Heritage Family Farms: July 2017

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

LAST DAY

Today will be the last day we will be open for 2017. Come early to beat the heat! We'll be open 7:30-12.
Thank you all for another great year of berry picking. We look forward to seeing you next year!

Monday, July 10, 2017

Tuesday

We will be open for picking Tuesday July 11 from 5-8pm

Wednesday morning will be our last day so come out tomorrow or Wed to get your berries.
The two rows of Late Blues have a lot of berries!

Saturday, July 8, 2017

Monday July 10

We will be picking Monday July 10. You won't be wasting your time if you come out, still good berries! OPEN 7:30-12

Friday, July 7, 2017

Saturday July 8

Yes, we'll be open for picking! July 8 7:30-12. Coming to the end but still a lot of berries. Come early to beat the heat!

Thursday, July 6, 2017

Friday July 7

We will be picking again tomorrow morning from 7:30-12. Time is running out for berry season so don't delay getting out to pick!!

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Thursday

There are still a lot of berries to pick so come out THURSDAY evening JULY 6 from 5-8. It will take you longer to fill your bucket than at the beginning of the season but you can still get a lot of good berries!!

Monday, July 3, 2017

July 4th

We will be closed JULY 4----Happy Independence Day!!

We will open Wednesday July 5 from 7:30-12.

Sunday, July 2, 2017

MONDAY picking

The farm will be open MONDAY July 3 from 7:30-12. Still plenty of berries but we are winding down the season so don't wait.
We will be CLOSED July 4th.

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.