This morning the farmers arrived in our Carriage House office amidst thunder and heavy downpours to plan for the day. Part of being a farmer is working with Mother Nature, and even though the rain has put a damper on some farm projects there is still a lot of work to be done!
We’re open for strawberry picking despite the rain today, and with a busy Father’s Day weekend ahead of us we need to be sure we have enough berry boxes for all of our guests. These boxes are complimentary for people to use in the fields, but our summer interns put a lot of time and energy into folding each one. Each year, thousands of Jones boxes arrive as flats and are assembled in one of our barns. Interns fold the boxes along creases, slide a wooden handle into spaces in the sides, and staple the handles into place. We’re constantly folding boxes on rainy days throughout the summer to keep up with the crowds. On a busy weekend (such as Father’s Day) we like to have at least 2,000 boxes ready for our guests!
Farmer Steve folding berry boxes in the wood shop
Summer is also a busy time for our horticultural teams as they plant new crops and care for existing fields. Next week we will be planting several new strawberry fields that will be ready for harvest next June! We’re taking advantage of this rainy day to inspect and clean all of the planting equipment so we’ll be ready when the clouds finally part. Stay tuned for a behind-the-scenes peak at strawberry planting here on the farm!
Jones' Farmer Blog 