Six-week blueberry harvest requires year-round work
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- SIX-WEEK BLUEBERRY HARVEST REQUIRES YEAR-ROUND WORK By Steve Jensen, Office of Commissioner Steven K. Reviczky
- (Continued on Page 3) PA LIVESTOCK SUMMARY
- NEW HOLLAND, PA. HOG AUCTION
- MIDDLESEX LIVESTOCK AUCTION Middlefield, CT, July 6, 2015
- NORTHEAST EGGS/USDA
- NEW ENGLAND SHELL EGGS
- PA FEEDER PIG SUMMARY
- WHOLESALE FRUITS VEGETABLES Boston Terminal and Wholesale Grower Prices NEW ENGLAND GROWN
- FOR SALE
- WANTED
- BIG E APPLICATIONS BEING ACCEPTED
- (Continued from Page 1)
- VOL. XCV, No. 22, June 2, 2015 VOL. XCV, No. 27, July 7, 2015 Clockwise from top left: The 20-acre blueberry orchard at
| July 7, 2015 Brothers Joe (L) and Don Dzen roll up mesh netting covering their entire 20-acre blueberry orchard in East Windsor. SIX-WEEK BLUEBERRY HARVEST REQUIRES YEAR-ROUND WORK By Steve Jensen, Office of Commissioner Steven K. Reviczky
While strawberries may be consid- ered the summer’s marquee fruit, Don Dzen says it is actually blueber- ries that draw more pick-your-own customers to his family’s East Wind- sor farm. “I think blueberries are more popu- lar because they’re easier to pick and you’re not crawling around on the ground,” Dzen said late last week as he prepared to open the 20 -acre blueberry orchard on Barber Hill Road. “Picking blueberries has really become an event to be out with the family and the kids.” Blueberries are July’s featured crop in a Department of Agri- culture program that promotes a different specialty crop each month.
Promotions can be heard on several state broadcast radio stations, including in Spanish, as well as on Pandora radio. The crop is also featured on the department’s Facebook and Pinterest pages. The Dzens are one of more than 300 blueberry growers in Connecticut that cultivate about 430 acres of the fruit.
A complete list of pick-your-own farms is available on the agriculture department’s website: CTGrown.gov.
At Dzen’s Blueberry Hill last week, Don and his brother Joe were busy readying for the traditional July 4th opening of their orchard. In a field across the road, about a dozen peo- ple were scouring for the last remain- ing pick-your-own strawberries. “There’s really not a break between seasons,” Don Dzen said. “It’s all very condensed.” The Dzens grow three varieties of blueberries that mature and ripen throughout the six-week sea- son.
Bluetta is the earliest, but produces a relatively small berry. The later varieties, Blue Ray and Blue Crop, “are the big ones that everybody wants,” Joe said as he sampled some of the early Bluettas from right off the bush. They employ a crew of about 20 that picks for commercial sale to outlets including Whole Foods and Stew Leonard’s, as well as farm stands and markets such as their own just down the road in Ellington. The farm was founded in the 1930s by (Continued on Page 3)
PA LIVESTOCK SUMMARY
Avg. Dressing
SLAUGHTER COWS: LOW HIGH
breakers 75-80% lean 102.00 112.00 boners 80-85% lean 101.00 111.00 lean 88-90% lean 96.00 105.50 CALVES graded bull No 1 120-128 lbs 470.00 470.00 No 1 106-118 lbs 512.00 530.00 No 1 98-104 lbs 550.00 555.00 No 1 86-96 lbs 570.00 595.00 No 2 120-128 lbs 462.00 462.00 No 2 112-118 lbs 512.00 512.00 No 2 102-110 lbs 530.00 537.00 No 2 94-100 lbs 545.00 555.00 No 2 80-92 lbs 565.00 585.00 SLAUGHTER STEERS
HiCh/Prm 3-4 153.00 158.50 Ch2-3 148.50 154.00 Sel1-3 140.00 149.00 SLAUGHTER HOLSTEINS HiCh/Prm 3-4 139.00 145.00 Ch2-3 131.00 140.00
Sel1-2 125.00 135.50 SLAUGHTER HEIFERS HiCh/Prm3-4 149.50 154.00 Ch2-3 147.00 153.00 Sel2-3 146.00 149.00
