[NAFEX] Autumn Olive Harvest

V. Michael Bove, Jr. vmb at teakettlefarm.com
Mon Oct 11 09:11:27 EDT 2010


Around here, mowing twice a year just makes it stronger.  Heck, we  
have the stuff (nicely bonsai'ed) growing in a side yard that gets  
mowed every two weeks...

I think goats might eat it but we don't have any goats.  Given the  
price of triclopyr, maybe we need a few.

Cursing the folks who thought autumn olive and multiflora rose would  
be a good idea in New England,
Michael Bove
Teakettle Farm, Z6 (MA/RI border)

On Oct 11, 2010, at 9:03 AM, Hector Black wrote:

> Hello Michael,
>    I'm curious about your mowing of autumn olive.  It's been my  
> experience that mowing twice or three times a year pretty well kills  
> them.  The only time they have persisted has been when I didn't mow  
> for a year.  Then it takes several mowings.  Do you find your  
> animals don't eat the foliage? It's suppposed to be nutritious, but  
> I have no first hand experience.  I think it was goats that ate it,  
> maybe cows won't?    Hector Black zone 6 middle tn
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "V. Michael Bove, Jr." <vmb at teakettlefarm.com 
> >
> To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex at lists.ibiblio.org>
> Sent: Monday, October 11, 2010 7:57 AM
> Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Autumn Olive Harvest
>
>
>> Yes, there's such a thing as too much of a good thing.  I just  
>> sprayed  12 acres of pasture to get rid of autumn olive, which  
>> since a July  mowing is already 3-4 feet in height.
>>
>> If you have too much of the stuff growing in your grass, too,   
>> triclopyr is the herbicide of choice, and it also appears (from  
>> the  MSDS and published studies) to be about as close to nontoxic  
>> as a  herbicide gets.
>>
>> Michael Bove
>> Teakettle Farm, Z6 (MA/RI border)
>>
>> On Oct 10, 2010, at 8:28 PM, Richard Moyer wrote:
>>
>>> Our farm also has an abundance of autumn olives; they were taking  
>>> over
>>> pastures with poorer soil when we moved in two years ago.  With
>>> hundreds of bushes in fruit, ripening ranges from late July/early  
>>> Aug
>>> into Nov.  Compared to last year, we have not noticed a difference  
>>> in
>>> first ripening or quality.
>>>
>>> We are saving the best flavored ones and eliminating some of the  
>>> rest.
>>> Sold 8 pints yesterday to a chef making a dessert today; we have
>>> regular customers at market.  One of our favorite uses is juicing  
>>> them
>>> for popsicles.  Our turkeys, ducks and chickens enjoy them as well.
>>> As a high protein fruit, we're glad when they can go and harvest  
>>> their
>>> own.
>>>
>>> Another plug for Lee Reich's 'Uncommon Fruits for Every Garden':  He
>>> has a chapter on Eleagnus, the genus including goumi, autumn olives
>>> and other relatives.  This book expands what edibles we can grow,  
>>> with
>>> a brief history of each fruit, how to plant it, care for it, harvest
>>> and use it.  The appendices on general plant info worth the  
>>> reasonable
>>> price alone.
>>>
>>> If you never knew autumn olives were edible, check out some guides  
>>> on
>>> wild/naturalized edible fruits.  There are quite a few fruits out
>>> there; something available most of the year.
>>>
>>> Richard Moyer
>>> SW VA
>>> Eating dessert of figs stewed with Winesap and Kidd's Orange apples.
>>> _______________________________________________
>>
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