We have officially begun the start of our peak season here at Bishop’s Orchards. Spring represents growth on the farm, with an abundance of locally grown produce making its way into the farm market. We LOVE this time of year when picking fresh is easier than ever! Whether it be Bishop’s own produce, picking your own, or from other local farms, this time of year is only the beginning of what’s to come!
Strawberry season is right around the corner and perfect for families to enjoy once school is out! Our strawberries always signify the start of our Pick Your Own season here at Bishop’s Orchards. Strawberry season, though short and quick, is highly anticipated because these berries are delicious and juicy! Whether you are picking some up in the farm market or picking your own in the fields, there is nothing fresher! Generally, strawberries are available in the farm market early June, with the pick your own fields opening mid-June. Mark your calendars for a day of fun, taking your family and friends out to the pick your own fields!
Right now, we have a limited supply of our popular Bishop’s Asparagus, which we expect to have for another three weeks. Also, our Herb Plants are continuously coming in from the greenhouse. Currently we have basil, flat parsley, dill, thyme, cilantro & rosemary. Soft grounds from all the rain, make this the perfect time for planting these plants in your own garden! Local spinach from Anderson Farms in Wethersfield is available in the farm market. This family farm has been around since 1856. They grow around thirty different fruits and vegetables that they distribute all over the state. Local tomatoes from March Farms in Bethlehem will be making their way into the farm market soon. March Farms has been around since 1915 with about 130 acres and dozens of greenhouses.
Keep an eye out for more locally grown produce coming into the Farm Market. For a line-up on what more you can expect from this year’s pick your own schedule, visit our website!
For those of you who like a refreshing Sparkling Wine, we are in the formulation and label approval process with TTB for a Strawberry Wine blend, made with our own strawberries. This will complement our other sparkling products, Rubus’ Nightfall, Sachem’s Twilight and Hard Ciders.
Finally, I would be remiss to reflect that work on legislative issues to support and protect agriculture have also kept me busy. As the final weeks of the CT Legislature’s 2019 session are upon us, we still have major work to fine tune HB 647 regarding liquor permits and sales, and not have other bills put undue burdens on small businesses, including farmers like us. Your support for our business is appreciated and supports our managing over 300 acres of land.
The most important time of year for a farmer is spring. Grounds have thawed out, rain has been pouring in, and temperatures are finally rising!! A lot is going on this time of year, but there is of course some obstacles to overcome. This year the rain has been even more than usual, creating difficult conditions on the farm as we are trying to get work done. With brief openings from the rain, we had some time to lay plant biodegradable plastic. Planting on biodegradable plastic makes weeds less of an issue, we can run drip irrigation tubing under it, is easy to transplant into, and it breaks down at the end of the season, sometimes before we would like. We have planted Carrots, Swiss Chard, Beets, and new to us, Spigiarello Broccoli. Weeds are a constant problem with direct seeded crops, so we need to be diligent and keep them under control. Plastic will be used for crops that can be started in the greenhouse and transplanted. Some crops don’t transplant well (see economics) so those are direct seeded.
A lot of change is happening in our greenhouse. We produce about 100,000 transplants out of the greenhouses. Our vegetable transplants are produced on a schedule so they go out in good, warm weather, usually after mid/late May to mid-June. However, not all of the transplants are for vegetable crops. Flowers are a big part of our transplants grown too. The bouquets sold in the store and for our CSA program are produced from these transplants. So, when you see a sign over tomatoes, squash, flowers or maybe cucamelons, that says “Bishop’s Own” you will know that it was started by seed on the farm, grown on the farm and traveled only a short distance to you at the store. Our greenhouses are getting quite full, with mother nature not much help. Even with the best planning, Mother Nature always manages to get the last say. This can make a full house even fuller when transplants are ready to go but excessive rain and cold tells you otherwise. Potted herbs were transplanted in March so that they could make their debut by the beginning of May. To keep the plants in the store until early September we seed every 10-14 days.
When we plant a new block of trees it will take three to four years to get a viable crop, so to help cover the cost we will, where we can, inter-plant Strawberries. Strawberries will only produce economically three or sometimes four years, so it is the perfect crop to plant every other row in a new peach block. When we finish harvesting the berries this June, we will take the pants out and plant grass in the middle. Strawberry blossoms are in and so far, it is looking to be a promising season. We hope to have our own strawberries in the farm market early to mid-June, and available for pick your own at the end of June.