Today we went out to a local pick-your-own place to get strawberries. Lots of strawberries--something over 30 pounds. And that's just what we'll get today. The friendly folks at Doles Orchard told us that they have strawberry picking through October. And they have cherries available for picking next week. Gee, twist my arm! I'd love to say they are organic strawberries, but they are not. Though like most of the smallish family-owned farms we get to know, most are managed with very little pesticide use, and just as many farms are non-certified organic. As one farmer told me, "pesticides are expensive and we are poor." We contine to support local before organic, organic when we can get it. Strawberries are tough to grow, regardless of whether you grow conventionally or organically. It's a tough call for us to make, but really, there's nowhere locally that grows them organically in the quantities and with the availability that we want. And since we will not buy 2000 mile strawberries, we'll buy lots and lots of local to put up in our freezer, can into jams and make into pies. Here's to the strawberry and local farmers! Mmmm.
It's wonderful that you buy them locally and I know what you mean about hard to grow. Especially without pesticides. I've been trying for a few years and barely get a hand full! Oh... and the cherries sound delicious!!
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