Newsletter

Seedless grapes - They are doing great and are very sweet.  Now picking Mars (dark blue concord type grape), Hope (green grapes) and Saturn (bluish/purplish crunchy). These grapes are not your store bought seedless grapes. These were breed for the southeast. The early varieties Venus and Jupiter are gone. 

Figs - They have finally started. Best picking for pick-your-own is first thing in the morning and early afternoon. Mid to late afternoon is when we send the pickers to clear the trees and restock our pre-picked inventory.

There are a lot of figs out there, but the harvest has come along slower than years past.  Even thought there is lots of fruit, I must admit that figs hide from you in the tree, and you do need to be a bit of a fig hunter.  This is compounded by the need to clear ripe figs from the tree every afternoon (as mentioned above).  We try to keep the trees cleaned of ripe fruit so that we do not have a bee problem.  Figs are so sweet, and as they ripen and crack, they ooze sugar. That draws the bees, who, with serrated tongue, will lap a conical hole into the fig. The bees can be hard to see and if you grab a bee burdened fig, they might sting you!  Giving the fig a little bump before you pick it will help prevent that from happening.

Blueberries- Picking time per gallon is up. One and half hours or more depending on your picking skills.  But there are still plenty of blueberries and they are “oh so sweet” right now. The trick is to find your spot and pick it clean. The berries are down, inside and under the canopy. 

Blackberries - There are still lots of Chester but they will be gone soon. The primocane blackberries- the fruit is at the top of this year’s cane - are doing well with some big luscious  berries. We only have three small patches of primocane, and it’s a little walk to get to them - but worth it.

Razzmatazz- a seedless muscadine - have begun! Ripe fruit should be dark red. They are both sweet and tart.  These are a much smaller berry than the Bullis (black) and Scuppernong (bronze or golden) muscadines.

Muscadines- The cooler weather has slowed the harvest start for our fabulous muscadines. After a thorough scouting on August 18, the forecast is August 25. Be sure to stay tuned to our website or Facebook page for updates.  

Persimmons- Still forecasting for mid September. 

Farm Phone - (864) 508-6939
This time of year, if you are calling for a weather check, harvest status, or to place a prepick order, please call the phone farm (instead of Walker) and speak with one of the porch crew.  That number is (864) 508-6939.
 

It is the "dog days of summer" - but it is quite pleasant in the early morning, 8am to 10am, and late in the day, 6pm to 8pm.  

Hope to see you in the fields!
Walker for the Happy Berry Bunch

We are so grateful for all of you who have supported us on the farm and we hope you will keep coming out! Grapes and Figs are at their peak. The picking has slowed in the blueberries and blackberries but there is still lots of fruit in the field! And Muscadines and Persimmons are still to come!

Please bring your buckets and snippers (snippers are required for cutting grapes from the vines).  We accept credit cards but love it if you choose to bring cash. 

Figs-  
Figs are in! The first two weeks of August will be the peak then the picking will slow but continue until cool weather returns in late September. 

You should pick the fig with the stem on it. If you tear the fig off of the stem, the life of the fig in the refrigerator is shortened greatly. If ripe,figs are best used the day you pick them or in just a day or so after. If you get one that is a little green...not to worry...they are climacteric like a banana and will continue to ripen. And you should get them into the refrigerator as soon as possible.  Don't worry about cracks in the skin -that just means they are ripe and bursting with goodness. (But be sure to give them a bump before picking in case the bees have found that sweetness and are enjoying some dessert of their own...)

Check out our Picking Tips for Figs, on our website. (You will have to scroll down the page for the section on Figs.)

Grapes- 
It is peak-of-season in the Grapes! We are currently picking the last of the Jupiter.  Mars and Joy  are going strong. Hope (the green ones) and Saturn are just beginning. 

Please bring snippers or scissors for cutting grapes.  IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO NOT TEAR GRAPES FROM THE VINE!! The wound from a tear is very susceptible to the fungus Botryosphaeria which ultimately kills the vine. 

If you have not cut grapes before, please ask at the porch. We will be glad to show you. It is easy. You can also check out our picking tips online.

Blueberries – 
Picking time per gallon is up.  You will need to scout to find the berries – they are down, in and under the bush canopy. The early varieties are gone.  We are picking Tifblue, OnSlow, PowderBlue and Centurion. 

