I am debating on whether or not I should pick this beauty. It’s not quite ready, but if I leave it, our 9-year-old, will surely not let it ripen until tomorrow.
We added a few blackberries to our farm a couple of years ago. As the plants have been getting established, it has become clear that we didn’t plant nearly enough.
There is a running joke in our family that only one of us knows how the berries taste. Our youngest feral child. Even she doesn't know what they taste like when they are fully ripe.
She checks them diligently.
She might forget to fold the towels, take meat out of the freezer for an upcoming meal, or log the last 5 books she read, but you’d better believe, she walks the rows of berries multiple times a day.
We planted 150 more in December, and added irrigation this summer. Those young canes should be established and in full production in the next few years. Maybe then, our whole family will be able to enjoy the ripe berries. It would be such a blessing to have an abundance. Enough to enjoy them fresh from the vine and also have excess to preserve for later months or be able to share some with others.
We've always gardened and produced a portion of our nourishment, but as a family of 6, self-sufficiency is no easy task. Despite our extensive efforts and our summer bounty, our grocery budget is still one of our greatest expenses. Maybe as it should be. Nourishment is high on our list of priorities. When we invest energy in this area we get a return in quality of life.
We made a family goal to increase our food production, and a big part of that plan was investing in perennials. This year we added Asian pears, blackberries, elderberries, mulberries, persimmon, more asparagus, grapes, and apples.
We take cues from our land as to the types of plants that want to naturalize here. Adding improved varieties and watching to see which varieties will thrive.
We are irrigating in some areas, giving plants a cushy life where the living is easier. In many areas, we are placing roots in the ground and leaving only the strong to survive.
A little more like their wild cousins, these plants will have to learn to endure hardships and uncertainty, just as God intended.
We have had losses to be sure, but the surviving plants and trees will be the ones who can thrive in this place with minimal input. Those are the genetics we want to propagate ❤️
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