The fact that the registration form for the Sunday take-it-yourself event announced for Borbás kert’s Čiribpuszta plantation is proven by the fact that the registration form was filled in less than an hour, so many people missed the current one. , from the very first collection date. However, Ms. Edit, the head of the family farm, reassured all applicants that, depending on the ripeness of the strawberries, there will be two or three more opportunities to pick strawberries on the family farm. From the “opening” of the plantation, from nine o’clock in the morning, cars continuously arrived at the parking lot on the edge of the plantation. The children immediately discovered the colorful family selfie wall, and after taking a close look at it, they “tried out” the details created for photography, and quickly started picking strawberries. In the first few minutes, of course, the “quality control” could not miss the tasting, and after the little people were convinced that the fruit was delicious and sweet, the fragrant fruit went into baskets and small buckets. Kindergarten student Hunor, who came with his parents from Úrhida, enthusiastically said that he likes to eat and pick strawberries. His mother, Dóra, told the journalist that their family is a “picker” in the Borbás garden, they make jam and milkshakes from the fruit. The Great Family – the parents and their three children, Janka, Bogi and little Miklós – came to the plantation from Pázmánd. The little ones worked enthusiastically, and Miklóska, who quickly packed her little bucket to the brim, received the picked fruit as a gift from Ms. Edit without weighing it as a reward for her diligence. Magdolna from Sárkeresztes took part in take it yourself for the first time, and she did not skimp on the praise. She spoke highly of the organization, the order, the circumstances and the helpfulness of the people organizing the action – Ms. Edit and the Borbás “kids”, Boglárka, Pálma and Áron -. By the way, the majority of those who come to szedd yourself are already “regular guests” at the Borbás garden. They didn’t even have to draw their attention to the “etiquette” of the program. And what should and should not be done while picking fruit? It is appropriate to take care of the fruits and plants, and it is not appropriate to reach into the “plot” of those who are busy on the neighboring strawberry row and hunt down the most beautiful fruit seeds from them.
Photo: Béla Borbély
By the way, growing strawberries is hard work, which starts in July of the year before the harvest with planting, then continues with the so-called leafing, weeding, and continuous feeding. As Ms. Edit says, strawberries must be “fed” constantly. Strawberry cultivation is one of the most manual operations, and it is almost impossible to find seasonal workers for it. However, at the Borbás family farm, this work is also performed by permanent employees, as well as other tasks related to fruit growing and processing. Strawberries are grown on the farm using three types of cultivation methods: under foil, with flat foil – trays, and field and open field cultivation. According to the opinion of growers and buyers, the most delicious fruit ripens with the latter – open-field – cultivation method. They cultivate a total of three hectares on the farm in this way, so you can only harvest for yourself. As part of the Sunday sale, customers could harvest strawberries from 40,000 trees on half of the area cultivated with this method, on one and a half hectares. By the way, the place of open field cultivation is renewed and replanted every three years. When choosing the varieties, the customers’ needs are taken into account to the maximum extent, and old, well-proven varieties – for example, the fragrant pineapple juice, excellent for canning – are planted in addition to the new ones.
