Take your pick

By Sherry Martell
RIVER JOHN - Pictou County strawberry plants are loaded with berries but they need a few more days of good weather to ripen.
"It's going to be about another 10 days before we'll get started," said Peter MacLean, owner of MacLean Strawberry U-Pick in Pictou.
He said a combination of rain and warm sunshine is needed to plump up the berries while turning them a dark shade of red ready for harvest.
"You have to have both wet and dry weather and it's hard to get it just right," he said.
MacLean said about half of his 15-acre operation is used to service commercial accounts and the remainder is opened as a U-pick.
He said finding a labour force during the harvest season is an ongoing problem for strawberry growers but this year they faced new challenges with skyrocketing fuel and fertilizer costs.
"The cost of fertilizer has pretty well doubled and the cost of fuel, what more can be said about that," said MacLean.
Consumers may notice a slight increase in the cost per quart of locally grown berries as farmers attempt to compensate for rising production costs.
People who don't want to pay pre-picked prices can save a little money by visiting a U-Pick.
John Minney, owner of Mountain Farm U-Pick in River John, said his crop is also just on the verge of ripening.
"There is a real nice crop coming on," he said.
"Depending on the weather they should be ready in about 10 days."
He said berries prices on his farm will also slightly increase.
"Input costs have gone up therefore it will get passed on, but it won't be a big increase," said Minney.

By Adam Richardson
ALMA - 1984.
It's a cautionary tale from George Orwell, the name of one of Van Halen's most popular albums, and the best summer of Irene Christensen's farming career.
Just ask about ideal weather conditions for growing her crops, and she immediately pipes up with that date. "I'm not kidding, that year was perfect," said Christensen, owner of Christensen's Vegetable Farms in Alma. "There was just enough rain, plenty of sun and heat units. It was wonderful. Then, 1985 was one of the worst years. It poured all summer."
For farms like Christensens, the weather isn't a forced topic of discussion or inconvenience to weekend plans. It's vital to business.
Christensen says about an inch of rain each week mixed with plenty of sun is the general formula to great growing. This year's season has been dry thus far, and she expects the trend to continue throughout the summer months.
"You can look at the forest fire index right now and pretty much figure out why they're calling for dry weather," Christensen said. "We need some rain right about now. Not too much, just about a quarter or a half inch."
Christensen said, weather aside, some extra help would be nice around the farm. She's hoping for some extra hands from keen students at the site, which grows pretty much every vegetable under the sun. Varieties of sweet corn, potatoes, tomatoes and cucumbers are among the offerings.
After last year's rainy summer, things appear to be looking up on the local growth scene. With the cost of imported foods on the rise due to escalating fuel prices, Christensen thinks more consumers will be looking local for their produce. That, coupled with a recent detour from the Trans-Canada Highway near the farm means the buyers should be there, if the weather co-operates. "We're really excited for this summer," Christensen said. "We have our regulars that come for years, but the drive-though traffic is shooting up, too."