Blueberry U Pick is back!

Hi everyone!

 

My egg family members already received this memo – part of the family membership perks!  They have first dibs on harvest opportunities and all kinds of goodies on the farm.  I have room for a few harvest hands if you’re interesting in stocking up on organic blueberries.  The harvest will last as long as the crop does – no timetable.   Below are the details:

Blueberry U Pick

This is our bulk harvest time and an opportunity for you to harvest organic blueberries with your very own hands.  Use some for fresh eating and tuck away a bunch to keep you supplied all winter.

These are my very BEST blueberries.  Lately, I've been picking 5 lbs in 1/2 hr.  Very nice bushes and easy to pick.

A minimum of (5) U pickers are needed on any day (time efficiency and harvesting) with a maximum of 10 per day.

Wear comfortable clothing, closed toed shoes, bring sun protection, hat, stool to sit on, water, etc.

Children that are helping adults harvest and are older than 8 yrs old are a good fit for blueberry picking.  Younger children and babies find it hard to endure and are more comfortable doing something way more fun at home.

Minimum harvest qty per person or group (2 adults) is 5 lbs.  The cost is $35/$7 per lb.  I will have harvesting boxes for everyone to use.  You will need to bring your own container to transport berries home in. 

Harvest days are:         all dates subject to change based on harvest/ripening, I may contact you to start earlier if the weather will be HOT!

 

starting at 9AM sharp and ending no later than 11AM                    

Tuesday 7/24   

Thursday 7/26
Sunday 7/29
Friday 8/3

 

My goal is bring a larger group to the field with me, harvest along with you folks, and bring the entire group back.  I estimate 1 hr to pick 5 lbs for 1 person or 2 (enjoying the process) adults.

Park in the driveway (nose of vehicle facing wooden fence/horses).  The group leaves at 9AM sharp.  Please plan to be here at least 5 minutes early.  If you miss the group move down to the field you'll need to reschedule your day.  I won't be able to come back up for you as I will be harvesting as well.  No one is allowed to walk unaccompanied thru the field without permission (lots of critters and gates).

 

Looking forward to having harvest company!!!  Tag me back quick if you’re interested since I have limited space.

 

Cheers!

 

Sally

 

News from Sally Strawberry..... Petaluma Bounty farm stand, strawberry plants, eggs, and more!

Hi all,

 

Gosh I miss writing these……

 

Petaluma Bounty

 

Promised I would pass on the great news….. Petaluma Bounty’s opening day for their farm stand will be tomorrow, Friday from 4 – 7pm.  I’m told they have basil, other herbs, lettuce, kale, collards, Japanese turnips, chard and ???  I KNOW they will have 5 dozen of my very own Carstensen Farms free range eggs!  If you’ve been following along, pondering an “egg family” membership and want to give them a try first – now’s your chance J

 

If you happen to have some free time and love to garden or would like to get your hands into the soil…. Petaluma Bounty can always use volunteers.  Check out their website at www.petalumabounty.org.  I personally love the assortment of crops and the friendly folks you meet there.   I had a blast teaching a strawberry growing workshop last year and helping folks learn how to tend their own plants.

 

Strawberries

 

Speaking of STRAWBERRIES…. Yes I still grow some, but NOT 60,000!  I’m a home gardener now.  All my berries go to my family and extended “egg family” membership.  With 400 strawberry plants, 250 blueberry plants and 210 chickens (plus 100 more coming), and a rototiller that keeps tilling more soil and forcing me to plant seeds, I keep myself out of trouble!

 

If you want to try your hand at growing your own luscious strawberries I can help!  Check out my website at www.carstensenfarms.net   All the ordering instructions are there.  I’ve reserved strawberry crowns for this season and will distribute them to home gardeners from my home on Saturday, September 8^th.  If you find you need some help -  check out the workshop on September 15^th at Petaluma Bounty or sign up for online coaching to receive emails from me throughout the season.  Last year over 2600 crowns went home with folks for their very own back yards!  And…. if you’ve bought plants at a garden center and didn’t have much luck…. don’t give up!!  You simply didn’t have all the pieces of the puzzle. 

 

The MOST awesome gardening tool EVER!

