Cover Crops and Bovine Banquets

Staring out at newly harvested corn fields, my daughter commented on all the dried up dirt. "It needs a cover crop," she declared.  "I think oats, or maybe winter wheat."   

She's her dad's shadow, working beside him at every opportunity as he planted a succession of cover crops on fallow soil.  Each type of crop was allowed to grow for a while, and then it was either tilled or grazed.

The Sorghum Sudan was our favorite to watch, because it grew so quickly.   It's roots go as deeply down as the leaves grow up, injecting life into compacted soil.  Amazingly, it is also killing weeds and destroying soil disease in a completely natural way.  

Our Herefords had a chance to eat the tops off all our cover crops.  With the field sectioned into tiny squares, every evening they were moved to a brand new bovine banquet.  The Herefords are growing fat and happy, but more importantly, this technique, called mob grazing, naturally revitalizes the soil beneath their hooves.  

  Mmm...what cow wouldn't want a piece of this tasty looking Tillage Radish and annual ryegrass?   

If you took a ride on our strawberry express, you were part of the reason the soil in this section was so compacted.  Amazingly, the radish is pushing down into the soil and breaking it up to reduce that compaction.  If you look down the field, you'll see exactly where the radish has to work the hardest to undue the damage from our wagon wheels.  I love how the simple radish can heal the soil!

Do you see the beauty?  On your left, radish and rye to reduce compaction.  Top right, heading off into the mist, stretch rows of strawberry plants heading into winter dormancy.  Bottom right, winter rye and sweet clover to prevent erosion and inject nutrients and biomass into soil destined to grow strawberries in 2018.  Yes!  This land won't produce a cash crop again until 2018 -- do you know any other farmer who only harvests once every 4 years on each acre?  

Luscious, vigorous, and healthy, our baby strawberry plants have grown over the summer and rooted into the carefully prepared soil.  

Like maple trees, strawberries begin to turn red as they head into winter dormancy.  Soon, we'll be able to tuck them in with a blanket of straw.   

But until then, the cows will keep guard, wondering why they aren't allowed to try out these particular dainty looking morsels.  

Our strawberry expert has a saying, ""Fruit growing is not rocket science.  There are more variables."   Thanks so much for taking the time to read through this and to take a peek into the complexities of soil management!  

Peek Behind the Scenes

The minute we shut down the 2015 strawberry harvest, the tractor roared to life, and we all raced to the fields to prep for the 2016 harvest.  Coated with sweat and dust, Dan worked until after dark every night to renovate the plants.

First, he used the lawn mower attachment to mow off the tops of the plants.

Here's a close-up of a mowed-off section.  There are lots of strawberries that were not harvested.  I try not to look at these and get depressed:)  They will make good fertilizer....

Next, he tills between the rows to narrow them.  The section on the left has been tilled, the section on the right has only been mown.   Tilling kills a lot of the runners, and takes the plant down to just the mother.  It sounds brutal, but if he doesn't do it, we end up with a solid mass of plants, and our strawberries would be few and tiny. 

After tilling, he sprinkles fertilizer, kind of like Miracle-Grow for strawberries, on the plants. He uses a grass seeder tied to the tractor with bungee cord.  Whatever works, right?

 The next step is to set up overhead irrigation over the whole field so that the fertilizer can be watered in. 

These shorn plants are desperate for water!

 

Isn't it neat how the irrigation pipes all connect?  Kind of like K'Nex for grown-ups.

Seeing the strawberry field  all mown, tilled, and irrigated, is beautiful.  Next year's crop will be determined by the amount of rain and sunshine we get this year in July and August.  All the blossoms for next year must be set this summer - there's no catch-up later. 

While Dan was doing his tractor work, Sarah and the Brouwer children were frantically weeding the baby strawberry plants.  I say frantically, because those doggone weeds were going to seed, and if they weren't caught on time, the Brouwer family wouldn't be able to go on vacation at all this summer!  I think we got them...phew:)

You'd think Dan would help us weed, but no, he has to get the old strawberry plants out to make room for the cover crops. I think he just likes tractor work more than hand-weeding.  First, he rips into the ground to get at the drip irrigation tape.  Next, he.... well, he hasn't had a chance to get to next yet, but I know we'll need to yank, tug, pull, and (quite possibly swear, sshhh...) until all the tape is out of the ground.  Sigh, it's a lot of tugging.  Then, he'll till the field, and finally, plant some seed for some Hairy Vetch, or Sorghum Sudan grass, or something else interesting that he found out about on youtube that will do wonders for our soil biology and grow us really big strawberries.  Like, strawberries the size of watermelons?  Hmm, we'll see about that.

