Fifer's Eat local. Taste Fresh. Delaware farming - 'Around the Farm' Blog

Growing strawberries at Fifer Orchards. How we do it...

2012-04-05T08:10:00.001-07:00

Fifer Orchards strawberry production timeline

We start by creating raised beds in our fields. The tractor pulls an implement that mounds the soil up and lays down plastic and irrigation drip tape at the same time. The plastic helps to control weeds, provide proper moisture and allow the soil to warm up faster in the spring.

This is what the beds look like when complete.

Next, we plant the young strawberry plants in late August.

The plants are in small containers and are called “plugs”

The tractor moves very slow as the planters gently place the plugs in to the holes in the raised beds.

Our strawberry patch is now fully planted and we can turn on the irrigation when needed to supply water directly to the roots. This method of irrigation helps conserve water usage and reduce disease pressure on the leaves. The plants enjoy the late summer and fall sunshine and begin growing.

Once winter comes, we cover the strawberries with fibrous blankets that keep them from freezing during December-March. In April, we uncover the strawberries and let them continue growing and blooming.

Here are the plants in April uncovered and enjoying the spring warmth. You can see blossoms forming.

Strawberry blossoms are white with a yellow center. This yellow part of the blossom becomes the strawberry.

Honey bees and bumblebees are used during bloom to pollinate the strawberries.

Here you can see the stages. White blossom, to green berry, to red berry.

When ripe, strawberries are picked in to green quarts and then placed in white flats for easy transport.

Strawberries are very delicious and nutritious.
Did you know?

-8 medium sized strawberries have more vitamin C than an orange

-Strawberries are high in fiber, antioxidants, vitamin C, potassium and folate

-All 50 states produce strawberries.

-Strawberries are a member of the rose family along with apples and plums.

-On average there are 200 tiny seeds in each strawberry.

You can pick your own strawberries straight from the patch at Fifer's in April and May!

Around the Farm - April 2012

2012-04-03T09:35:00.001-07:00

1st harvest of asparagus - March 23rd!

Asparagus cutting

Healthy, delicious, nutritious

Crowns are sprouting

Peach blossoms

On fire

Beautiful Red Haven Peaches

Peach thinner uses plastic strips to remove some of the blossoms

Too many blossoms means very tiny peaches that are unsellable

Peach pruning has been completed for the winter now. Looking forward to a fantastic peach harvest starting in June.

Around the Farm - Late November and December 2011

2011-12-13T13:48:00.000-08:00

The Delaware Wreath

Santa and Mrs. Claus visit Cider Fest

Local all-natural soaps made by Little Hill Soap Company, Laurel DE

Cider Fest hayrides

Smores by the fire

Abbott's Grille cooking demos at our Holiday Open House

Getting ready for Christmas

Wreath making demos at our Open House

Live music at Fall Fest

Harvest Hustle 5K start

Harvest Hustle 5K awards

Fresh local wreaths

Old 1935 Ford dressed up for Christmas

Local Christmas trees

Store front

End of Fall 2011

Fifer Gift Baskets

Fifer apples

Harvest Hustle 2011

Around the Farm - Late August 2011

2011-08-29T14:40:00.001-07:00

First pumpkin picking of the year

CSA box pickup - Matt Tappan

Green beans and tomatoes = summertime

A view from our new corn maze observation deck

Constructing the observation deck

Summer squash

CSA flowers

U-pick peaches

Summer produce on the deck

Summer apples

2011 pumpkin patch

pumpkin blossoms in the sun

Around the Farm - June 2011

2011-06-20T11:04:00.000-07:00

Sunrise over the blueberry patch. Pick-your-own now open.

New asparagus beds ferning out for the summer.

Young sweet corn plants being cared for

Young pumpkin plants

We plant our pumpkins in to rye cover crops. This creates a pillow of protection for the pumpkins when they develop.

Irrigating sweet corn.

Sweet corn getting close to harvest. June 22nd will be our first picking.

High tunnel tomatoes

Tomato harvest began June 18th out of the tunnels.

Peach harvest begins June 21

Fifer Blueberries coming on strong

Spring 2011

2011-04-16T12:24:00.000-07:00

Apple Bloom 2011

Wow, Peach Bloom!

Planting asparagus crowns

Asparagus is planted in trenches

Around the Farm - November 2010

2010-11-18T07:55:00.000-08:00

Mid-State 4-H Club pie samples

Open House - Free samples

Hayrides

Soybeans almost mature. They end up feeding chickens on Delmarva.

Pumpkin donuts for a limited time only.

Local honey

Fifer tomatoes until Christmas via our high tunnels.

Fall gourds and Indian corn

25 varieties of Fifer apples

Cherry tomatoes

Local lima beans - Dr. Martin variety

Fall Veggies

Cole crops

Pumpkin madness

Specialty pumpkins

New pumpkin train!

Gift basket collection

30 year old apple orchard being retired. New apples have already been planted.

Pumpkin patch 2010

Cover crops ready to conserve and preserve soil this winter. They also provide organic matter and nutrition in the spring.

Fifer peach trees getting ready to drop leaves and go in to hibernation mode.

Around the Farm - Late August 2010

2010-08-26T14:22:00.001-07:00

Pumpkins getting orange already

Fall Tomatoes getting ready in the high tunnels

Laying down plastic for strawberry plants.

Next springs strawberry patch

Fall?

Sweet corn season is winding down

Fifer Peaches

Apple season is gearing up

U-Pick apples begin September 3rd

Around the Farm June 8th 2010

2010-06-09T13:24:00.000-07:00

Asparagus season coming to an end. Crowns are ferning out for the summer. We still irrigate asparagus through the summer even though we are not cutting it.

Newly planted field of soybeans getting a shot of irrigation via a pivot system.

