What's Happening on the Farm!
May always feels like a turning point on the farm. After months of winter planning, pruning, preparing fields, and waiting for warmer weather, spring finally starts showing off. The days are getting longer, temperatures are warming up, and each week brings new signs that another growing season is fully underway.
This time of year is one of our favorites, because every corner of the farm is changing. Trees are growing, berries are developing, grass is growing faster than we can keep up with, and preparations are already happening for seasons and events that are still months away. Farming has a way of always keeping us looking ahead.
One of the biggest jobs happening right now in our orchards is apple thinning. Apple trees naturally produce far more fruit than they can successfully grow. Apple thinning is the process of removing some of those small developing apples so the tree can focus its energy on the fruit that remains.
Why does that matter? Thinning helps apples grow larger, improves fruit quality, encourages better color and sweetness, and prevents branches from becoming overloaded and damaged later in the season. It also helps trees stay healthier year after year. While it can feel strange removing fruit after working so hard to grow it, thinning is one of the most important steps in producing the apples you'll enjoy later this season.
Another sure sign spring has fully arrived? We've completed our first grass cutting of the year. The farm starts changing quickly once warmer temperatures settle in. Areas that felt quiet a few weeks ago suddenly need regular mowing and maintenance as everything bursts into growth.
Out in the strawberry fields, we're watching another exciting milestone happen: strawberries are beginning to form!
After months of planting, care, and waiting, seeing those first berries begin developing is always exciting. There is still work to do before harvest season arrives, but watching those early strawberries appear is one of those moments that reminds us summer is getting closer.
And while spring feels like it has only just arrived, farmers are always thinking ahead. Pumpkins will be planted next week.
It might feel early to think about pumpkins when strawberries are just forming, but that's the rhythm of farming. While one season is beginning, we're already preparing for the next. Those tiny pumpkin seeds going into the ground soon will eventually become the pumpkins families pick during fall traditions months from now.
That's one of the beautiful things about farming — every season overlaps with the next. Spring planting prepares summer harvests. Summer growth builds toward fall traditions. There is always something new beginning.
Exciting New Additions:
On the topics of new additions, we've introduced a new soft serve ice cream machine, arriving just in time for spring, summer, and fall farm fun. Whether you're visiting after berry picking, enjoying a day with family, or simply stopping by to enjoy the farm, soft serve feels like the perfect addition to warm weather days.
The farm family itself has also grown recently.
We've welcomed an adorable new baby donkey, and a new baby doll sheep that has already been stealing plenty of attention. Spring is baby animal season around here, and we're getting ready to welcome even more animals as we prepare for one of our biggest events of the year: our June Baby Animals & Berries Festival.
Behind the scenes, we're bringing in baby animals, preparing spaces for them, making adjustments around the farm, and getting everything ready for visitors to enjoy. Events like these involve months of preparation, and seeing everything slowly come together is one of the most exciting parts of spring.
Families visiting during the festival can look forward to adorable baby animals, berry season excitement, and making memories out on the farm as summer begins.
As we move further into May, we're looking forward to longer sunny days, growing berries, baby animals arriving, festival preparations, and all the excitement that comes with another farm season in full swing.
Thank you for following along with life on the farm and being part of another season with us!
Tickets are available for our Baby Animals & Berries Festival Here: Link to tickets!
We hope to see you on the farm soon!
