This morning Cammy and her friend Deb Soifer went to Sheepscot General in Whitefield to pick strawberries. We grow strawberries here on the farm but have never had the kind of success that the commercial growers do. I think it’s something about having many row-feet of plants. Over the course of an acre or so, you’re bound to get some decent production. When you have only a few rows, there are not enough to “share “ with the birds, chipmunks, slugs and ants who always seem williing to eat them the day before they turn ripe. And, of course, it's always fun to get out there and see the crowd of humanity all picking on a summer morning.

And what about the name “straw” berry? After decades of extensive research and deep thought, I’ve come to the conclusion that the name stems from the convention of laying down straw mulch between the rows of berries for the pickers to sit on as they “sample” the fruit and chat with fellow pickers. And maybe even pick a few berries to take home for the freezer. Which Cammy did. We were de-stemming strawberries well after 10 PM as the Sox came from behind to beat the Evil Empire (the Yankees) four in a row. Four in a row!

You may have noticed the tiger swallowtail butterflies (Papilio glaucus) are back. We’ve been seeing them for a couple of weeks now throughout the orchards and even along the driveway. They are black and yellow. Not the yellow of the potentilla but still, quite stunning.