DEAR ‘CREEKNIKS:  Have you ever heard of a strawberry pushover?  What what?  It’s a turnover, you say?  Well, sorry, but we have to correct your correction.  There are a bunch of strawberry pushovers right here on the farm.  It’s us.

See, we hatched that little “U-Pic” offer last week, first time ever.  “Send us your pics,” said we, “and the winner will get a prize.”  But this week, right now in fact, we are announcing that EVERYBODY who sent photos to the U-Pic inbox is getting a gift certificate.  Check your email, winners.  Just don’t expect us to be pushovers all summer.  Fresh fruit certificates do not grow on trees.

Before we reveal the winning photos, please say hello to the Farmketeers of the Week.  First ones of 2018.  Meet Theresa and Jo, who picked 20 pounds of berries on opening day.  They tore into the patch and took boxes of booty back to their farmstead in Dryden.  It’s called Underhill Farm and you can look them up later this summer because they have a little blueberry patch.  Meanwhile, COME PICK STRAWBERRIES NOW BEFORE WEEKEND CROWDS.  Open 9 AM to 7 PM every day.

How about this dandy U-Pic from Christy J?  Also known as @scout.ithaca.  She clearly has an eye for high fruitshion.  But she, and all the other winners, will have to work harder for the $11 prize.  Only “tenners” were sent out in this first round.

Another fruit-forward submission from Scout.  Is this a magazine or real life?  Real sweet, anyway.

Here we are back on the farm.  Shauna D shared this U-Pic of Team Tiger.  “It’s the eye of the tiger, it’s the thrill of the fight, rising up to the challenge of our rivals…” finding strawberries before they’re all gone.  “And he’s watching us all with eyeeeee of the tigerrrrrr…”

Her strawberry accoutrement game is STRONG.  Chris P made our inbox smile with this U-Pic of his daughter.

Suzanne B submitted this first U-Pic of all time within hours of the Fresh Crop Alert.  She received her gift certificate right away and has plans to spend it on a second trip to the strawberry patch.  Thanks for playing.

This was a pleasure to find in the inbox.  Eating strawberries by nose.  Stefanie C says, “Carter is obsessed with gardening and had the best time picking strawberries.”

But to all of you who think you are showing adequate Strawberry Spirit… Bow down to the BERRY QUEEN.  Aquillah at the Finger Lakes Land Trust says, “Ho hum, just another day at the office, saving Finger Lakes farmland forever.”  Did you know?  Indian Creek is a conserved farm, protected permanently by an agricultural easement.  We appreciate conservation organizations like the Land Trust that dedicate their work to preserving open space in our region.  Hope to see you at The ‘Creek.