*Strawberry Fields Forever*

The sun is shining and the fields are full of beautiful red Strawberries; It MUST be Summertime! We have almost completed a full week of full-fledged Strawberry picking and there are still plenty of green berries, out in the field, waiting for their chance to ripen.

However, contrary to the title of the post, Strawberry season will not last forever. :( Which is why it is important for you to head on out to the field and pick your Sunny Hill Strawberries for the season!

How does one get out to Sunny Hill to pick Strawberries?? Well, you just need to follow Highway 41 North till you come to the Lineville Exit. Go West on Lineville for about 3 miles and you will see the bright yellow Sunny Hill signs leading you to the Strawberry Patch.

This year, Pick-Your-Own Strawberries are priced at $1.30/lb. If you don't have a container to pick in, thats ok! Because we provide flat boxes for you. We have organized picking here at Sunny Hill. A "field general" will find a row for you, to ensure the best possible, picking experience.

If you're not feeling up to picking, but are still craving your fresh Sunny Hill Strawberries, just give a call out to the farm (920-434-9009) and order some Strawberries Pre-picked. Then just drive out the the farm and pick them up at the Sunny Hill truck.

Strawberry picking is a family friendly tradition. So be sure to bring family and friends to better enjoy your strawberry picking experience. Also, be sure to come hungry...because all the berries eaten in the field are free :)

We will have picking for the next 2-3 weeks, for sure. If the cool weather continues we'll have picking even longer than that. So be sure to make time to come out with the family and enjoy a fun, SWEET, picking experience out here at Sunny Hill Farm!! :D

Till Next Time!

~Sunny Hill Farm

The first day of summer.

The trees in the old orchard have ended the budding and blooming that comes with Springtime. Now comes the gorgeous, lush green of Summer!!

As most of you have probably heard, today is Officially the first day of Summer. That being said, the rain made it quite a bit gloomy. Usually when one thinks about Summer, we think Sunshine, Shorts, Swimming. But I'll tell ya, these were not the thoughts going through my head today.

But Strawberries was definitely a word running through my mind. All the berries are finally beginning to ripen and the extra rain today is gonna make for amazing picking in the days to come.

So, without further adieu, I would like to announce the Pick-Your-Own Strawberries have begun. So feel free to come by this week to get your first taste of our sweet, gorgeous Strawberries. Feel free to call the farm with any questions you may concerning this seasons Strawberries (920-434-9009)

  Welcome to Summer, Wisconsin!!

Till next time!

~Sunny Hill Farm

Red is our FAVORITE color this time of year.

6/16

This week when we walked out in the Strawberry fields we were welcomed with the scents and sights that we've been looking forward to for weeks now! The Strawberries are finally ripening and turning their luscious red color. With the cold weather we had at the beginning of our Spring, we really weren't expecting the berries to ripen so soon. But, it seems, the gorgeous warm weather we've received the last couple weeks has work its magic and within the week we should be open for Pick-Your-Own Strawberries. 

We love seeing the RED poke out between all the green. 6/16 

Some strawberry plants are still budding. This means that Strawberry season may be longer than usual.  Of course, we haven't heard any complaints about that ;) 6/16

Of course, Strawberries weren't the only crop to surprise us this season.

6/16

Sugar Snap Peas have also hit a growth spurt in the last week and is now producing pea pods. Still a bit small to start picking but we're close!

6/16

The corn is also progressing nicely. We had no hopes for it to be "Knee high by the 4th of July" but now with the slight change in weather, who knows?!? It could surprise us!

The potatoes are also benefitting from the warm, wet weather. 

6/16

Now you see it........................................................................................................................Now you don't
We call that the Sunny Hill Magic. :)

Pick-Your-Own Strawberries will start any day now. So be sure and stay posted on Facebook or give us a call at (920) 434-9009.

Till next time!

~Sunny Hill Farm

Little bit of this with a Whole Lot of That!

6/9

Things are getting exciting here at Sunny Hill! With another gorgeous week and a little "T.L.C" the produce is making up for lost time! Lets take a look at how everything progressed this last week!

6/3

With the beautiful weather, we were able to get out and transplant the last of our crops. Now the peppers are in ground and ready to grow. :) Once again we're using the plastic tarp method that we used earlier this season with the onions, potatoes and tomato plants.

6/3

A couple days later we checked on the pepper plants again and saw the changes that had occurred.

