Heritage Family Farms: July 2013

Monday, July 22, 2013

Closed for 2013

We've come to the end of our blueberry season. Thanks so much to all of our wonderful customers for making the season so enjoyable. We look forward to seeing you all next year!

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Monday, July 22

Another day to pick! Monday, July 22 from 7:30 until 12.

Friday, July 19, 2013

Saturday July 20

The is most likely the last Saturday we'll be open this season so take advantage of one of the last opportunities to pick fresh berries this year. We'll be open from 7:30 until 12.

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Friday July 19

We still have a bunch of good berries but we are coming to the end soon. We'll be open Friday, July 19 from 7:30 until 12.

Monday, July 15, 2013

Tuesday picking

We'll be open Tuesday, July 16 from 5-8 pm. The season is winding down so don't miss out if you haven't been out to pick yet!

Friday, July 12, 2013

Saturday Picking

The farm will be open Saturday, July 13 from 7:30 until 12 noon. Still a good supply of berries!

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Thursday July 11

The farm still has loads of berries so if you, or someone you know still need berries come on out and pick a few buckets.
The farm will be open Thursday evening July 11 from 5-8pm.

Monday, July 8, 2013

Open Tuesday

We'll be open Tuesday,July 9 in the evening from 5-8pm. We still have loads of berries so plan to get some if you haven't already.

Saturday, July 6, 2013

The farm will be open for picking Monday, July 8 from 7:30 until 12. We still have a lot of great berries so don't feel like you've missed the season or your opportunity to stock up on fresh berries!
We are no longer taking pre-picked orders. Later we might have some pre-picked that will be sold first-come-first-served. Right now we are filling back orders.

Friday, July 5, 2013

Open Saturday

The farm will be open Saturday, July 6 from 7:30 until 12.
July is national blueberry month so come and get some fresh blueberries to celebrate!

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

July 4 Closed

The farm will be closed for the 4th of July. Hope you all enjoy the holiday. Happy Birthday to the greatest country on the planet!
We will reopen the farm Friday, July 5 from 7:30 until 12.

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Open Wednesday July 3

We'll be picking again Wednesday morning from 7:30 until 12 noon. Come and enjoy picking in the cooler temps! Still lots of nice berries that need a good home!

Monday, July 1, 2013

Open July 2

Another opportunity to pick some delicious berries Tuesday evening from 5-8pm. We still have lots of berries and the picking is nice with cooler temps! Don't miss out!

FAQ

How many pounds in a gallon? About 5 pounds

How much is a pound of berries? About 3 cups

How many pounds will a bucket hold? Filled full a bucket will be about 5 pounds.

Do blueberries get sweeter after you pick them? No.

How long will frozen berries keep? Up to a year.

How long will fresh berries keep? 7-10 days in the refrigerator in a closed container. Dry berries keep longer.

How long will you have berries? This is hard to answer since there are variables that affect the length of the season. Mid July is a good estimate.

Why do you close the farm when your schedule says you would normally be open? Heavy customer turn out means there are more ripe berries taken off the field. The berries that remain need time to ripen and this takes a few days. We evaluate the field after each business day to determine if there are enough berries for picking the next day. If not, we close the farm. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience.

PICKING--what you need to know

To make your berry picking experience more enjoyable here are a few tips to keep in mind.

We provide buckets with plastic liners.

Good pickers always pick a bush clean of ripe berries before moving to the next bush.

Two handed picking is most productive. Tie your bucket to your waist with string or through a belt. Pick with one hand, rolling the berries off the stems, place your free hand under the cluster to catch any that fall.

Bring your bucket to the office and we'll label it and put it in the cooler while you continue to pick.

Be courteous of other pickers. If someone is already picking on a bush please choose another bush to pick.

We will have some rows closed to allow the berries to ripen. Please pick only on the rows that are open. Closed rows will be marked. Thank you for your cooperation.

Storing Your Berries

When you get your berries home it's important to know how to store them.

Washing: Don't wash your berries until you are ready to use them. Moisture causes more rapid deterioration.

Cleaning: sort through the berries to remove any stems, leaves, and damaged berries soon after you get them home.

Refrigerator: fresh berries will last about a week in the refrigerator in a closed container.

Freezing: After sorting and cleaning the berries you can bag them in freezer bags and freeze. We found that berries frozen this way will not stick together. If you want to wash them before freezing them just be sure to drain them well before bagging and freezing.