Blog – Page 5 – Chautauqua Hills Farm

May 9, 2019May 9, 2019

So. Much. Rain. (But the Berry Bushes are Happy!)

Last spring was so dry — drought in so many areas — and this year? Rain, rain, rain. We can’t recall three straight days that didn’t include some amount of rain, including one day recently where it came down for somewhere around 12 hours.

But we do like rain. The early cool and damp spring helped develop an excellent crop of berry buds.

Each bush has lots and lots of healthy buds that have opened well as we’ve started to see a few days of sunshine.

Healthy buds mean healthy blossoms, and about 2-3 weeks ago we began to see the first pink pedals of flowers developing as the buds cracked open.

Pink pedals quickly develop into little white flowers, and seemingly overnight, the bushes appeared covered with blossoms.

In a couple of days we’ll share some about the bees who help pollinate our plants, making sure we get to savor those berries we love so much.

May 8, 2019May 8, 2019

Welcome Back to Blueberry Season!

The 2019 season is just around the corner, or should we say… just around the rain cloud?

If you’re here, hopefully you’ve noticed that registration is now open for the 2019 berry-picking season, which runs from early-mid June through July. The first berries are usually ripe within the first week of June. Check out our How to Purchase page to sign up!

We’re as excited as you for the season to get open and on its way. Stay tuned in the next few days for a couple of updates from the farm about the blooms and the bees!

If you didn’t come out and pick last year, you will notice our reservation system has a little different look to it, and from the feedback we heard last year, it’s now much easier to use than in years past. We hope you’ll agree. More information to come, but the berries do go fast, so make your reservations early so you’ll be sure to get what you want. Berries do freeze well, so keep that in mind also.

We’re sad to say that our longtime partner Morning Harvest Farms has decided to turn a new page in their lives, and its owners have entered some strange realm called retirement. We are certainly going to miss them on many fronts but we wish them the best in their new adventures. Beginning this year, blueberries will be available from the following venders and locations:

Chautauqua Hills Farm (yes, that’s us!)
Wichita Farmers Markets (vendor TBD)
Two Olives in Wichita (formerly Piccadilly)
Kansas Grown Farmers Market in Derby

We are also accepting orders now for our Order & Pickup service. Place your orders now, and we’ll notify you in early June when the first berries ripen.

If you prefer to Pick Your Own, we’re excited to get to see you again this year, and our days of operation will be Thursday, Friday and Saturday for reservations. The reservation process is to ensure there are enough ripe berries available for you on the day you’re out, and that it’s a fun and pleasant picking experience without too many people on any given day.

As always, this is a really busy time of the year for us as we prepare for the season. We appreciate all the calls and comments we’re getting, but if you call or text, and don’t hear back from us right away, please be patient, and know that we’ll respond when we can.

We’re looking forward to seeing all our “Berry Good Friends” at the farm again this season.

And as always,

Thanks for Picking Us!

Your friends at Chautauqua Hills Farm…

June 16, 2018May 7, 2019

How to Register to Pick or Order Berries!

As you may have noticed, we’ve made some changes to the website, and we wanted to provide you with updated information (note: this post was originally made in 2018, but is current for 2019) on how to sign up for berry-picking reservations, as well as register for order & pickup.

Picking Reservation Instructions

Step 1: Start by selecting the How to Purchase at the top of the page.

Step 2: If you select Pick Your Own, you’ll be directed to the page below. Click on the View Calendar Here button in the middle of the page, where you’ll be directed to the calendar.

Step 3: Select the day you’d like to pick from the days available (Thursday – Saturday, in season).

Step 4: Complete the form directly below the calendar.

Step 5: Make sure you enter the four digit code that is displayed (YZRR in the example above) before you hit the send button.

It’s that easy. We’ll check your reservation request, make sure it’s a valid day and that we have plenty of ripe berries available for you, and then will send you a confirmation email (it may take us up to 24 hours to respond).

Along with your confirmation email, you’ll receive information and directions to our farm. You’re all set!

We’ll see you at the farm.

Order & Pick Up Instructions

Placing an order? Equally easy to do. From the How to Purchase page, select Order & Pick Up:

Scroll to the bottom of the page, and enter your information.

Complete your information, including how many gallons of blueberries you’d like to purchase, and submit. Done!

Thank you again for choosing Chautauqua Hills Farm for your naturally-grown blueberries.