Here's a section of field that already has cover crop growing.  Oats, in this case.  In a few weeks it will be a few feet tall, if we get enough rain. 

This is a baby oat plant.  I like thinking about what it does for that hard, dry soil, and how it will help transform the soil into an active, black ecosystem, teeming with life that will promote better strawberry growth in the future. 

In the meantime, the cows get to eat off our current covercrop, using their hooves to stomp around and activate the soil.  Thankfully, the 2015 strawberry harvest is done, and the land in our crop rotation is now mowed, tilled, seeded and weeded, all getting ready for the 2016 harvest.  

 

By the way, I'm so impressed that you read to end of this blog entry...thank-you for being interested in this behind-the-scenes peek into strawberry farming! 

Season's Sweet Peak



Alinda with Bill Dean after our radio spot.

What a week it was in the strawberry patch!  We have seen the most wonderful people of the area coming to our farm over the past few days, all of them excited about a functioning family farm.  Dennis Benson of Willmar took photos.  Bill Dean, host of the Morning Brew on KWLM, checked out the place.
 

Other people, less well-known, but with such interesting

backgrounds came to pick berries, and visit with us.  There was a gentleman with the Fish and Wildlife Service that was interested in our cover crops. There was a family of immigrants from Chile, who helped run a strawberry farm with 1000 employees in Chile.  There was a lady from the Ukraine, who couldn't believe that Americans think it is fun to pick their own food:)  

We're so grateful for each one of you who came, and helped affirm this dream of ours.

Sweet Peak:

We are at the top of our bell curve of production!  Our crown Jewels will be fantastic all week.  Later in the week, you will be greeted by our late-season star, the Winona.   The Winona flavor is a delectable strawberry-peach combo, and the berries are clustered so heavily that you will hardly have to move down the row to fill your bucket.  

U-Pick:

We plan to be open for U-picking Mon.-Fri. 8am-7pm.  Please always check our website www.brouwerberries.com to confirm before coming, as weather and people flow can affect our hours.  Don't miss the peak of the season!  Get your berries while you can!  Invite your friends, your neighbors, your relatives!  Bring really big buckets and plan to fill your freezer with the season's finest fruit so that you can enjoy strawberries all winter long.  

Pre-Picked:

We plan to have plenty on the shelves, though you are welcome to reserve yourself a flat or more by calling (320)967-4718 or emailing brberries@gmail.com.  Please let us know if you plan on coming after 12 noon to pick it up.  Don't miss these beauties!  

4th of July Hours:

Saturday, July 4 we plan to be open for U-pick and pre-picked 8am-4pm.  Please check the website to confirm before coming.  I will have some pre-picked available that day.  I'll post on the website when we are sold out.

WRAC TV Tour of Brouwer Berries!

Master Gardener Susan Mattson presents a tour of Brouwer Berries on youtube!  Join her as she visits the welcome center, rides the Strawberry Express to the field, visits with employees and customers, and learns what it takes to raise acres of strawberries in our harsh climate.   Click here to view!

Thank-you all for your support of our farm, and we hope to see all of you this week!

Sarah

Invitation to a Party!

Good evening!

The strawberry colors are dancing and swirling out in the field, glinting in the sunlight, dappled in the shade.  The queen berries and the king berries are heavily swaying, while their court clusters around them in their season's finest.   It is the largest ballroom dance we have ever hosted, and it is about to peak.  The Jewels...oh, the crown Jewels of the realm ripened up today, and tomorrow will be ready for your hands to gather them up and take them into your homes to gladden your hearts and delight your senses. 

U-Picking: We will be open 8 am - 7 pm every day except Sunday.  Ten thousand people could not empty this field in the next few days, so come whenever it works for you, but don't delay!  We never know exactly how long the season will last - keep an eye on www.brouwerberries.com - I will update it frequently.   Please bring your own container. 

Pre-Picked: We will be picking dozens and dozens of extra trays over the next ten days.  Call (320)967-4718 or e-mail brberries@gmail.com with an order if you want to make sure, but don't worry too much about getting an order in; our shelves are loaded!  

Market: I'm planning to be at the Willmar Mid-Week market in the Kandi Mall parking lot tomorrow, Wednesday afternoon.  I won't be bringing orders there, but feel free to stop by and get some.  I encourage you to come to the farm, though, and pick your own if you can.  It is so beautiful out here, and the joy of picking your own fruit makes a special summer memory.  

