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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] Autumn Olive Harvest

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  • From: "V. Michael Bove, Jr." <vmb@teakettlefarm.com>
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Autumn Olive Harvest
  • Date: Mon, 11 Oct 2010 08:57:56 -0400

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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