But say we could manage to weed the amount of area that we have have planted, we'd still be facing decreased yields because in order to get to the weeds which grow interspersed in the cranberry plant, the farmer must step on the vines.
This year our strategy for dealing with weeds was to continue to pull them through the spring, summer and fall, even if it meant sacrificing some of the fruit. It was mostly just the four of us weeding about an hour a day with two exceptions.
1. Spring Work Party!
We had a work weekend in March where we had some friends come out and weed and help us replant on of our bogs. This is always fun and super helpful, especially since we don't have to pay folks hourly (just in food and drink).
2. We tried Hiring
Replanting a bog, as I just mentioned, means a pretty bare bones vine matt for about the first 2 years. During this time, weeds can even more easily out-compete the vines if you aren't careful. SO we tired to hire help. We went down to the employment office in town (multiple times) and had probably half a dozen people interested in coming out. This was exciting, of course we have to train them how to care for the cranberries while pulling, but this was going to be great! We won't have to spend every waking moment weeding the new plant....
Of those six, only four actually came out to the bogs to work and maybe two of those showed up more than once. No body came to work more than three days.
A month of so later I came across this clip from The Colbert Report which sheds so light on the situation nationally: video.
Here's another article that talks about how though unemployment is soaring, people won't work on the farm.
Next year, I think we will try to use concentrated vinegar (organic approved!) to inject in the vines and see if that helps. We'll probably see if we can get lucky and find someone that is willing to work. In the meantime though, I'm appreciative of all the volunteer help I've had with pulling weeds over the last year. Community support rocks!
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Jess,
ReplyDeleteLove your post. Organic farming comes with certain difficulties and weeds are a huge imposition for any organic farmer.
I wanted to share with you a few bits of information from the world of permaculture.
St. John's Wort - In itself it is kind of a weed, but what's great about this plant is that it emits a smell that many weeds do not like and it stifles their growth. It is perfectly safe for your cranberry vines, but it tends to take over. However for your cranberry beds you may be able to plant St. John's Wort on the borders of your beds in clusters and see if that has any affect on the number/size of the weeds you get. St. John's Worth propagates very quickly and requires no care/upkeep. Additionally, you can 'mow' it down at the end of the season and use it as a soil building component.
The other idea I wanted to throw out there for you is having an apiary for pollination. Here is a link to a site that sells bees that are bread to pollinate cranberries! Not sure if tha'ts something you've ever considered, but bees are amazing. Most reports suggest that bees increase productivity of cranberry vines by around 30%! And you would have yet another product, craberry flavored honey!
Here's a link to a site that sells such bees: http://www.damoc.com
Let me know if you have any questions,
-Dave
Great Post Jessika,
ReplyDeleteFunny video clip. Interesting how that happens- People complain about not having jobs, and even with a "Take our Jobs" campaign, no one does...why is that?
"Are you saying Americans are pussies?"
That's hard to say. The reason behind that is definitely part of a larger system at work.
I love that you are out there doing what you love. Keep it up.
Erich
Great post! And well supported with the Colbert video! While I realize the overarching problem is weeds, you point out a bigger problem about employment and how few Americans are actually willing to work. While I am in favor of safety nets and unemployment benefits, I think the system is seriously flawed when you have jobs but people are unwilling to take them. In other words, being unemployed is a better deal for people than having a job. Is it because they are getting paid too much to do nothing? Does it have something to do with the paperwork process, or the fear of losing unemployment benefits if they take on part-time work? Whatever the cause, your story, as well as the "Take Our Jobs" campaign are social proof that our unemployment problem is much bigger than not having enough jobs.
ReplyDeleteWow Jessika. This is stunning. Thank you for posting the info about farm work and the lack of workers. I had no idea. It seems as though this is one of those phenomena that is an unintended consequence of our system. I hope you're able to find more people willing to work.
ReplyDeleteJessika, as I know out of experience hand wedding is no easy task. I think I lasted about five minutes. :) If you are able to do it an hour a day then power to you. I think you can get very fit and have a strong lower back doing that. I hope the vinegar idea works for you. Rooting for your farm and your fabulous cranberries.
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