87080 Valley Rd Bayfield WI 54814  ph. 715.779.3941
Highland Valley Farm
  • Current Info
  • Map
  • About Us
    • FAQs
    • Job Opportunites
  • Products
    • Wholesale Info
  • Rick's Blog

Full Circle

9/8/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
"Dad...Look up!"  Jon called to me over the clatter of the blueberry harvester.  It was past Labor Day, but the boys and I had returned to the fields one last time to gather in what we could of a bounty of late ripening berries.  As a "river" of blue fruit continued to flow into the lug I was tending at the back of the machine, I raised my head to see a perfect "vee" of Canadian Geese--flying low in the sky north to south above the creek--directly crossing the path of our tractor.  

Our harvest season is finally approaching its end.  Coming out of winter last spring we had reason to hope for the "good harvest" we needed to recover from the short yields of the prior year. With rededicated effort; dead, damaged, and excessive cane was pruned to balance the bushes.  Careful attention was given to nutrition, damaging pests, and weed control. Copious fruit buds had survived a relatively gentle winter and the bloom had been abundant. An unsettled early summer threatened hail and wind, however as roads were washed away and crops ruined in southern portions of the county, Bayfield fruit farmers were blessed mostly with welcome rains.   Eagles were frequently seen wheeling high in the sky above the farm. ​

The 2016 blueberry crop has turned out to be one of the most bountiful ever.  Picking began early allowing two extra weeks of "high season" summer visitation at the farm resulting in a record number of "pick-your-own" customers.  An excellent summer crew picked and packed a steady inventory of berries for our fresh and process seasonal wholesale markets.  As summer ends and harvest resources thin--berries, seasonal customers, and employees--our freezers will be full to support "bonus" out-of-season sales.  

Farmers are known to be optimists despite the fact that their risks are high, the work is long and hard, and often rewards can be disappointing for reasons beyond human control.  Perhaps it is because we live by the seasons--close to the cycles and creative powers of nature--always with an eye on the sky for the signs of hope and renewal.  


0 Comments

    Rick Dale

    Founder
    ​ of Highland Valley Farm

    Picture

    Archives

    August 2022
    March 2022
    December 2021
    August 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    September 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    July 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    December 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    September 2016
    June 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    March 2014
    December 2013
    September 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2012
    December 2011
    September 2011
    July 2011

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.