We hope you find the changes to our site an improved experience, but as always we’d love to hear your feedback.

March 21, 2018March 21, 2018

Hello, Spring 2018!

Yes, it’s officially Spring 2018.

Thanks for all the calls and comments that are starting to come in as the cold days disappear and are replaced by … sunshine! warmth! birds chirping! buds!

We’ve been working hard to get our pruning finished to ensure we have a strong crop of berries for this summer’s harvest, and while doing so, we’ve observed plenty of good bud production.

As many of you know, blueberry plants set their buds in the fall, and barring any really nasty winter weather, remain dormant until late March or early April. This year’s bud production looks to be shaping up really well.

We planted another 125 bushes last fall, and even though it’s been a particularly dry winter, they’re showing a lot of promise. If you recall, we also planted over 300 new plants in 2015, and from early observation, they should contribute to this year’s harvest.

We’re as excited as you for the season to get open and on its way.

Our reservation system will have a little different look to it this season, but beginning May 1^st, it will be open for reservations. More information to come, but the berries go fast, so make your reservations early so you’ll be sure to get what you want.

If you prefer to use our Order & Pickup Service, place your order early in May. Then in June, when the first berries ripen, you can pick up your berries at any of these convenient locations:

Chautauqua Hills Farm (that’s us!)
Morning Harvest Farm at the Wichita Farmers Market (or check out their CSA packages)
Two Olives in Wichita (formerly Piccadilly)
Kansas Grown Farmers Market in Derby

If you prefer to pick your own, we’re excited to get to see you again this year, and our days of operation will be Thursday, Friday and Saturday for reservations. The reservation process is to ensure there’s enough ripe berries available for you on the day you’re out, and that it’s a fun and pleasant picking experience without too many people on any given day.

As always, this is a really busy time of the year for us as we prepare for the season, so if you call or text, and don’t hear back from us right away, please be patient, and know that we’ll respond when we can.

We’re looking forward to seeing all our “Berry Good Friends” at the farm! Spread the word, and bookmark our website and Facebook page to stay up-to-date on farm news and the season opening!

April 11, 2017April 11, 2017

We’re “Berry” Close! Reservations Open May 1st!

The 2017 berry season is fast approaching, and we’re excited to finally have an update for you!

Did we even have winter this year? It was so mild, it was quick, it was warm, and there was very little moisture! Drought and wildly swinging temperatures were the norm, and then seemingly overnight, spring arrived.

The beginning of April brought over 2” of rain, added to the rain we received earlier that week, and we’re about even for the season. The berries are loving it. You can see in the photos below, the earlier-fruiting bushes are already in bloom, and the later varieties are displaying a good volume of buds.

The 2016 season may have been the most disappointing season ever. A late April freeze, followed by a severe hail storm weeks later, really reduced our harvest and what was available to pick. However, with the new spring rains, and the buds we’re seeing on the 350 additional bushes added in 2016, this year’s season looks to have a lot of good fruit.

Progress is coming along on the new field. Making sure the soil has the right PH balance and nutrients for healthy blueberry bushes takes a year or two, and if our soil tests come back positive, we’ll be adding plants in the new field this fall. In the photo below you can see Ethan fixing the irrigation system in the greenhouse. Plants slated for the new field will first spend time in the greenhouse where we can properly prepare them before transplanting to the new field.

As always, we’re as excited as you for the season to get open and on its way. Beginning May 1st, our online reservation system will open. If you prefer to use our Order & Pickup Service to either pick your berries up at the farm, or at Piccadilly Market & Grill in Wichita, then beginning in May, get your order in early, and we should be able to fill your request when the first berries are ripe, usually the first week of June.

If you prefer to pick your own, we’re excited to get to see you again this year, and as always, we’ll be open Wednesday, Friday and Saturday for reservations. The reservation process is to ensure there’s enough ripe berries available for you on the day you’re out, and that it’s a fun and pleasant picking experience without too many people on any given day. Thursdays are open for picking with no reservations required.

We’ve been receiving plenty of calls and texts about this year’s season. It’s a really busy time of the year for us as we prepare for the season, so if you don’t hear back from us right away, please be patient, and know that we’ll respond when we can.

We’re looking forward to seeing all our “Berry Good Friends” at the farm! Spread the word, and bookmark our website and Facebook page to stay up-to-date on farm news and the season opening!