The first pumpkin plants of the season peeking through the pillow of rye cover.

Ready for harvest.

Beautiful heads of bearded barley.

Apples developing

Raspberry picking begins

Fifer tomatoes in only about 2 weeks.

Irrigating sweet corn during the dry times.

Amazing looking sweet corn. Should be ready around June 25th.

Blueberries are ready June 6th.

Peaches are looking awesome this year.

Red Delicious.

U-Pick Flowers now open

2010-05-10T07:34:00.000-07:00

Nage Restaurant Cooking Demo 5/8

Strawberry Ice cream under the shade tree

Strawberry picking season

Family Fun

Kodak moments

4-H doing free samples

Strawberry Shortcake and Donuts

Asparagus packing

Asparagus bunching

2010-04-19T07:45:00.000-07:00

Our strawberry patch coming to life.

Peaches 4/12/2010

Picture perfect peach blossoms.

Our honey bees making fresh honey. You'll find it in our stores for sale.

Apple trees attracting the bees.

Apples in full bloom.

Tomatoes planted and growing.

Blueberries blooming

2010-04-02T12:46:00.000-07:00

Spring 2010 has Sprung!

Bees are loving the plum blossoms. Local honey available in ours stores April 14th!

Plum Trees in full bloom 4/2

High tunnel strawberries in full bloom!

Strawberries soaking up the sun.

Fall Season at Fifer's 2009

2009-09-23T14:21:00.000-07:00

Fifer Pumpkin Harvest Time

Pickers push pumpkins in to piles and sort by size.

Pumpkins ready to be boxed up.

Pumpkins are then loaded on to trucks for delivery.

Apple Packing. First the apples float in a water tank.

Floating along.

Apples on the grading line are sorted by size and color. Culls are removed and used for cider, juice or sauce.

Some apples are packaged in bags and other in boxes.

Fifer Apples in the cooler ready to be shipped.

Fifer Apples in our Country Store

Planting Strawberries for 2010 harvest.

Baby Strawberry Plants.

Finished rows of strawberries basking in the fall sun. We plant them in the fall so they can get a head start for next spring. We cover them with blankets in the winter to protect them from the cold. Harvest will begin in May of 2010.

Fall Fest Area 2009 NOW OPEN!

Soybean Sandboxes and Straw Slides

Corn Maze Entrance - Theme: Savor the Seasons

Fall Gourds

Fifer Fall Tomatoes. We'll be picking until Thanksgiving! Enjoy.

Around the Farm July 28th 2009

2009-07-28T12:41:00.000-07:00

Fifer Peaches! Peach Festival coming up August 1st.

Corn Maze 2009 taking shape. Fall Fest opens September 19th.

Blueberry season is winding down for 2009, but we still have some available.

Fifer's attending the new Dover Farmers Market on Legislative Mall. Wednesdays 11am-1pm.

We label all our produce with "food miles" to tell you how far your fruits and veggies traveled to get to our stores.

Sweet Corn coming out of the field to the packing house.

Sweet Corn coming on to the packing line. We ship sweet corn to grocery stores all over the east coast in July and August.

Sweet Corn travels on the packing line where it is graded and then crated.

The sweet corn takes a shower in 34 degree water. This sucks out any remaining field heat and keeps the corn fresh longer.

The trash corn and stalks are loaded on to wagons and feed to animals so that nothing is wasted.

Hot, dry days of summer. Irrigating 24 hours a day.

Our Country Store is stocked with summer goodies.

Fifer Tomatoes and fresh peppers

Shoppers on the deck

Fresh Baked Daily! Peach Pies.

Healthy snacks, nuts, dried fruits, and dried veggies!

Pumpkins are growing steadily.

Summer apples are ready. Fall apples are not far behind.

Dwarf apples trees are smaller than traditional trees, but are easier to pick and prune. No ladders necessary! U-Pick will open in mid September.

Fifer Raspberries are delicate and delicious. Picked daily! Yellow, Orange and Red available.

Fifer Tomatoes are in full summer production.

Our fall planting of tomatoes is looking great. We should have our own tomatoes available until Thanksgiving. Our high tunnels allow us to extend the season.

Around the Farm - May 23rd 2009

2009-05-23T13:50:00.000-07:00

Asparagus stacks.

Fields of grain. We plant our pumpkins in to rye so that it has a pillow to grow on and does not touch the soil directly. This keeps disease off.

Planting pumpkins.

Baby apples swelling up.

Raspberries forming.

Raspberries bushes growing. Harvest time is July-October

Fifer Tomatoes growing steadily. Should be ready in mid June.

Strawberry harvest time!

Lush green strawberry plants are getting ready for peak production time.

Enjoying ice cream under the walnut tree after picking berries. Yum.

The U-Pick Strawberry Patch is OPEN!

Plenty of great spring produce.

Sample Saturdays every week 10am-2pm. Try before you buy.

Around the Farm - April 28th 2009

2009-04-28T11:26:00.000-07:00

Spring has sprung and Fifer Orchards is diligently working to provide the highest quality fruits and veggies. This season we are celebrating 90 years as a family farming business.

Our "Around the Farm" Blog is designed to give you a sneak peak at the "behind the scenes" of our operation. Enjoy!

We are harvesting asparagus twice daily with the recent heat.

Asparagus knife

Strawberry Flowers

Honey bees pollinating apples.

Strawberries with trickle irrigation.

Dwarf apples in bloom.

Honey bees on wheels.

Strawberry plants enjoying the sun.

Sweet corn is emerging.

Raspberries growing in the high tunnels.

Tomatoes in the high tunnels - April 28th

High tunnel strawberries

Picking berries April 27th

Local honey right from the bees on our farm. Good for seasonal allergies.