Green Hill Farm

What a difference a good rain makes! This is day 3 and picking is going well, getting better each day. We were sold out of picked berries each day by noon. That's good but we hate to disappoint folks who call later in the day. Not many "U-Pic" folks yet, probably because yesterday and today were so hot and muggy. We started right at 7 am this morning and the patch was really dew soaked. However, that didn't slow anyone down.
The photos of the Lindquist girls, Jenny, Ellen and Gina (from left to right) were taken about 8 am. (I am still working on writing in blog style so bear with me and the confusing caption on the photos). They arrived bright and early for their first strawberry picking venture. Their parents, Dave and Linda, have purchased an orchard and have planted an orchard on their farm. We are anxious for their apples to ripen! It's certainly another great addition to the Glen Hills area.
Lots of conversation this morning about the amount of sugar in jams and jellies. Ball makes a freezer jam pectin that takes only 1 1/2 cups sugar to 4 cups crushed berries. Our family thinks it is excellent. It has to be since they are great jam eaters and very choosy about it! The regular Surejell recipe calls for 5 cups sugar and another calls for 3 cups. Undoubtedly, the lower sugar has to be better for all of us!
Tom is off to cut hay for friend, Bob, who took a dive off his hay rack and fractured some vertebrae in his back. He's a lucky man to be able to tell the story!
It's chicken on the grill tonight with some strawberry shortcake for dessert. Just might have dessert first!
I am off to finish mowing. That is the only drawback to rain - gotta mow more!