 

I have a CobraHead hand weeding tool and I LOVE it.  I can honestly say it’s the best tool I’ve ever used.  I pitched all my trowels and claw type tools!  I use this thing to weed and to make transplant holes.  I transplanted all 400 strawberry plants with it and didn’t have any hand fatigue.  I can’t say enough about it.  You’ve got to check out their website at www.cobraheadllc.com for the pictures, videos and details.  Mere words from me won’t do it justice.  The BEST part is…. I’m ordering them in bulk and can get us all tools at a discount from the CobraHead web price.  

 

If you want in on the bulk order:

Go to my website, click on the tool picture and reserve yours to order with the group and get the discount.  

 

Seriously…. I have one tool and want one more PLUS a long handled one!  I think everyone in my family who gardens will get one for Christmas this year J

 

Eggs

 

Since I ordered 100 more chicks (crazy farm woman) I’ll have room to welcome more folks to the “egg family”.  If you’d like to know more about my membership and possibly join the 60 families who enjoy Carstensen Farms eggs already, tag me back and I’ll send you the scoop.  You can also check out the “Eggs” page on the website www.carstensenfarms.net   I have members with all kinds of schedules – weekly, every other week, 1x per month, once every 3 weeks.  There’s a spot for everyone who sincerely wants to connect to the local farm that produces their food.

 

 

Cheers!

 

Sally

 

Sally Strawberry Update - Local Honey, Egg membership

Hi Everyone!!!

 

It’s been a REALLY long time since I’ve written one of these Berry Updates!  Hope all of you are doing well J  Commercial strawberry retirement is suiting me well.  I’ve reduced myself to just 400 manageable plants and love it.  I’ve got a wonderful little garden in my front yard (and soon to expand in the back).

 

Please let me know if you no longer wish to receive these updates.  I’ll be more than happy to remove you from my list and not bother you.

 

Mini Self Serve Farmers Mkt

 

Our family can’t possibly consume all the production from 400 plants so….. my “egg family” membership group helps me with that!  I have a little self serve mini farmers market for the group.  I simply place what is available in the egg barn and folks purchase what they like on their egg day.  Grab and go!!  It’s a special little perk for my egg members and a help for me – the obsessed gardener who never retires.  The season starts  out with asparagus (just about time for that).  Then strawberries in May.  Blueberries in June/July/Aug. Veggies like melon, herbs, cukes, tomatoes, etc in Aug/Sept/Oct.  Apples in August. And… whatever else I grow.  Wow….. it’s come full circle – back to my old farm stand days!!!!

 

Egg Family

 

Speaking of the “egg family” membership.  Every year I order more chicks and invite new members to join the family.  New chicks will arrive in a week and start laying in 22 weeks.  If you love fresh, tasty, free range eggs, and would like know how the membership works (and know your farmer J )  - drop me a note and I’ll send you the scoop.  I’ve got 160 hens now and growing!!!

 

Honey   

 

Remember the kids who brought honey to the strawberry stand??  Many of you have asked for it again and I’m happy to say I finally have some.  I have ½ lb for $5, 1 lb for $8 and 3 lb for $25.  Drop me a note if you would really like some honey and I’ll coordinate with you to get it.

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

Sally

 

Veggie goodies/strawberries at Petaluma Bounty today, strawberry workshop, strawberry crowns available, egg membership

Hi all,

 

Petaluma Bounty is open today 3 – 6pm and overflowing with fantastic goodies like:

salad mix, arugula, baby bok choy, tomatoes, beets, carrots, squash, eggplant, sweet peppers, onions, melons, strawberries, raspberries, kale, chard, and flowers!  Pictures on their website at www.petalumabounty.org or on  Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/petalumabounty  Gorgeous stuff!!

This may be their last week for strawberries!  Stop by and grab some while you can.

Speaking of strawberries…..

Bounty will transplant 1000 crowns again this season! Yeah – the same Chandler variety I always grew and…. I’ll be there this Sunday teaching a  “Success with Strawberries” workshop from 9 - 11.  Cost is $35 to attend with $10 going to support the Bounty Farm and 5 strawberry crowns for you! Check out the details and register on my website at www.carstensenfarms.net.

Speaking of strawberry crowns…..