SLAUGHTER LAMBS: Wooled & Shorn Choice and Prime 2-3 60-80 lbs 225.00 232.00 80-90 lbs 218.00 222.00 90-110 lbs 222.00 235.00 110-130 lbs 226.00 226.00 SLAUGHTER EWES: Good 2-3 90-110 lbs 90.00 104.00 120-160 lbs 92.00 105.00 160-200 lbs 90.00 106.00 BUCKS 80-100 lbs 206.00 206.00 160-200 lbs 117.00 146.00 200-300 lbs 94.00 112.00 SLAUGHTER GOATS: Sel.1, by head, est. 40-60 lbs 172.00 190.00 60-80 lbs 195.00 225.00
Nannies/Does : 130-180 lbs 240.00 262.00
Bucks/Billies : 150-250 lbs 220.00 245.00
NEW HOLLAND, PA. HOG AUCTION
52-56 200-300 lbs 62.00 65.00 250-300 lbs 57.00 59.00 300-350 lbs 50.00 55.00 48-52 200-300 lbs 50.00 55.00 Sows, US1-3 350-450 lbs 25.00 28.00 450-500 lbs 30.50 32.00 500-650 lbs 28.00 32.00 Boars 200-300 lbs 35.00 37.00 400-750 lbs 9.00 13.00
Bob Calves: LOW HIGH 45-60 lbs. 100.00 115.00 61-75 lbs. 120.00 130.00 76-90 lbs. 510.00 520.00 91-105 lbs. 530.00 540.00 106 lbs. & up 550.00 560.00 Farm Calves 570.00 580.00 Starter Calves 90.00 110.00 Veal Calves 1@ 110.00 Open Heifers 130.00 177.50 Beef Heifers 150.00 162.50 Feeder Steers 140.00 185.00 Beef Steers 125.00 127.00 Stock Bulls 140.00 155.00 Beef Bulls 139.00 142.00 Replacement Cows n/a n/a Replacement Heifers n/a n/a Boars 1@ .01 Sows 1@ 23.00 Butcher Hogs n/a n/a Feeder Pigs n/a n/a Sheep 85.00 180.00 Lambs 190.00 240.00 Goats each 100.00 270.00 Kid Goats 65.00 125.00 Canners up to 105.50 Cutters 102.00 104.00 Utility Grade Cows 105.00 109.00 Rabbits each 5.00 24.00 Chickens each 3.00 30.00 Ducks each 7.00 12.00
Per doz. Grade A and Grade A white in cartons to retailers (volume buyers)
XTRA LARGE 1.81 1.99 LARGE 1.75 1.89 MEDIUM 1.45 1.58
Per doz. Grade A brown in carton delivered store door. (Range)
XTRA LARGE 2.20 2.30 LARGE 2.17 2.27 MEDIUM 1.80 1.84
PA FEEDER PIG SUMMARY US #1-2 20-30 lb 150.00 150.00 30-40 lb 110.00 300.00 40-50 lb 100.00 130.00 50-60 lb 85.00 140.00 60-80 lb 85.00 120.00 US #2-3 20-30 lb 100.00 170.00 30-40 lb 130.00 140.00 40-50 lb 100.00 100.00 50-60 lb 110.00 110.00 60-80 lb 85.00 85.00
ALFALFA LARGE 230.00 300.00 ALFALFA/ ORCHARD SMALL 175.00 175.00
LOW HIGH
ALFALFA SPROUTS, 5 LB 14.00 14.00 BEANS, GREEN, BU 30.00 30.00 BEANS, WAX, BU 30.00 30.00 BEANS, WAX, 1/2 BU 18.00 20.00 BEAN SPROUTS, 10 LB 6.00 7.00 BEETS, 12 CT 15.00 18.00 BEETS, GOLDEN, 12 CT 24.00 24.00 BLUEBERRIES,12-1 PT/LIDS 30.00 30.00 BROCCOLI, 12 CT 15.00 15.00 CHERRIES, 12-1PT 25.00 25.00 CIDER, APPLE, 4 –1 GAL 21.00 21.00 CORN, 5 DOZ 18.00 22.00 CUKES, 1-1/9 BU 23.00 30.00 CUKES,PICKLING, 1/2 BU 18.00 20.00 KALE, PER BUNCH 1.00 1.25 LETTUCE,HYDR0PONIC,12 CT 15.00 15.00 LETTCE,LF,GRN,RED 12 CT 12.00 15.00 LETTUCE, ROMAINE, 12 CT 12.00 15.00 PEAS, ENGLISH, 1/2 BU 20.00 20.00 PEAS, ENGLISH, BU 50.00 50.00 PEAS, SNOW, 10 LB 15.00 15.00 PEAS, SNAP, 10 LB 20.00 20.00 RADISHES, BUNCHED, 12 CT 10.00 12.00 RASPBERRIES, 12-1/2PTS 25.00 25.00 SQUASH, 8 BALL, 1/2 BU 12.00 15.00 SQUASH, PATTYPAN, 1/2 BU 13.00 15.00 SQUASH,YELLOW, 1/2 BU 12.00 15.00 SQUASH, GOLDN ZUCH,1/2 BU 15.00 15.00 SQUASH, ZUCH,1/2 BU 12.00 15.00 STRAWBERRIES, 8-1QT 32.00 32.00 SWISH CHRD,BUNCHED,12 CT 15.00 18.00 TOMATOES, GRHSE, 12 LB 22.00 24.00 TOMS,HEIRLOOM,GH,10LB 23.00 25.00
APRICOTS,WA, 2LYR PK,72 32.00 33.00 CANTALOUPE. GA, 9 15.00 16.00 GARLIC, WHITE, CA, 30LB 64.00 68.00 GRAPE,WHT,SDLS,CA,19LB,#1 28.00 32.00 NECTARINE, CA,25LB,54 /56 24.00 26.00 OKRA, FL, 1/2 BU 18.00 22.00 PARSLEY, PLAIN, NJ, 30 CT 25.00 28.00 PEACHES, GA, 1/2 BU, 2-3/4” 18.00 22.00 PEPPERS, BELL, NJ, 1-1/9 BU 32.00 32.00 PLUMS, BLK, CA,28LB, 30-35 38.00 42.00 TURNIP,PRPLE TOPS, NJ, 25LB 20.00 20.00 WTRMLN,SDLS,10-14LB, EA 3.25 3.50
EX LARGE DOZ 2.61 3.61 EX LGE 1/2 DOZ 1.81 1.95 LARGE DOZ 2.30 3.50 LARGE 1/2 DOZ 1.71 1.90
