We are now well into the first week of November and we are still picking SunSugar cherry tomatoes from our high-tunnel and they are as tasty as ever. I have had several people ask me the question: What is a high-tunnel? I am not at all surprised at this question since it is basically a new name for something that has been around for quite some time. Basically, a high-tunnel is an unheated greenhouse. A high-tunnel also implies it is a rather tall structure (ours is 12 feet high) and that the plants inside it are planted right in the ground the high-tunnel sits on.
We have been selling 1 year old hardy pecan trees most of this season, and we still have some left. These pecan trees were grown by us and we used seed pecans from trees growing right on our farm. The original seed for our large pecan trees came from wild pecans that were found growing in Wisconsin along the Mississippi River. These pecan trees aren't only extremely hardy, they are able to ripen pecans every year here in Michigan. I have been asked several times by customers when they should plant the pecan trees. Well today in Church I heard a sermon saying since you still are alive, it isn't too late to convert and be saved--just do it today you don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. He then brought up an old saying about the best time to plant a tree. The best time, he said, to plant a tree was 30 years ago. The next best time is today! I think that's the best answer to the question I have been asked.
Now a little bit about the fishing here on Pickerel Lake (located 3 miles northwest of Newaygo) First off, the water temperature is between 47 and 50 degrees. Also, the water is sparkling clear--looks clear enough to drink! So clear that when the wind is calm you can see at least 10 feet down and you can see many fish--especially pikes, bass, crappie and bluegills. Pickerel Lake, these past few years, seems to have an abundance of both Northern Pike and Bass. There are also a fair amount of walleye, although I wish there were more of this tasty fish. My son Matt and myself were able to take a few hours off this past week and do some trolling for pike. While I remember November of past years, fish were hard to come by, they were quite active this past week. In fact, we caught our first one after fishing nearly 2 minutes, although we only averaged about a pike every 15-20 minutes. (including the ones we lost--which like always were the biggest ones) and most were just below the legal size of 24 inches so they had to be released. A friend of ours also had luck with bass and caught a big walleye right in front of our house! Jealous? Just my tummy!
Three of my daughters will be holding tables at the Fremont Holiday Fair this coming Saturday, November 10th between 9 AM and 3 PM. The fair will be held in the former Fremont High School--corner of Main and Stewart. They will be selling their gourd art (Bernadette's Gourd Creations), paintings/drawings (Catherine's Eclectic Designs), and yummy baked goods (Becky's Sweet Delights Bakery). So stop by if you can!
ARTS AND CRAFTS ROOM. Our arts and craft room is now closed but if you are interested in a particular piece of art please give us a call and we can make arrangements. 231-652-2368. Also, we do custom orders - if you want a particular gourd or drawing made please don't hesitate to ask. You can also send us an email or give us a call.