If you missed out OR found out you would like a few more crowns to fill out your garden, I still have a limited amount available.  Order what you need and email me for pickup instructions.  They will all be gone by next Sunday so jump on it if you want them J

Egg Family Membership

My batch of new hens will start laying within the next month giving me room to welcome more families to the egg membership.  The membership is full right now but I would love to add you to the wait list.  My hens are cage free, pastured and spoiled.  Just like strawberries, fresh, pasture raised eggs have a wonderful flavor all their own.  Interested??? Drop me an email and I’ll fill you in on the details.

And….. I just put in 400 strawberry plants to supply my egg membership.  My egg family gets their own self-serve, private farmers market!  Strawberries, asparagus, blueberries, apples, ….. whatever I grow and harvest here.

 

Cheers!

 

Sally

 

 

Cheers!

 

Sally

 

Strawberry Growing Workshop at Petaluma Bounty

Hi all,

 

Sunday, September 25^th will be my first ever workshop at Petaluma Bounty.  The farm has 1000 plants to get in the ground and the perfect classroom for hands on learning!  You’ll work with me in the garden as I “show” you how to properly transplant the crowns and teach you how to coax the most delicious strawberries from your own plants.  I will have a sheet detailing the process for all participants, no need to remember it all!  Get all your questions answered and take a peek at last year’s plants and root systems in the Bounty gardens (how did they do??)

 

The cost of the class is $35.  $10 will be donated to Petaluma Bounty AND you will receive 5 strawberry crowns.  Preregister on my website www.carstensenfarms.net by Thursday, September 22^nd.  Space is limited so please register early.

 

Petaluma Bounty is a wonderful organization and I’m happy to help any way I can.  Please pass this information on to any gardening soul who would love to learn how to grow their own delicious strawberries with me.

 

You can find Petaluma Bounty on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/petalumabounty

or at http://www.petalumabounty.org

 

 

Cheers!

 

Sally

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

Sally

 

Last chance to order strawberry crowns!

Hi everyone,

 

If there are any of you who have not reserved your strawberry plants AND want to try your hand at growing the sweet berries I used to……. now is the time to reserve your plants!  Not sure you can grow strawberries?  I put 4 varieties in my back yard before I became a commercial grower and - - - failed with all of them.  BUT, after 10 years, I know all the secrets!  You can learn too.  I have email coaching for you to grow step by step along with me or a hands on class in my yard.  Check out my website for details and ordering instructions www.carstensenfarms.net.   The website says orders close on August 31^st.  If I have plants beyond August 31^st I’ll extend the deadline but…. don’t wait, I may run out!

 

Cheers!

 

Sally

 

Eggs at Petaluma Bounty again this Friday

Hi all,

 

Petaluma Bounty had a very nice showing of support last Friday!  Thanks to all of you who came out to support them.  They really had a super nice assortment of goodies available.  I personally saw all kinds of squashes, carrots, greens, eggplant (I know, here??), yummy cherry tomatoes, lettuce, onions, and…. my eyes couldn’t take it all in.  I personally sampled the oodles of yellow cherry tomatoes growing in the greenhouse (super sweet and tasty) and saw the lovely eggplant growing in the tropical hoop house.

 

 

They’ll be there again this Friday from 2 – 6pm with veggies, my eggs and possibly a small qty of strawberries and raspberries.  Address again is 55 Shasta Ave., Petaluma (near Craig’s Warehouse and the old Lucky)

 

If any of you have time and a need to garden or learn how to garden, Petaluma Bounty is the place to go.  They are always in need of volunteers, no matter how much time you can spare.  Simply go to their website at petalumabounty.org and click on the volunteer tab.

 

 

 

 

This Saturday is Kid’s Activity Day at the farm from 10 - 12.

 

From their website:

 

Bounty Community Farm has long held volunteer days on the second Saturday of the month during our growing season. To help muster as much community support as possible on our work days, the Farm is pleased to offer kids’ activities on the second Saturday of August. Come lend a hand in the field while your children join members of our education group in activities like planting, hunting for insects, bouquet making and storytelling. Be sure to bring your sun hats and sun screen! 55 Shasta Ave., Petaluma. Please contact Farm Education Coordinator Eric Brosio at education@petalumabounty.org with questions.

 

 

Cheers!

 

Sally