Blueberries, with scattered picking, usually continue into mid to late August. 

Blackberries- 
We are still picking Chester. Chester is a really productive variety but they do not ripen all at once - they ripen over several weeks. So while there are lots of berries, there will be lots of red (unripe) berries amongst the black ones. That makes the picking slow, but for those willing to put the effort in, and with the rain we have had, the ripe Chester are plump and pretty.  As of today August 4 picking is very good to excellent (but remember that conditions change rapidly this time of year).

In addition to the Chester, the primocane varieties have started to bear fruit.  They also are slow to flower, so there will be green berries and ripe all on the same vine. We have three patches of the primocane – so if you are not familiar you will need to ask at the porch. The primocane fruiting will continue until October/frost. The picking will remain slow but steady - it's 50 days from flower to fruit. 

Muscadines-
We are forecasting ...August 18 but maybe later. Watch the website for updates.

Razzmatazz- 
Razzmatazz are a seedless muscadine, much smaller than the regular muscadines, with a sweet and tart taste. Last year we saw the first Razzmatazz about August 5 but it has been cool and cloudy so I am forecasting August 10 and crossing my fingers. 

Persimmons - September 15 maybe later. 

Farm Phone - (864) 508-6939
This time of year, if you are calling for a weather check, harvest status, or to place a prepick order, please call the phone farm (instead of Walker) and speak with one of the porch crew.  That number is (864) 508-6939
  

Hope to see you in the fields!
Walker for the Happy Berry Bunch

It is Peak of Season in the Blueberries!
Picking is great! Now is the time to fill your freezers – Blueberries are easy to freeze and frozen berries are great for pancakes, muffins, pies, and fruit smoothies!  Blueberries will be at peak for (hopefully) a few weeks, and continue to mid to late August.

Still Blackberries!
It is still good picking in the blackberries.  Now picking mostly Von and Chester.  Best picking is early morning, and then, given a chance to recover over the afternoon, again at the end of the day, after 5.  Blackberries should continue with steady picking to early August. Primocane berries should start early August but the picking will be slower.  

Soon!! But not yet -- Seedless grapes
Please don’t pick the grapes yet.  They are in the veraison stage, when even though they look ripe, they are not sweet yet.  

We think we will have pre-picked grapes available around the middle of the week (July 14 or 15?) and open the fields for pick your own next weekend (July 17-18).

Figs - Harvest Forecast is August 1.  

Seedless Razzmatazz Muscadines 
Last year we started picking Razzmatazz on August 5, but not sure yet for this year.  

Muscadines
The projected harvest is August 15, but like the seedless, it is still up in the air.  Stay tuned to our website home page or Facebook for the most up to date status.  

Persimmons  
We are still forecasting mid-September for the Persimmons to start.

Bring Your Own Buckets
We encourage you to bring your own containers for picking. We will subtract the weight of the container so it does not impact your purchase price.  Or alternatively, we welcome you to use our containers in the field for picking, then transfer the berries to your own containers to take home.

Recommendations for containers:
No bags. Bags do not work well as they crush the berries. Long and low containers work well for blackberries. Blackberries crush easily if you pile them too high. For blueberries, a bucket no bigger than 2 gallons works well. Containers deeper than 2 gallons will crush the blueberries.

Open Rain or Shine
The farm is open Rain or Shine – and remember that just because it is raining at your house does not mean it is raining at the farm.  Note: For the most up-to-date crop conditions and operating hours, please visit our homepage.

Regular Season Hours (June–September)
Monday–Friday: 8am until 8pm
Saturday: 8am until 6pm
Sunday: Noon until 8pm

Farm Phone
This time of year, if you are calling for a weather check, harvest status, or to place a prepick order, please call the phone farm (instead of Walker) and speak with one of the porch crew.  That number is 
(864) 508-6939.  

Summer Help:
We are still looking for 1 or 2 more who can work this summer. If you are interested, please call Walker – 864-350-9345.

The Picking is ON! Hope to see you in the fields!
Walker for the Happy Berry Bunch

Blackberries -
Blackberries are ripe and and picking time is fairly short. There are more varieties to come, and though we were hurt by the April freeze, picking is steady. Best picking will always be in the mornings before it gets picked over.

