Sweet Ravine

We have a pretty big ravine on part of our land by the woods. Ethan has written about it a bit on his blog looking for advice on how to stop the washout and repair the land. Someone before us decided to dump rolls of woven wire in it, which might be helping. Even so, we would like to go a different route.

Not only are there rolls of barbed wire in this ravine, though, but there are brambles. Black raspberry brambles. And this ravine is about the only place on our farm where the black raspberries are going to be fruiting this year. (Blackberries on the other hand are a different story! If they continue like they are, I will have buckets full.)

So I was faced with a choice. Do I let the ravine swallow the crop of black raspberries this year, or do I go in after them. Keep in mind, the picture above was taken in the spring when the grass was short. Now the grass is at least chest high, making the drop offs into the wirey depths a little harder to see.

Well, I talked it over with Ethan, and we decided it was safe to go in. I found a decent path down into the washout where I would be free from wire if I would slip. Once down, I could maneuver my way around and get to the fruiting vines.

It was hard work, but I ended up with a nice freezer bag of berries. (This picture makes them look a bit red, but they are really deep purple.) I will probably wait a bit before going in again to make sure I can get another decent picking's worth. It is well worth it this year, but I am definitely going to start my own black raspberry patch by the house!

(Be sure to check out my post below for today's building progess.)