The Perfect Little Gift!

Do you feel the holiday season starting to ratchet up?  Have you started to notice the increasing pace of shopping when you head to town?  Are you trying to figure out how to bless the people around you in a simple and meaningful way?

Look no further -- Brouwer Berries preserves are freshly made, preserving the delight of summer in a darling jar with health and happiness all rolled up into one.  They fit perfectly into a small gift bag, easy for wrapping and transport, and will be a treat for all your relatives, teachers, and co-workers.

$5.00/jar or buy eleven get one free

Call (320)967-4718
or e-mail brberries@gmail.com

If you live in Renville, Clara City, Prinsburg, Raymond or Willmar, you can have free delivery right to your home for orders of 6 or more jars.  That's six gifts taken care of just as the holiday season is starting!

I will also be at the COG's new store location next to Westside Liquor in Willmar on Saturday, November 29, 10:00-2:00, as part of their Pure MN Winter Festival. For more details about this event click here.

The following is a list of currently available preserves--supplies not guaranteed!  The number of jars available is listed on our website, and will be updated as orders come in, so if you'd like to confirm availability, click here.   

 Strawberry (low-sugar):  The fabulous taste of  MN strawberries is captured in these preserves made from strawberries fresh from our field.  We use calcium instead of sugar to thicken our preserves, so every bite is bursting with health and flavor.  Mix it with yogurt, top off your ice cream, or slather it on your toast, waffles, muffins or scones.   (Also available in 1 pint size jars for $7.50)

Strawberry-Cranberry (low-sugar):Tart cranberries add a tangy explosion to these flavorful preserves that will cause your sun-starved salivary glands to kick into high gear.  Set this on your Thanksgiving or Christmas buffet table as a fun alternative  to plain cranberry sauce.  Use after the party on turkey sandwiches, roasted or baked turkey, roasted or grilled vegetables, tossed into a salad, or on toast. 

Grandma’s Sweet Strawberry:  Summer delight is captured in this old-fashioned recipe for strawberry jam just like Grandma used to make it. Mix it with yogurt, top off your ice cream, or spread it on your toast. 

Strawberry-Jalapeno (low-sugar): Try some ‘heat with the sweet’ on your grilled meat, or tease your taste buds with crackers, cream cheese, and our Strawberry-Jalapeno Preserves!  Spoon it over salmon or chicken and oven bake it. Brush it over fish or meats as a glaze just before pulling it off the grill. Spread it over a block of soft goat cheese as an appetizer.  Slip it into a grilled cheese sandwich and call it a Jamwich. Set it out at a party by a bowl of pretzels. Not overly hot; this combo is formulated for Northerners:)

Strawberry-Rhubarb (low-sugar): Tangy on your taste-buds, this delightful combination is only for people who grew up in the North and have developed a taste for the piquancy of rhubarb!  Spread it on toast, top off a waffle, or eat it straight out of the jar for a trip down memory lane.

Strawberry-Chocolate (low-sugar): Creamy and rich, the chocolate enhances the strawberry to a burst of satisfying flavor.  Use as an ice-cream topping, dessert spread, or on anything you eat for breakfast, just so that you can start your day in a healthy way, with chocolate.

NEW! Strawberry-Peach (low-sugar): Sweet, juicy peaches mingle with the strawberries in this delicious concoction, while a hint of cinnamon kicks up the flavor factor to a fantastic level.  Delectable! 

Brouwer Beef, anyone?

Cereal Rye cover crop ready for cattle and crop rotation!

Excitement is running high in my husband and one of my daughters.  They are all set to welcome a pregnant Hereford cow and her yearling.  You would hardly be able to fathom the amount of preparation that has been made for these critters.  I'm not a big fan of critters, in any shape or form, but my husband loves them, and no bride on her wedding day could be more anxiously awaited and prepared for than the Herefords about to arrive on our farm. 

He began in February, watching webinars and going to workshops on crop covers.  This summer, he got to dabble in actually using what he'd learned, and spent countless hours planting and caring for the cover crops.  When a cove rcrop was doing well, he'd walk around cheerfully, whistling.  When a cover crop was doing badly, his mood also suffered.  When the crows were eating his seed, his temper erupted and he'd set the dogs on them, and the kids and I knew to stay far away from him! 

By fall, he had luscious greenery covering several acres.  He went out one Saturday with my daughter, telling me they were going to put a fence around the new cow pasture.  I had seen the area where he'd planted seed for grazing - a half acre or so - and assumed they were fencing that section.  A few days later, he took me out for a walk to "check the line fence."  It was no simple pasture he'd fenced in.  He'd created a complicated electrical wiring system that surrounded our entire ten acres, and could be zoned into strips for rotational grazing! 

