THE FOLLOWING BLOG!!!

The blackberries are here! The first full box was picked today, hopefully many more will follow. Naturally the weather man predicts rain for opening week, but that is just par for the course. As there are early varieties and later varieties, the picking season should last for several weeks. Picking will be by appointment, as it is an established fact that visitors that come to the farm to pick berries have a tendency to be a bit disgruntled if they come all of this way, and go home with six berries in their box. Due to the very unpredictable weather, we will post each weeks picking schedule at the beginning of the week. Appointments can be made by phone or e-mail. HINT: Our farm schedule is pre dawn to post dusk. Answering e-mails after 10:00 pm are much more appreciated than returning a telephone call past most every ones bedtime. The guidelines for blackberry picking are very similar to the strawberry picking guidelines. Wear appropriate clothing, especially shoes. No sandals or thongs advised. A box of berries weighs approx. 7 lbs. the cost of the box is $20.00. Families with children are welcome, if there is one adult per each child under 8 for supervision. Yes, the electric fence will zap you, the rooster will chase you, the equipment will tempt you, as will the unripe peaches. If you bring your dog, our buck will jump the fence to chase it, as he has his territory established, and will make sure it is protected. And no matter how ridiculous  it sounds, he thinks that your dog is a threat. So unless you want to spend your visit rounding up a goat on the rampage, leave your pets at home. Since the berries are not familiar with a calendar, days of the week, or times of the day, we will be flexible with picking times. We understand that when they are ready, they need to be picked. There is a jaunt to the berry patch, so plan on a little exercise. If you have small children a stroller or wagon can be used. This week there will be a few spots open on Monday morning. Picking will start at 10:00 AM until around noon. The next picking day will be Thursday, and then Friday and Saturday, starting at the same time. Contact us with the number in your group, we will reply with a confirmation of your reservation. We suggest a cooler to put your berries in after picking, we supply the box for you to pick and take home, but if it is hot, they would appreciate cool. A port a potty is available. We will post updated information as needed. If a day is scheduled and there are no berries to pick we will announce on our Facebook page, the answering machine, and the blog. We look forward to seeing everyone! From our farmstead to your table thank you for all of your support!!!