Over-Wintered Crops Take a Hit: Veggie Share Week #2 – 6/18/25

Last week the first red berries (trash red lipstick is what we call them) became visible in the field. As I always do, I took out our new crew members and proceeded to do a training on how we pick berries at our farm. Usually I would jump in a help for a bit after the training, but the strawberry field was so barren compared to normal years, that I had to turn and walk away to avoid crying in front of my crew.

After 21 years of farming, it is rare to have major major crop losses. Sure it’s usually a great year for some things, a so so year for others, and a bad years for a few crops. (This is why we grow so many different crops – there’s so much power in diversity!). However, our garlic and our strawberries did not fare well through the winter at all. We are seeing historic crop losses for these two crops, unlike anything we’ve ever experienced in 21 years.

Both garlic and strawberries overwinter on farm. In fact they are the only two that do. This winter was a bad winter for crops trying to survive their dormancy. Multiple extremely cold snaps with a lack of snow cover really hit these two crops hard.

We have seen almost a total crop failure for our garlic. It was so bad in fact, that for the first time ever we attempted to plant a farmer friend’s garlic leftovers in the spring in hopes that we can give you something, anything in the way of garlic this season.  As a supplier of garlic seed to the area, our loss is many other farms’ loss as well.

Meanwhile,  if you are used to getting multiple quarts of berries as a member here, know that it will sparse in comparison this season. There are berries out there, just not many.  A combination of mechanical issues with a cultivator mixed with gale force winds that blew off the mulch we laid down in December, combined with unfavorable winter conditions is a triple whammy to this crop. The fact that we are able to give you berries at all is testament to the strength of this perennial crop.

For those of you who are new to us, hopefully this won’t feel like such a loss. After all, there is so much other gorgeous produce coming to you! But to our returning members, we know that these local, ephemeral, actually ripened on the vine in the field berries are a treat you will all miss. Trust me, I’m right there with you. Usually around now I’m starting to make jam, freezing berries, and eating strawberry shortcake every night! Not so this year.  I even find myself cursing needed rain, because it’s not good for the storage life of the berries – plus it makes them muddy. GRRR.

There is so much we cannot control in farming (and in life!). And while I know this to be true, it is still absolutely the hardest part of farming for a living. All we can do is work hard and control the parts of the system we can control. After that – storms, disease, drought, floods, extreme heat, pests, tough winters – we just have to accept the uncontrollable things, even it means watching it destory our hard work. I’m waiting for that part to feel easier, but it doesn’t.

So… thank you for supporting us in this endeavor called community supported agriculture.  We feed you gorgeous food, and you join us in the risk. On the whole, it always seems to pan out okay. But this year, this year we will miss our bountiful berries and plentiful bulbs of garlic.

Sincerely,
Farmer Cassie (& Farmer Michael)