Suddenly, I flashed back to the dozens of hours he'd spent hunched in front of the iPad, watching webinars.  He wasn't just figuring out how to use covercrops to enhance our strawberry growth, as he told me, he was figuring out how to use a combination of cattle and covercrops to turn our soil into the most amazing mixture of organic matter and nutrients possible, and in doing so, justify getting an entire herd of grass-fed cattle!  

Which brings me to the question in the title...Brouwer Beef?  Hmm, I might be persuaded.  What do you think? 

Doing Battle with the Enemy of all Farmers

"Die weeds!  Die!"

Words can't express how overwhelmed we were with the numbers of people arriving at our farm each day throughout the strawberry season.  It was just beautiful to see family after family coming up the path to our shop.  Thank you so much for coming, and for affirming the value of our family farm. 

We reign victorious over the fallen enemy:)

It's been a whirlwind of work since we closed down the strawberry picking last week.  The weeds are sneaky little buggers, and they were trying to choke the life out of our baby strawberry plants while we were distracted with the harvest in our mature plants.  Some long, dedicated hours out in the patch have nearly taken care of those.  Even my two year old was hacking away at them crying, "Die weeds!  Die!" at the top of his lungs.  The older kids kept coming up with comparisons to battle fields, and the casualties we were leaving behind us, gasping for mercy in the hot sun.  It's a very satisfying task to tackle as a family.

In the heat of battle...

Dan has spent dozens of hours on his little tractor, planting cover crops in the land intended for our 2016 and 2017 crops.  These cover crops have intriguing names such as Sudan Grass, Rye, and my favorite, Hairy Vetch.  They will inject nutrients and organic matter into the soil that will give our future crops great flavor and nutrition, and also protect the soil from heavy rains and drought.

We are looking forward with excitement to next summer when we will have, Lord willing, six acres of strawberries instead of four.   We're contemplating all sorts of fun things to add to the farm, such as a children's play area, and a petting zoo.  Let me know what you think would be a great addition to our farm.  In the meantime, we'd love it if you'd write a review of your experience this year on our Facebook page. 

Wonderful organic matter to be incorporated into the soil!

Rented tractor and planter for seeding cover crop.  

With grateful hearts,
Dan & Sarah Brouwer and family

In Season; amazing; fresh; local

Hello, dear strawberry people,

The rain on Saturday and the cool temperatures have done amazing things for our late season strawberries.  Dan just came out of the field and told me we have large strawberries for hundreds more U-pickers. 

There are no bugs, thanks to a healthy breeze, and the weather is just lovely for spending some time out in the strawberry patch, gathering up summer's goodness to pack away into the freezer to nourish your family and keep them healthy through the long winter months that are coming. 

U-Pick: Please pass the word to all your friends and family that we are open until 8 tonight, and probably open the next few days from 8 am to 8 pm as we harvest these late-season beauties.   Check the website www.brouwerberries.com to confirm hours. 

Pre-Picked: Keep an eye on Facebook, or give us a call (320)967-4718 and we'll let you know if we have extra flats of pre-picked each day. 

Thanks again to all of you who have visited us already, and who have told your friends about our farm!

Sarah

Blink and you might miss it...

Good evening,

As you all know, the strawberry season is like the town of Prinsburg...blink, and you miss it, and like all small towns, you would miss a treasure:)  So, here's your nudge if you haven't yet had a chance to make it out to the strawberry field for the 2014 season.

We started picking in the late-season varieties Monday, and depending on the weather, they will go all of this week, and possibly into next week.  The late-season variety, called Winona, is a favorite with many of you for its' flavor, which is like a cross between a peach and a strawberry.  Mmmm.

The wagon rides were an enormous hit for people of all ages this week, including my own children who took dozens of round-trips just for the fun of it.  It certainly simplified things for people with a lot of kids and a lot of berries to get back to the front part of our farm.

We have a new photo op on our farm! Natalie Brouwer, an extremely talented CMCS junior, and one of our employees, painted a remake of "American Gothic" for us.  You can see photos on our blog.

U-pick: Opening 8 am Wednesday morning, and we'll close when we are sold out. Check our website to confirm before coming out.  I'll post updates throughout each day.

Pre-picked: Taking orders for any day this week, and we'll try to keep extra on the shelf for drive-ups.  I'll post on Facebook when we have extra. We probably won't do orders next week. 

