U Pick

Blueberry Hills Farms It's about friends. It's about family. It's about time. Isn't it?

1315 Washington Street . Manson . WA 98831 509.687.2379 wildaboutberries.com

2008 U-Pick (ahem) Info

What can you U-Pick
@ Blueberry Hills 2008?
Noses & friends, folks!
No More u-pick berries.

Folks, we need to have a frank discussion. You know that short list'a stuff we asked ya NOT to do in our fields? That funny, straightforward list of stuff that made ya laugh when we had you read it before you went out to pick? You remember the one? It talked about how not to break off branches or to not knock berries off on the ground? A reminder to pick what only you're going to buy and not dump the rest out on the ground? A reminder to please not to drag yer garbage down there and then leave it for us to pick up like we're your Mother? You remember? The "please no unattended children stuff? That general reminder for ya'all to behave yerselves in general out there? Hmmmmm. (Insert Golden silence and the occasional cricket here.) I didn't THINK so. (It's still on the website below if ya-all need a refresher coarse.)

RATS! Well, regardless of all the finger pointin & hollarin, Mom honkin' the horn from the deck, me driving like a banshee on my 4 wheeler racing bike or the frank talkin'-tos that folks received...folks remained naughty instead of nice to our fields & fruit. Behavior that would'a ended ya DI-rectly on the "Naughty" side'a Santa's list. Yep. And this is not great news for us either, as it was a great way for us to get a volume of our crops picked. Again, RATS. BUT, the abuse creates a significant loss of revenue in our ag division. In addition, we received a significant increase to our farm policy / liability insurance this year simply for being a "U-Pick" farm. So - bad news on the U-PICK front. Sorry folks! Some things just "is". The good news is that we're still sellin' the best berries ya can git'cher mitts on and at a price any family can afford @ $3.50/lb (I think.) But that's what we're thinkin.

2007 U-Pick Info

Blueberries: June 25--> August 15
Blackberries: August 1--> late fall $1.50/lb U-PICK
Raspberries: July 9 --> late fall $2.50/lb U-PICK

WHEN ARE WE PICKIN'?

WE'RE DOING BLUEBERRY U-PICK
JUNE 25 through about August 15th! (done for '07)

I DO A LIVE RADIO BROADCAST TWICE A WEEK (year 'round)
Saturdays & Wednesdays at around 9:30 a.m. I'm live on local radio station K.O.Z.I.'s "2nd Cup Of Coffee" program. If you're not living locally, you can listen live over the internet. Just go to their website at KOZI and click "listen live".

When we do start pickin' we will have nearly a 6 week window of pickin' berries. We will also be picking raspberries and blackberries during that time as well. Take a look at our 2006 Ripe Fruit Timeline to give you an idea of when we were pickin' specific varieties of berries from last year.

HOW MUCH ARE BLUEBERRIES??
$2.50/LB FOR U-PICK. / $3.50/LB FOR WE-PICK.
We charge by the lb. You can borrow one of our pickin' buckets, but we do run out of 'em so you might toss a couple in your car (please - not ours!) :) You might also bring some large flat boxes that you can pour your berries out into.

BLUEBERRIES
June 28-Aug. 15
$3.50 lb. / $2.50 lb.

RASPBERRIES
July 9-Late Fall!
$2.50/lb

BLACKBERRIES
August 1-Late Fall
$1.50/lb

Check out our 2006
Chelan Valley Ripe FRUIT TIMELINE!

