The Struggles of a 1st Generation Strawberry Farmer!

[@mgoss77]

We had a big vole problem on our farm this past winter/spring. It's never been a problem, but this season they ate up the strawberries, girdled the trunk of new cherry trees, and even girdled the bases of blueberries and raspberries. If it's not one thing its another!

[@GroveWoodFarms]

I did too this year man that's weird!

[@chunkmen]

One of the most critical things I have seen for protecting fruit/reducing rodent pressure is put up owl houses/perchs around the field a majority of rodents are nocturnal and along with keeping the foliage low the owls will remove any brave rodents all the way up to rabbits that go after your strawberrys

[@styxrakash4639]

Now I’m a city boy. I don’t know anything about farming. But couldn’t you put up some chicken wire around your strawberries to keep out most of the larger rodents? I know they can squeeze through tight spaces but you can get chicken wire with real small holes like the size of a dime. Would that work?

[@chunkmen]

@@styxrakash4639 you definitely could on a small patch but for big production like this rolling back 120 foot x6 foot rolls of chicken wire every day per row is really time intensive

[@styxrakash4639]

@@chunkmen I was proposing just a standing fence, but are you implying that the rodents could climb over this and it would need to be a lid of sorts in order for it to work -> then requiring you to roll back the wire, as you say, in order to work on the plants?

[@chunkmen]

@@styxrakash4639 eeeh kinda, most of the time a chicken wire knee fence against the regular fence will work but mice and some other rodents will just dig under it and squirrels will go over it regardless

[@genequeen3000]

Wow! That's a lot of strawberries

[@farmerdre1]

Hopefully we sell them all

[@susanwaldrep8358]

I enjoy your videos thank you so much I'm glad your strawberries will bounce back and help the farm.

[@eyeoncountrybytheyoungcoun8546]

LOVE your videos!

[@Hindsighttoday]

I learn from your struggles. Thank you! It looked so pretty. I was going to do the same.

[@andydsimmons]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Can you fertilizer with a granular slow release product with a plastic mulch system?

[@nathanromain8821]

💪🏼 Good video 🇺🇸

[@kimberlycalancea]

Can’t wait 4 the u pick🍓🍓🍓🍓

[@carmencortinas29]

Do you leave that plastic on the entire time or do you remove it at some point? Thanks 😊

[@k8ers86]

Is that onions growing on the outside row? What would that be for?

[@michaelkrooswyk897]

I thought if you fertilized during berry production it would make the berries soft ??

[@VanillaAttila]

You're a good man

[@stanroesner3892]

We appreciate the videos, but...Farm first, Fans second!!

[@farmerdre1]

Yes! Thanks for

[@farmerdre1]

Watching

[@MikeMarchlik]

Darn rats