Thanks so much to all of you who have told your friends and family about our farm this summer.  It has been a joy and a wonder to welcome hundreds of new people here every day, and to feel the satisfaction that comes when many hands are working together to bring in the harvest.

Sarah

Natalie Brouwer's 'American Gothic'

It's been a dream of ours, ever since we opened, to make the farm about more than just strawberries.  We want to make it a gathering place for children and families.  A place for people to connect with the farm and the food they eat that grows out of the earth and the sun and the rain and the goodness of the Father in heaven who provides.

Natalie Brouwer, who shares our name but is not related, has worked for us three summers.  As we've gotten to know her, we've been amazed to watch her artistic skill develop.  This summer, Dan and I commissioned her to paint us a "cut-out" that people could pose behind.  We gave her carte-blanche.

She came up with this remake of Grant Wood's 'American Gothic.'   According to the New York Times, "Steven Biel, who has written a book on the  the painting,  'American Gothic' has evolved from iconoclasm to icon to parody. Biel documents the process and speculates about how it happened, ultimately claiming that 'American Gothic' ranks in importance as a recognizable national emblem alongside the flag, the eagle and the Statue of Liberty."
 (Read full article)

Farming is an integral part of this nation, and it is our pleasure to welcome many people to our farm throughout the strawberry season.  We're delighted with this contribution by Natalie Brouwer, and hope that many people will use it as a photo opportunity, and a reminder of the farming heritage we all share. 

Week of the 4th of July

Good morning!

It was so wonderful on Friday and Saturday to see so many happy people.  When the strawberries are doing well, then everyone, from the employees, to the U-pickers, to the people picking up pre-picked berries, is happy. 

We anticipate even more of the same this week, as our Jewel and Glooscap varieties are now ripe, and looking amazing.  Large, sweet, and almost flawless - I hope you all take this opportunity to share in summer's most wonderful crop. 

U-pick: Opening at 8 this morning, and probably every day this week except Sunday.  We anticipate being open all day and into the evening, but please check our website before coming out to confirm.  I will post updates there throughout each day as we monitor the field and keep an eye on how many rows we have left.  Dan finished the wagon (finally:) so you and your children can enjoy a wagon ride to and from the field. 

Pre-Picked: We will keep lots of extra on the shelves this week so you can swing by and pick some up for your family.  We anticipate high demand on the 3rd and 4th of July, so it may be wise to e-mail me at brberries@gmail.com to reserve what you want for those days.  I'll be posting on our website  and Facebook each day when we have extras to be claimed. 

Looking forward to seeing you,

Sarah

Taking orders for pre-picked berries!

Hooray!

The strawberries are ripening in our early varieties!

U-Pick: We are NOT open for U-pick yet... hopefully by the end of the coming week the big middle chunk of the fields will start producing.  Keep an eye on our homepage for any changes. 

Pre-Picked: Yes! We will take orders for next week Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.     Please e-mail or call with the day you want them, how many, and a phone number in case we have torrential rain and can't get out into the field:)
  We will have your strawberries ready by 10 am, and you can come any time after that to pick them up.  For prices, and a picture of a flat, look on our website FAQ's.  I'll post on our website homepage when I've taken enough orders for a day, and will start putting people on a waiting list.  I will also post there when we're ready to start taking orders for later in the week, and into the next week. 

Feeling relieved that the strawberries are still flourishing after the rain,

Sarah

Opening in about one week....

Hello, Dear Patient Strawberry People,

Yesterday, our weeding efforts were rewarded with ripe strawberries.  What a marvelous thing it is, to be out in the field with my children, and have them eager and happy to weed because they see red jewels popping up around them.  The flavor was magnificent -- worth the long, long wait!

We are in a whirlwind of activity here on the farm, getting ready to welcome you.  I can't wait to see all your faces when you behold the fields for the first time this summer.  Imagine what it is like when you haven't seen a child for a few years, and you come back and exclaim, "My, how you've grown!"  That's what it will be like!  The fields stretch so far, and they are so incredibly full of blossoms and white strawberries. 

U-Pick: We still hope to open late next week, or the first week of July.  Dan is modifying a hay wagon so that you can have rides to and from the field - won't that be fun?  Plan now for a family outing the week of the 4th of July - even the day of the 4th! 

Pre-Picked: NO ORDERS YET - I think we'll be able to start taking orders next week, but it depends on the weather, and we all know how changeable that can be! I'll keep you posted via e-mail and Facebook.

