We had some nice rain over the weekend, which all of our germinating seeds and freshly-planted plants appreciated! Unfortunately, the weeds liked it too, so we're going to have to do some significant weeding this coming week. The rain also brought our planting activities to a temporary halt and since we don't want to work the soil until it dries out a bit, it will probably be at least Wednesday before we can resume.
So on Tuesday this week, we are going to launch operation "Save the Strawberries." Our strawberry patch is flowering and looking great this spring--except that it is way too thick and has a bunch of weeds in it. If we don't remedy that soon, we can expect a reduced yield and a lot of rotten berries at harvest time--and that's no fun!
Though Michigan has a reputation for growing tasty strawberries, 80% of this country's strawberries are grown in California. Here's an article on some of the problems created by conventionally grown berries: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/05/17/152522900/the-secret-life-of-californias-world-class-strawberries. Note the sidebar: "Why Are Strawberries Getting Bigger and Blander?"
And this article talks about the effects of conventional strawberry production on the farm workers who plant, cultivate, and harvest the berries: http://civileats.com/2015/03/26/is-the-strawberry-field-the-next-farmworkers-rights-battleground/. It ends with a statement by Dana Geffner, executive director of Fair World Project: "Consumers do not value fresh berries more than the lives of those who pick them." Do you think this is true? I'm not sure . . . .
What's the solution? Well, one solution might be growing your own. We'll teach you how to plant and care for a strawberry patch while you help us rescue ours.
Weather is going to be a big factor in what we do on Wednesday. If we get through the strawberry patch on Tuesday and the soil is dry enough, we may shift to making raised beds in our new garden. Other possibilities may include sheet mulching, starting a mushroom bed, and checking on the beehives. We'll have to wait and see how the week unfolds!
“Consumers
do not value fresh berries more than the lives of those who pick them.”
- See more at:
http://civileats.com/2015/03/26/is-the-strawberry-field-the-next-farmworkers-rights-battleground/#sthash.3lDufplx.dpuf
with
them,” said Dana Geffner, executive director of Fair World Project, in a
statement. “Consumers do not value fresh berries more than the lives of
those who pick them.” - See more at:
http://civileats.com/2015/03/26/is-the-strawberry-field-the-next-farmworkers-rights-battleground/#sthash.3lDufplx.dpuf
with
them,” said Dana Geffner, executive director of Fair World Project, in a
statement. “Consumers do not value fresh berries more than the lives of
those who pick them.” - See more at:
http://civileats.com/2015/03/26/is-the-strawberry-field-the-next-farmworkers-rights-battleground/#sthash.3lDufplx.dpuf
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