I was out and about on Monday and noticed that Ryan Romeyn was busy working on the new farmstand at Providence Farm.
I stopped to ask him when they would have produce for sale and he laughed. Well, he said, come here and look at this. He had just put the first eight quarts of early strawberries on his brand new shelf.
He has a lot more quarts of the juicy marvels, too, which is a good thing, as I made off with this one.
Ryan was also getting ready to put up the brand new banners that announced–Ta-Dah!–that Providence Farm strawberries have been Certified Organic. So did this mean I had an actual scoop? I asked him. He allowed as how that appeared to be the case.
Right about then Andrea got home from King Orchards, where she’d been buying cherry/nut mix from The Competition. She was very, very happy to display their certificate.
She’s made copies to send to the farm markets they attend and the stores they supply and anyone else who wants one. That certificate is a big achievement for the Romeyns, just three years into their own operation. They had to work hard for it, and they’ll have to work hard to keep it, but from the beginning they knew they wanted their organic farm to be certified.
Field by field they’re getting there. There would have been one more field this year, but the composted manure supplier recorded the manure temperature only once every two or three days—instead of twice a day—while it was composting. (Too much information? Ah. Farming is an untidy business. But I give you this little insight as the merest hint of the complexities of being Certified.)
The bright banners are up now. The farmstand is open for business. The Romeyns’ CSA members will pick up their first shares of the season next week. (There’s still room in the CSA, in case you were wondering. You can read more about that at the Providence Farm website.) Later this month they’ll be at the Wilkinson Homestead Historical Society to talk about being the newest farm around here–on some historic foundations. Summer is getting off to a good start.
Torch Lake Views 
P.j. grath
June 9, 2010
Well, thanks a lot, Gerry. Now my mouth is watering!
Gerry
June 9, 2010
That’s the idea. Devious, aren’t I!
Carsten
June 9, 2010
What a blue sky you have over there Gerry.
But what are those white spots on the last image? Is it s&*¤? or maybe just flowers? 🙂
p.s. I love fresh strawberries.
Gerry
June 9, 2010
Flowers, every one of ’em. If I could figure out how to focus the camera that would be clear. Alas . . .
Cindy Lou
June 10, 2010
Yummo! I just planted strawberries and was dismayed to find out that this first year I have to pluck off the blooms and not let them get fruit…..WHAT?!?!? Alas, I shall have to be patient which is NOT one of my strong points.
Congrats to the Romeyn’s on all their hard work…nice to know there are still folks willing to work hard for their dreams! You go, guys!
Gerry
June 10, 2010
Yup. But think how your patience will be rewarded next year!
I tell you, the farmers of Antrim County work hard. They have a lot to think about. So many choices to make, so many risks to take. And the choices and risks have enormous consequences. Listening to farmers is rewarding. If thoughtful decisions and hard work have anything to do with it, the Romeyns will have a good season. And I will have good things to eat.
flandrumhill
June 16, 2010
Those strawberries look so REAL compared to the frankenberries from California we find here in the grocery stores. It will be awhile still before our local berries are ready.
Gerry
June 16, 2010
They were real indeed, and now they’re all gone. Must go get more. Fortunately, there are more.
isathreadsoflife
July 2, 2010
Fresh strawberries are now ripe here. A real delight ! There has been so much rain and cold, we thought we would never have any local ones. And do they taste delicious ! Not very big but so sweet ! Have you ever tried the tiny wild strawberries ? A taste of paradise, I suppose…
Gerry
July 2, 2010
I have had wild strawberries, Isa. Not so many, as they are scarce around here. I think the foxes eat them before I can find them! But they are a tiny taste of something wonderful. When I was growing up we used to pick wild blueberries, and I loved those even more than the strawberries. Best of all were the wild blackberries that only Uncle Howard knew how to find. Oh, my, you have opened up such a lovely box of stored memories!