Giddy with excitement, and hoping you pass this on to LOTS of your friends and neighbors,

Sarah

p.s. Check out our Facebook page and while you're there, be sure to Like us!

p.p.s. Got questions?  Check out our FAQ's page!

First 2014 Strawberry E-Mail

I love seeing all those white flowers!

Hello all you lovers of locally-grown, super-sweet, Minnesota strawberries.  What a joy it is to be able to write you, finally, after a long and challenging winter.  The past few weeks, since the sun finally came out, have been a blur of activity as we have raced to get our baby strawberry plants into the ground and then to take care of them post-planting. 

This is only a quarter of our producing field!

 Meanwhile, we've been removing the straw from our mature plants, and prepping them for harvest.  We have been astonished at the size and proliferation of the plants and blossoms we are now seeing.  Lord willing, we will have an absolutely massive crop of strawberries in just a few weeks! The rows are loaded with white blossoms, just waiting for the sunshine, the rain, and the pollinators to work their magic and swell them into giant, red, luscious fruit. 

Thick & heavy blossom pack!

Quadrupling the business:  Last year, we were picking off just one acre; this year we have nearly FOUR acres just weeks away from harvest! 
Pass it on: If you are as excited about this enormous growth of the strawberry patch as we are, and want to help us out, would you please forward this e-mail to a friend, co-worker, or neighbor? 

The baby strawberry plants are just breaking dormancy.

Facebook: If you are curious about life on the farm the past few months, I've been posting  photos on Facebook.  While you are there, be sure to "Like" us and/or to write a recommendation for others who are just hearing about our farm!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brouwer-Berries/
When? We think the first strawberries will ripen around June 28, and the season will last through the 3rd week of July. 

How Can I Get Strawberries? I will let you know via e-mail and Facebook when we are ready to take orders for pre-picked berries and when we will open for U-picking.  Any other information you can find on our website: 
 http://www.brouwerberries.com/prices_and_procedures.html

We're looking forward to seeing you soon!

 Sarah

--

Dan & Sarah on some Dirty Dates:)

You want to know the dirty details of our delightful date life?  Why not?  I bet you didn't know that Dan and I have date night every night.  Not joking.  Every night after supper for the past two months, I head outside and work beside my husband at whatever task he's in the mood to do.

We get down and dirty doing yard clean-up and walking through the strawberry fields to discuss plans, and dream together.  We boiled sap for maple syrup, put up part of a high tunnel, planted a few hundred trees and hopefully tonight we'll butcher turkeys.  No city guy could entertain his lady with such a wide variety of dates, eh? 

When it was too cold to work outside, my husband took me to strawberry grower workshops - five full days worth!    I got wined, dined, and educated -- I'm even collecting a few more college credits just for fun.  I'm learning all about dirt, more scientifically known as "the rhizosphere surrounding our plant roots", the interactions between soil and air, and other absolutely crucial information:)   There's no chance to be bored on a farm!

California Gold

Whenever I hear about the drought in California, I think back to that emotional moment in the fall of 2012 when we struck water on our farm.  Underground water!  Until you've farmed you have no idea -- No Idea -- how crucial water is.   When I first moved to Minnesota I used to laugh at those silly farmers who drove around after a rainfall looking at rain gauges in their various fields.  Here's a poem I once mocked them with:

In Leota
there is lots to do
Like watch corn grow
and hear cows moo...

I was SO CLUELESS!  Now, I live and die inside by the amount of precipitation we get and the speed of the winds, aching over how they will affect our strawberry plants.   I watch AgDay with my husband.  In the morning I find out how much rain they are having in Brazil and Argentina and how it will affect commodity prices, and marvel at this entire world and its' interconnectedness.  Water!  What a blessing!  And farmers...definitely have a bit more upstairs than I used to give them credit for:)

Shhh...the tax guy thinks this is an "irrigation pond:)"

The world outside our windows is frozen in snow and ice.  To get some relief, Dan and I started scrolling through photos of last year.  We absolutely swooned at the photos of our irrigation pond.  We love that place!  Duinincks dug it for  us in the fall of 2012 after we hadn't had rain in 9 weeks, and what a blessing that pond has been! Pontooning, swimming, skating...even sledding down the banks in the winter though I don't have a photo of it.  Oh yeah, we use it for irrigation, too:) 

Here are some photos of the pond in it's infancy.  Thanks Duininck Companies for doing such a great job shaping the dirt!  They shaped the land to direct water flow in such as way as to minimize erosion while maximizing retainment of rainwater and snowmelt.  Water management is essential for us since strawberries are a perennial crop!