The peas have also experienced quite a growth spurt in the last couple weeks. They started blossoming this last week which means that the pea pods are just around the corner :)

6/9

6/9

The recently transplanted tomato plants enjoyed the sun the last couple of weeks!

6/9

Next years Strawberry plants started budding this week. But of course, to guarantee Big, Beautiful Strawberries next year we need to pluck all the flowers off this season.

6/9

This season Strawberries changed drastically in the last couple of weeks, which is news that EVERYONE loves to hear.

On June 3 we went around and noticed that all the Strawberry plants were blooming with the beautiful sunshine we'd received.

6/3

But after a week of the continuous sunshine and constant watering on our part the Strawberries changed from beautiful little flowers into little green berries.

6/9

At this rate, the Strawberries should be ready by June 21 for Pick-your-own. Stay updated with Facebook to find out when picking begins or by calling us at (920) 434-9009.

Lastly, our sweet corn. Not quite ready to eat, but give it a couple weeks and it should be starting to produce those cobs of corn that we are all craving.

6/9

This will probably be our last week for Asparagus. So if you haven't come out to collect your fresh batch of Asparagus, be sure to make time this week to stop by. Also, keep your eye on our Facebook statuses to hear the most recent updates about our Pick-Your-Own Strawberries! You can also feel free to call the farm with any questions on any of our produce. We love to hear from you!

Till next time!

~Sunny Hill Farm

Asparagus now, Asparagus later :D

Its that time of the year. When Asparagus is prime for the picking and you can enjoy a nice family dinner with some fresh, Sunny Hill, Asparagus. But before you know it, Asparagus season ends and you have to wait a whole year before you can have it again. :(

But by freezing Asparagus and other fresh Sunny Hill produce, you can enjoy your favorite fruits and vegetables all year round!!
Freezing produce is like raising kids, everyone has their own way of doing it. :D Lol. So we're going to post the ways that have worked for us but if you have suggestions or better ways of freezing your fresh-picked produce, be sure to Comment below or send us a message on Facebook. Either way, we would LOVE to hear from you.

Step 1:The first step to freezing good produce is picking good produce. Sounds easy enough. :) When picking Asparagus you want to be sure the tips are standing up straight, not drooping. It should be bright green on the stem and darker green at the tip.

Once the Asparagus has begun to break apart and become "seed-like", it is overripe, therefore the Asparagus will be very stringy and tough. Just remember, the fresher the Asparagus is the better it is for freezing.

Step 2: Begin the Blanching process. Blanching is the scalding of vegetables in boiling water or steam. Why is blanching an important part of the freezing process? Well, you see, up until harvest time, enzymes cause vegetables to grow and mature. Blanching slows or stops the actions of enzymes. Without this process, the vegetables continue to ripen during the frozen storage which can cause off-colors, off-flavors and toughening. So, though the blanching can be annoying and time consuming, it is necessary if you want fresh garden flavor later.

To begin this process just fill a large pot with water and let it heat to a boil. Drop the Asparagus into the boiling water. Blanch about one pound at a time. Leave Asparagus in boiling water for 2-4 minutes. The timing here is crucial. If you don't blanch long enough, you will speed up the activity of the enzymes and that could be worse than not blanching at all. But if you blanch for too long, you have the risk of causing loss of flavor, color, vitamins, and minerals.

Step 3: Drain the Asparagus in a strainer.

Step 4: Quickly thereafter, plunge the Asparagus into cold water. By cooling the vegetables, you throughly stop the cooking process. Let Asparagus cool the same amount of time as it was blanched.

Step 5: Drain throughly and then put the Asparagus into freezer bags. Press air out of the bag and seal. Also be sure to label your bags so that you can differentiate from the rest of your frozen, Sunny Hill produce. :) Then you simply store in your freezer until you begin to crave some fresh Sunny Hill Asparagus!

Step 6: Continue steps 2-5 until all of your fresh Asparagus has been properly blanched and bagged for freezing. Make sure your boiling water continues to be boiled and your cold water continues to be cold.

And there you have it, a simple way to enjoy Sunny Hill Asparagus all year round. 

We're guessing we will have Asparagus for another 1 1/2 weeks, then we'll be moving on to our next season...STRAWBERRY SEASON. But be sure to collect ALL the Asparagus you need for the winter months ahead. 

Once again, Asparagus is $1.35/lb. Its always best to call the farm (920-434-9009) before you come by, to check produce availability and which fields have prime picking.

Till next time!

~Sunny Hill Farm