Hutchinson Farm News Vol.14 No.4

Our latest newsletter:

What a month it has been! We've gone from short pants in April, to ice on the strawberries in mid May, followed up by a record breaking heat wave. Just a few days ago we were struggling to keep everything watered, and believe me it was a battle, thank goodness we've sold all the lobelia -it needed watering three times a day in our hot greenhouses! Oh, well, at least we finally got some rain, so we can give the irrigation pump a rest! It is hard to believe that a mere three weeks ago, we had gale force winds, temperatures barely above freezing, and customers purchasing flowers dressed in winter coats, hats and mittens. Wow, that's just not right!

• Berry Update
  An almost snow-less winter, mid-winter thaws, an early spring, a dry spring, three nights of late frost, and a heat wave. It's a strawberry farmer's nightmare. The season will be short. Yield will be down, maybe not enough berries for pick-your-own. That's the bad news out of the way. We do have good news: The first strawberries will be picked very soon (this weekend?), the raspberries will be early, and they look excellent, as do the currants. Look for raspberries towards the end of June.
  
  
• Flowers Update
  We still have a great selection of flowers, you could even say there is still too much choice! Certainly we have sold lots of things (including Pretty Much Picasso), but as I look down our list to the right, there are only a handful of flowers that we're completely sold out of. Maybe I'm getting better at predicting how things will sell? Maybe not: Black Magic Ivy Geraniums, White Superbells Calibrachoa, and Tidal Wave Petunias. Three flowers I can't figure out why we still have so many of them left.
  
  
• Milton Market Don't forget there is no Milton market Saturday June 5th. The downtown businesses decided to have some kind of street festival, and booted the market off the street so that they could have lots of time to set up. The lack of support for the market by these businesses and the town council (who supported the closing of the market) leaves me speechless. If you're unhappy with the market being closed, the downtown merchants are who you need to talk to. We'll be at the Saturday Burlington Farmers Market as usual. Check it out, it's never canceled!
  
  
• Not everything makes the newsletter: The first rhubarb, a big kiss, a scary beetle... posted on our FaceBook page and our Blog
  

As I was writing this newsletter, I kept thinking that there was something else I had been meaning to mention, but it wouldn't come to me, even though his sharp teeth were gnawing on my toes! Yes, we got our new pup a few days ago, so we now have two Chocolate Labs in the family, so far so good, he's managing to pee outside most of the time, but you may see me wearing some tattered shoes!