In the Tall Grass

Strawberry farmers plant in rows. The plants grow in lines separated by about twelve inches of space through which you walk when you go to pick the sweet and succulent dilectibles. This late in June, however, most of the obvious strawberries have gone away to the kitchens and stomachs of earlier pickers. But there are more to be found . . .

Not much weeding seems to happen in the strawberry fields. Thus in certain stretches of strawberry rows grass grows thick and high over the fruiting plants. Most pickers, it seems, pass by these tufts of weedy growth in order to find more readily accessible fruit. To do so, we found this morning, is a mistake. For within the patches of high, thick grass those strawberry plants keep on bearing. What's more, the strands of grass, though they hide the red jewels from the untrained eye, also keep the plump morsels off the ground and therefore protected from quick rotting.

To put one's hand through a tuft of grass is to find hidden treasures of bright red sweetness, even when the rest of the field has been harvested dry of berries. By putting our hands through grass and weeds, we found about ten pounds of diamonds in the rough. Ah, the joy of fresh-picked strawberries! Let me share with you a vision of this joy--I apologize that our photos cannot convey the smell nor the taste. I'd tell you to satisfy the craving which is certain to arise in your tongue by going out to get some strawberries at the supermarket; but it just wouldn't be the same.

~ emrys