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their grandfather Steven Dzen, who raised potatoes, tobacco, and dairy cows. Their father, Donald Dzen Sr., expanded into strawberries and Christmas trees in the 1970s, and blueberries were planted around 1980. The farm now totals about 400 acres, including 25 of strawber- ries, 150 of pumpkins and 100 of Christmas trees. Rows for the blueberry bushes were cut with an angled disc harrow that creat- ed a raised bed, essential to provide proper drainage. The beds are covered in about 18 inches of wood mulch, which the farm gets for free by allowing tree-service companies to dump chips in an enormous pile that has accumulated at the en- trance to the orchard. “The raised bed and the mulch keeps the bushes from sitting in water,” Don explained. “Blueberry bushes like well-drained soil but they need a lot of water when they’re in fruit.” Like many farmers, the Dzens say irrigation was crucial during a dry May. A relatively cool and moist June helped to size up the berries, which require about two inches of water a week. Water is delivered by miles of drip irrigation lines snaking through the bushes. “It is so much more efficient and economical than overhead spraying,” Joe said. Another key move to increase crop yield was installing mesh netting over the orchard about five years ago to protect the fruit from being eaten by birds. They had tried various noisemakers over the years, but the birds eventually learned to ignore them. Making the roughly $150,000 investment in poles and netting was daunting, Don Dzen said, “but we decided to bite the bullet because the last year we were uncovered the bird damage was terrible.” When the final blueberry is picked and the netting taken down in late summer, the harvest may be over but orchard mainte- nance and preparation for next season has only begun. Weeks are spent pruning the bushes, removing up to half the wood on each.
“You end up with a pretty big pile of branches in the rows,” Don said.
Wood mulch is spread over the raised beds in winter, an annual six-week chore for Joe. He uses an old mixing wagon with a side -discharge implement that sprays the material along the rows. Pest management is aided by several American Kestrels – the smallest member of the falcon family - that live in a half-dozen nesting boxes scattered around the farm. The birds were introduced to the farm several years ago by Tom Sayers, a kestrel aficionado from Tolland working to ad- dress a sharp decline in the birds’ population in Eastern states, mainly due to loss of habitat to housing development and a lack of naturally-occurring nesting cavities. “They’re big insect-eaters and it’s a very ecologically-friendly part of our integrated pest management system,” Don said. The farm has been certified by the agriculture department for its use of Good Agricultural Practices, which is based on a farm’s adherence to recommendations in the FDA’s Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables. Don and Joe say the improvements and efficiencies they’ve made are a tribute to the hard work of their father and grandfa- ther in building the farm, and will hopefully set a path to future family success. “The next generation is starting to show some interest,” Don said. “I remember my Dad starting a lot of this when I was a kid and that is something that I would definitely like to see continue.” VOL. XCV, No. 22, June 2, 2015
Clockwise from top left: The 20-acre blueberry orchard at Dzen farm is watered with miles of drip irrigation lines on top of raised beds; freshly-picked berries ready for sale at the family’s market in Ellington; an American Kestrel used for pest control; an enormous pile of mulch left by tree-service companies is spread in the orchard every winter. Yüklə 80,13 Kb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
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