After the Picking is Done

After the picking season is over, the oldest fields are destroyed and renovation begins on the rest. Shredding off the foliage is the first step. After shredding, the berries are sub-soiled, which aerates the soil and helps with drainage. Then the rows are rotovated. This process cuts the rows down and works the dirt up around the plant, which helps the plants set more roots. The rest of the summer we cultivate for weeds, water, water and water.

Then in mid November, right around Thanksgiving, straw is put on the berries just as it starts to snow. The straw does a few things. It will protect the plants through the harshest parts of the winter, help shade out weeds in the spring, keep the berries from growing on the dirt and after it is raked between the rows in the spring it gives the customers a mud free place to walk.