Come join the party, no RSVP's necessary:)

Sarah

All Aboard the Strawberry Express!

“See this berry?” I ask a group of eager young children crouched down on clean straw, in the middle of rows of strawberry plants laden with red fruit. “The strawberry is like a bottle of pop; all the sweetness is locked up inside. Pick it gently, and keep the green lid on top, or the fizz will start bubbling out, just like a pop bottle. When you are ready to taste it, twist off the green top, and pop it into your mouth – a juicy, sweet strawberry!”

Fifteen years ago, my husband casually mentioned to me that he’d bought a few strawberry plants. “How many?” I asked, somewhat distractedly. “Fifteen hundred,” he replied. At this point, my eyes jerked open, and I started spluttering. “What on earth for?” He explained that he and his mom were going to start a strawberry U-picking farm, but he was sure it wouldn’t affect me in any way.

U-Picking
Since that time, a wonderful mix of people of all ages have come strawberry picking at our farm, Brouwer Berries, just eleven miles west of Willmar. Today, we have fifty thousand plants. Everyone who comes eagerly joins in the harvest experience. A field-fresh strawberry tastes fantastic! More and more, parents want their children to participate in the farm-to-table experience, and there's no better lesson than harvesting your own food. But beyond that, picking your own fruit is tons of fun, and makes for a great day trip.

Everyone enjoys riding the Strawberry Express to and from the field, and parents love to wander around the gardens, or enjoy some time in the shade, while the kids run around looking at the farm critters. There are plenty of farm critters lurking. Banty hens, ducks, kittens, turkeys, bunnies, and some Hereford cow/calf pairs give everyone a chance to see and smell life on a Minnesota family farm. Once, a curious customer asked, “Why aren’t the chickens penned up?” She was shocked to find out that ‘free-range’ means the critters actually get to range freely!

Pre-Picked
Not everyone has the time or health to U-pick, which is good news for the local teenage population. Last summer, we hired twenty wonderful teens. Pre-picked strawberries literally flew off the shelves as orders came in via telephone, e-mail and Facebook. Strawberries are a finicky crop, and we’ve done a lot of experimenting to figure out what varieties will grow well in our heavy, alkaline soil. Harsh winters, late frosts, powerful winds and heavy rain all threaten our berries, but that only makes the rewards of a ripe basket even sweeter. Join Us! Are you ready to start a new family tradition? From our tiny little plot of ground all those years ago, we’ve grown to nearly six acres of strawberries, ripe to welcome you and your family to Brouwer Berries. Come aboard the Strawberry Express!

For strawberry harvest dates, contact Sarah Brouwer at 320-967-4718, send an e-mail to brberries@gmail.com, or visit www.brouwerberries.com

 Testimonials:
 “The absolute best, sweetest & juiciest berries on this earth!” Angela Zwart, social worker at Rice Hospital
“These berries never disappoint and the people who grow and care for them are amazing.” Wendy Ulferts, Rice Hospital Chief Nursing Officer
“Spectacular. Clean. Such a "service-oriented" family.” Bev Werder, owner of Compassionate Care

***This was a magazine article written by Sarah Brouwer and published in the Seasons Magazine, June/July 2015 edition. 

"Tupperware" Parties for Men

I've been to my share of product parties for women, and always thought they were gender specific.  Pampered Chef, Tupperware, Norwex... not a man in the crowd.  My husband laughs at me, and wonders why I can't show more willpower to say 'no' to any purchases at the end. 

However, I've found out that men have their own type of Tupperware parties.  Since growing our strawberry farm, we've been invited to an increasing number of product parties.  These ones are held in a restaurant with an outdoor theme, with giant fish mounted on the walls, and a hearty buffet dinner provided free of charge to all attendees.

We are welcomed warmly, our contact information is quickly and discreetly taken, and we are sat in a comfortable location.  Then the classes start.  We are given hours of lessons on plant and soil health, and ways to improve both. Of course, the product being sold is the answer to all our problems and will give us a fantastic crop, prolific beyond our wildest imaginations, free of pests and diseases...

And just like when I go to my girly parties, I want it all.  I want the amazing results they promise -- I want every single thing they sell, because it will change my life.

It's a good thing I've learned some lessons from other parties I've been to:  no product will change my life, but there are some really good products out there for which it is worth spending extra.  It's also great to see my husband struggling with the same dilemma.  We'll take the same approach with men's Tupperware as we do with women's...try some and see.  Who knows, maybe next summer's crop will be prolific beyond our wildest imaginations!