Chronicles of the Long Shot Farm

“Apache” Blackberry Status

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To help us better estimate the start of the “picking season”, we are documenting the progress of our blackberries from blossom stage to fully ripened stage this year.  Actually have had a few black berries – but not fully “filled out”  yet, and the center is still firm.  With other words, they are not fully ripe yet.  Considering there are about 500 berry bushes, and so far we found about one dozen firm black berries, they are not even close to being ripe.  Here is what the “Apache” berry plants looked like this evening:

Quick Garden Update

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Harvested and froze broccoli – 9 bags this weekend

Continued picking blueberries – so far we made some jam, pies, muffins, coffeecake and cobblers.  Trying to find the ultimate recipes.

Picking lettuce, onions, beets and potatoes for dinner as needed

Tomatoes have blossoms

Blackberries are beginning to fill, a few red ones have been sighted

Running a lot of irrigation, since we are lacking rain!

Flowers are in full bloom

Trellis Building Done for 2012!!!

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We actually finished installing all the posts and wires for the Triple Crown blackberries and the Vidal Blanc grapes. The last wires were stapled in this morning.

Balckberry Patch June  2012

All rows are numbered
Each young bramble is trimmed and tied up

Visiting DC

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Seen during a recent trip to DC:



Morning run past the Washington Post Building
At the Fancy Food Show 🙂




Michelle’s Kitchen Garden at the White House



Great Auction Finds!

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Once in a while we get really lucky at estate auctions and today was one of those days.  Not too far from our house was a sale that had tools and wine/beer making equipment – what are the chances for that! 

Jens and Jeff spent most of the day in Perry county, but it was worth it – we got an automatic wine bottle filler, about 600 clean wine bottles, a bunch of carboys, a crusher-destemmer, stainless steel milk buckets (good for fermenting beer), a lime spreader which pulls behind the tractor and Jens also got some nice tools!