fresh Pickins’).  The price is $10/gallon basket & this is all on the honor system.  Please e-mail us if you have any questions browdersfreshpickins@gmail.com or if you'd like to be added to our e-mail list for farm updates. 

 The strawberries have been covered with frost blankets going on 3 weeks now to keep the blooms from freezing.  We were curious to see how they looked underneath the covers so we went "undercover" and found dozens of beautiful bright blooms per plant.  The blankets must be working.

That means within 30 days (probably sooner) we will be open for pick-your-own at the farm and pre-picked at the Smithfield Farmer's Market.  

We just put up a banner at the farm announcing our 'Sweet Charlie' strawberries are coming soon and will be $10/gallon basket for pick-your-own.  Just imagine the delicious smoothies, homemade ice cream, fruit salads, or any other refreshing treat you could concoct. 

A Bit Chilly for Our Berries & Windy for Our Fence

The berries enjoyed a few weeks of warmer-than-usual weather.

 Which caused them to bloom.

 But, last week it was below freezing for a few nights, so we had to cover them with frost blankets.

They'll be under the frost blankets for another week or so, then hopefully the weather will get warmer.

 In addition to the cold, we've been battling the wind.  Last weekend's wind storm took a toll on our deer fence.

The whole family pitched in to straighten up the fence.  We installed dozens of new T-posts reinforce the bent & broken posts.  It's held up pretty good so far!  Looking forward to a great strawberry season!

U-Pick Strawberries Coming Soon!

We're getting all geared up for strawberry season!

The strawberries that we planted in the fall are really growing!  They should be ready to pick in April and May.  This year, we planted ALL 'Sweet Charlie' strawberries, which are famous for being super sweet!  We have more than three times as many Sweet Charlie plants as we did last year. 

Details:

WHAT: U-Pick Strawberries

WHERE: 14489 Bethel Church Lane, Smithfield, VA 23430

WHEN: 7am-7pm, 7 days a week, (starting in April - May), rain or shine

COST: $10/gallon basket, on the honor system (we provide the containers for free)

Sweet Potatoes!

It's hard to believe that fall is just around the corner!  We're looking forward to the cooler weather & sweet potatoes!!

We've been digging up the sweet potatoes around the clock the past couple of days and the yield is phenomenal!  Interested in a box or two?  They'll be ready within the next few weeks.  It takes some time for them to be cured, graded, and boxed.

The price this year is only $20 per 40 lb. box - that's a deal!  The variety that we grow is called 'Covington,' the same variety that we grew last year.  If stored in a dry, dark area, (and above 55 degrees F) the potatoes will keep all the way until next summer...if they aren't gobbled up over the holidays this year :-) 

If you are interested in sweet potatoes, please click on the following link to make your pre-order.  https://goo.gl/forms/RsIYQDVHH5r6sxSG2  We’ll e-mail you with pick up details when the potatoes are ready. 

Spread the word to your friends and family.  If you know anyone in organizations such as fire departments, PTA's, Scouts, restaurants, church groups, athletic organizations, etc. who may be interested in boxes, send them the link.  Also, feel free to post the pre-order link on your social media accounts. 

Other exciting news:

We're planting 7,500 strawberry plants (half acre) this week.  The berries will be ripe for the pickin in the Spring.