Now picking Black Magic, Prime Ark 45 Chickasaw, Kiowa, a few Caddo (a new thornless variety) that are in their second leaf, and Ouchita. We start Von this week and Chester is couple to 3 weeks out. It is a big, big crop of Chester!

Blueberries-
Blueberries  have begun. We are currently picking the Climax and Premier varieties and they are big and sweet!  Picking time per gallon of blueberries is still near an hour. But soon there will be blueberries everywhere!

Harvest Forecast

• Table Grapes are still forecasted to begin about July 10-14.
• Figs are looking good.  Forecast is to begin around August 1.
• Seedless Muscadines look like they will be a little early - perhaps August 5ish
• Muscadines are still on schedule for mid August.   
• Persimmons are still up in the air but the trees are looking good.
  

Operating hours this year are the same as last year.

Note: For the most up-to-date crop conditions and operating hours, please visit our home page.

• Monday–Friday: 8am until 8pm
  
• Saturday: 8am until 6pm
  
• Sunday: Noon until 8pm

Farm Phone
For prepick orders, harvest status and general questions,
please use our new Farm Phone Number (864) 508-6939. 

Other Tips and Tidbits:

Payment Options:
Athough we prefer cash we are upgrading our ability to take Visa/MC credit cards at the farm and the markets. 

Containers:
We encourage you to bring your own containers for picking. Or alternatively, we welcome you to use our containers in the field for picking, then transfer the berries to your own containers to take home. Recommendations for containers: No bags. Bags do not work well as they crush the berries. Long and low containers work well for blackberries. Blackberries crush easily if you pile them too high. For blueberries, a bucket no bigger than 2 gallons works well. Containers deeper than 2 gallons will crush the blueberries.

Dress for success!
Please no sandles or flip flops. The terrain is uneven, and in places, sometimes steep. Please wear shoes with good tread for walking around the farm, and we recommend sunscreen and hats for sun protection.

We are still looking for 1 or 2 more employees who can work this summer. Pay is based on age, ability and experience. Proper identification and Social Security card are required. For anyone less than 16 years old we also require a letter of permission from parents. Seniors encouraged to apply. Please call Walker if you are interested: (864) 350-9345.

The Picking is ON! Hope to see you in the fields!
Walker for the Happy Berry Bunch for Zoe, Brian, Betty-Ann and the farm crew.

We are in need of 1 or 2 more summer employees. Pay is based on age, ability and experience. Please come see us. Bring proper identification and Social Security card. For anyone less than 16 years old we require a letter of permission from parents also. Seniors encouraged to apply.

April 22 Frost impacts Blackberries and Persimmons-
In the Blackberries:
Chester has a full crop and Von blackberries have almost a full crop. Kiowa and Chickasaw varieties had a 70 to 80% survival rate. The Ouachita were harder hit with maybe 45% of a crop and a lot of that is on secondary shoots. Natchez has only maybe 10-15% of a crop, all on secondary shoots. Prime Ark 45, primocane bearer, has about 15% of primary floracane flowers plus secondary floracane flowers for a total 40 - 45% of a crop. We think the Black Magic is similar or a little less. So overall we think about 55% of a crop of Blackberries.

We will be open for pick your own on Sunday June 6, Tuesday June 8, and Thursday June 10. Then we will be open daily. It will be slow picking at first but will improve rapidly. There will probably be limited availability for pre-picked blackberries that first week.

Persimmons -
Bottom line, we are estimating 50% of a crop and possibly a little more with the increased size of the trees. We are forecasting mid-September for the Persimmons to start.

The details:
Our Kaki sweet (non astringent) persimmons took a hit. Some trees got burned back while a tree right beside it was not impacted. The burned back trees have pretty much fully recovered but the secondary shoots have very few flower buds. We have been expanding the number of trees and Fuyu Matsomoto, a sweet Kaki which ripens a little later than Isu will have a good number of fruit this year. We also have planted some Fuyu Gaki, which ripens a little later than the Matsomoto but it will not have any fruit this year.