FIRST THINGS, FIRST, FOLKS! Let me introduce you to Luis. He's been our farm foreman for years. He does an AWESOME job! He's as friendly as he is hard workin' and he LOVES this farm and cares for it like his own. If ya'all need to be hollered at...he'll know it! Folks, if he's askin' you to do or not do sumpthin -- he's askin' on our behalf and we'd be right appreciative if you'd honor his request. SIX Things that make Luis "mucho loco": 1. Please do not pick in the "taped off" areas of the field. Pick only in the rows that are "open". 2. If you see people picking in the taped off "closed" areas of the field - please understand that they are picking berries for Luis to be sold at our fruit stand...and is NOT an open invitation for you to join in on the festivities! 3. Don't walk through the bushes to go to a different row. It knocks berries to the ground & makes him mucho loco! 4. Don't break the limbs or damage the bushes as you pick. MUCHO MUCHO LOCO! 5. Pick only dark purple RIPE fruit. Leave the under-ripe fruit for another picking. Si - mas travajo! (Yes - more work!) 6. Don't sort through your kids bucket to toss out all the green berries they've picked. This is our crop, folks (hence, our living). It's why we ask you to "stick with 'em & pick with 'em!" You buy what you pick. Or else: Hasta luego to mucho danero! (By the way, ladies -- he's single!) Huba huba! (How'da ya say THAT in Spanish?!)


2007 Blueberry Prices $2.50/lb for YOU-Pick $3.50/lb for WE-Pick We have over 13,000 blueberry plants in the ground-and that's a whole lot of U-PICKIN! In addition, we also have Raspberries & Blackberries out there for ya' to pick as well. Have at it. Blackberries @ $1.50/lb Raspberries @ $2.50/lb. Go pick'em. The picture worth 1,000 words: So, I asked this little guy..."did you get to taste the blackberries while you were pickin' em?" He replied with a resounding "Oh, NO!" It was TRULY a Kodak moment.	WHEN do ya pick 'em? The seasons vary a little, as we've been noticing during the past 3 years we've been open. Below I'll list when the berries were ripe fer' the pickin' for last year. This year it might be a little different - so keep that in mind, but it shouldn't be off more than a week or so...(check out our ripe fruit timeline!) HOW do ya pick 'em? Blueberry pickin' is really easy pickins...as Gramma'd put it. Kids can even do it. We have ya' stick with 'em though so there's no runnin amuck. They tend to git a little excited and start pickin' the green ones, so here's what I tell ya' before ya head down to the field: DON'T WALK THROUGH/ACROSS THE ROWS. Walk up and down them in the direction they're planted. Walking through them breaks the bushes & knocks berries onto the ground. I promise you that Mom WILL run out on the deck with Grampa's big horn and be all wavin' her arms & yellin' at cha. It's embarrassin' for everyone. Just don't do it. Walk UP AND DOWN THE ROWS - not THROUGH them to another row. Luis'll nail ya too. Gads. Just don't do it! PICK ONLY THE VERY RIPEST PURPLE BERRIES. If they are still redish - they ain't ripe, honey! Leave 'em for someone else. We get MANY PICKINGS throughout the season off'a the same bush, so leave'em be. They'll ripen up. WE CHARGE BY THE POUND. One of our berry buckets (we let ya borrow one if ya like) holds about 6 lbs. of berries, jest so there ain't no surprises. If you've underestimated the weight and slap your chest on the way down to the ground at the register we are going to assume you're likely havin' a heart attack and take appropriate measures. You been warned. YOU BUY WHAT YOU (and your somewhat colorblind kids) PICK. Again, we ask - PLEEEEEZE supervise your kids! Also - we ask that you pleeeeeaze don't dump your kids berries out onto the ground if you don't think they're ripe enough. It really just kills us. This is how we make our living. That's why we want you supervising them at all times while in the field (also for insurance purposes). We also have our own people out there pickin' too & keepin' an eye on things for us, but screamin' at your kids your job - not theirs. And Remember, FOLKS! Screamin' at 'cher kids is ALWAYS welcome here at Blueberry Hills! Have at it! :)
"Brothers."

LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST -- DON'T FORGET THE CAMERA! (Isn't she PRECIOUS?!?!) This is a wonderful, Norman Rockwell-type of experience for you and your family. Kids LOVE it and it's an ideal setting and time to get some pictures & lasting memories together as a family!

Esmeralda & Hernando - Luis' niece & nephew. Part of our pickin' crew for the past couple years. Hard workin' kids!

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Site thrown together with recklessness & wild abandon by BLUEBERRYKARI on 05/08/2008