April 10. The date’s circled on my calendar.
It’s the day Karen’s Produce on Route 5S in Glen is opening for the season. We noticed the sign while exploring Schoharie Crossing on Sunday’s 74-degree afternoon.
Karen’s Produce, which makes fudge and sells ice cream in addition to growing some excellent vegetables, is one of my favorite food sources for camp.
When preparing for last year’s Farm Table summer smorgasbord, we stopped there for potatoes and eggplants, then went back for more.
But the owners have been on my heart a lot since then.
In late August, the Irene-fueled Schoharie Creek, which runs along their eastern border, overtook their farmlands, wiping out all crops and a lot of the soil, replacing them with rocks (see the photo).
During the storm, 72-year-old farm owner Stephen Terlecky died of a heart attack in his truck in one of his fields, a tragedy complicated when the waters carried the truck away. It was found downriver that night.
But the family didn’t fold. Their bravery and fortitude was captured in a story in the newspaper I work for a few months ago. It’s encouraging to see they are going through with the reopening.