Blueberries -
The good news is that we have almost a 100% of a crop of blueberries. Only the Climax variety was impacted by the five freezes we had this March and April. The wind Machine saved the day. We ran it all five nights with some tense moments when the Manifold cracked. Thanks to Ray Reid (Reid's machine Repair 864-506-6890) and late night welding work we were able to keep it going. We forecast the the blueberries to start June 15 and go to about September 1.

Seedless grapes
We have a good crop. Just slightly smaller due to the April 22nd freeze. The table grapes will have a little later start this year. We are projecting them to start mid July. They were burned back by the April 22nd frost but secondary buds have grown out and have flower racemes so it looks like it will only be a small loss. There will be a bigger spread in maturation of the berries- they won’t come in all at once but spread out over a longer season. Flower bunches on secondary shoots will probably mature later so it will take more care when you are harvesting. Harvest Forecast is mid July to early September.

Fig trees were also burned back by the April 22nd freeze. We are up in the air with what to expect. If the secondary shoots develop figs normally , we are good! If not we may have to make a mid season adjustment in price. We will advise as soon as we know and will be watching them "like a hawk." Harvest Forecast is August 1 - September 15.

Muscadines were not impacted by the freeze. However, because of the lack of help/labor we got behind in pruning muscadines in both the seeded and seedless varieties. The de-vigoration caused by late pruning is visible on some plants. We are not sure if they will catch up. We think/hope the impact will be small.

In the seedless muscadines, we will have a few "Oh My" this year along with the Razzmatazz. The projected harvest is August 15 thru October.

Our operating hours this year will be the same as last year.
Operating Hours- 2021
Note: For the most up-to-date crop conditions and operating hours, please visit our home page.
Monday–Friday: 8am until 8pm
Saturday: 8am until 6pm
Sunday: Noon until 8pm

Price discussion-
Because of the crop losses, inflation in price of inputs and increasing repairs on aging equipment the family agreed we need to go up in price. The You-Pick prices for Blackberries, Blueberries, Seedless Table Grapes and Figs is going up to $3.35 per pound. The You-Pick price for Scuppernog & Bullis Muscadines will be $3 per pound. Seedless Muscadines (Razzmatazz and Oh My) will stay at $5 per pound. Persimmons are only sold as pre-picked (and no price change). The full price chart can be found on our home page.

We hate having to raise prices, and we worried about this impacting our customers negatively in being able to afford healthy food. But the bottom line is that our costs have gone up, our equipment is getting old and needs more frequent repairs (and/or to be replaced) and in prior years we have barely covered our costs or took a loss.

At the farmer markets we can take Senior Citizen and WIC vouchers. They are not permitting us to take them at our on-farm location in 2021 because on-farm also offers you-pick. We have argued that those in need get maximum healthy food for the dollar if they come to the farm to pick their own. The state has agreed with us but it is a federal program. They are working on it and if things change we will let you know immediately.

Although we prefer cash we are upgrading our ability to take credit cards at the farm and the market.

OTHER NEWS:
Sustainability
Walker and the family are excited about our use of pine trees to address global warming issues such as passive frost protection, protection from damage of violent summer storms, cooling both the bushes and the you-pick customers. After more than 10 years we thinks we are seeing inter species cooperation (commensalism) between the blueberries and the pines. Perhaps it is Mycorizzhiae. Is it hydraulic redistribution of water? Shared photosynthate between species? Where we were having a difficult time getting a blueberry plant to grow we planted mainly loblolly pine because there was more sunlight for the pines. Those sick blueberries are now growing well!

The Happy Berry 2021 Team
We have a wonderful team for the summer. We are excited that Annie Buck has returned to work for us this summer and that Paul McJunkin will continue to be working 1/2 days for us. Paul is an amazing help. He is interesting guy and volunteers on other farms as well. One is a buffalo farm! Brian Hayes has been doing some amazing repairs in the old house and been stalwart in getting winter work done. In fact his whole family has volunteered and has been increcible help. We are pleased to announce Shelby Durham will be joining the team and working part time this summer. She has been amazing...Perennial weeds in a perennial farm is really tough problem. Together, Shelby and Annie took on the problem and licked it!

We are still looking for 1 or 2 more who can work this summer, as we mentioned at the opening of the newsletter. Please talk to Walker if you are interested.

We hope to see you in the berry patch! Walker for the Happy Berry Bunch for Zoe, Brian, Betty-Ann and our help.

April Farm News