Blackberry Patch Opening Wednesday!

Thank you so much for a wonderful strawberry season!  Strawberry season has now come to an end and we're gearing up for blackberry season.

Our U-pick blackberry patch will be opening on Wednesday, June 12 at 7 am.  

Open: 7 am to 7 pm, 7 days a week, (season opening 6/12/19)

Where: 14489 Bethel Church Lane, Smithfield

Cost: $10/rectangle basket. Each rectangle basket holds 2 quarts. We provide the containers. This is all on the honor system, simply place your money in the black box near where you picked up your container.  

We have 5 different varieties of blackberries, which vary in size and when the berries are coming ripe.  The first of the berries are ripening, but they aren't all ripe yet.  As for picking conditions, they will likely vary greater during blackberry season than strawberry season.  We have less overall blackberries than strawberries, so it's more difficult to predict conditions from day to day.  During the season though, the patch should recover from a heavy picking every few days, so if you come one day and it's picked clean try back in a few days.  

Some people have asked us about taste testing while picking.  We certainly don't mind if you try a berry or two while you're filling up your bucket, but we'd appreciate it if you could keep it within reason :-)

Strawberry Patch Updates

The picking conditions have improved significantly in the strawberry patch.  The green berries I mentioned a week or two ago are ripening up and the patch is coming back.  The current density of ripe berries is similar to that of the first few days of the season that we were open.  I know it's hot as the dickins, but if you're interested in another opportunity to pick some berries, now is the time.  The heat really brings out the sweetness in the berries.  We've been enjoying frozen berries in smoothies & daquiris.  Tonight, Jake mowed the row middles of the front patch to make for easier picking, and he'll be mowing the back patch soon. 

Memorial Day Weekend

Hello!

Hope all is well with you & your family :-)

Status of the strawberry patch: Berries are coming back!  It's much, much easier picking than last week, but not as easy as it was in April. The berries have a bit more size on them than last week, and really sweet.  

Picked Out

Quick strawberry update - there aren't hardly any ripe strawberries in the patch.  There are still blooms & green berries, so we're optimistic the patch will bounce back, but for now, we're picked out. 

Strawberry Picking Update

Current strawberry patch conditions:  There are plenty of berries in the front patch and the back patch.  I just picked 2 baskets of berries - one in the front, and one in the back.  I had a better experience when I was picking in the back, because the back patch is cleaner with fewer overripe berries.  The front patch has more berries, but has more overripe berries as well, so you have to pay attention more.  With last week's heat, the berries are sweeter now than they've been all season.  That rain that we got Sunday dried up, so there's no need to worry about mud in the patch.  

How long will we be open?  Great question.  We estimate there's over 1,000 lbs. of ripe berries currently in the patch.  In addition, there are at least 5 green berries per plant...and there's over 10,000 plants...so with over 50,000 more berries yet to come, we should have strawberries throughout the latter part of May.  That being said, patch conditions can change radically from day to day due to weather/being picked.

U-Pick at 14489 Bethel Church Lane, Smithfield. Open 7 am to 7 pm, 7 days a week, $10/basket on the honor system, we provide the containers for free.

Pint for a Pint

Buy a pint of beer at Wharf Hill Brewing Co., get a free pint of strawberries from Browder Fresh Pickins! For every pint you buy, you’ll get a pint basket from Wharf Hill to take to Browder’s Fresh Pickins and pick a pint of delicious, fresh strawberries.

This week only, April 29-May 5.  First come, first served - 70 free pints available. 

The patch is bursting with big, sweet, delicious berries, and it won't take long to fill your basket. 

Shout out to the Wharf Hill Chuggers Running Club who ran from Wharf Hill out to our strawberry patch to pick berries on Sunday.  

Stawberry Patch is open for 2019!

As of Sunday, April 14th at 7am we will be open for strawberry picking.  The patch is a little muddy seeing as we got 0.9 inches on Saturday, but there are zillions of large, sweet 'Sweet Charlie' strawberries.  And with the sandy land we have, it will be dry as a bone in no time.  Yes it's early, but it was a mild winter and the berries knew it and decided to come early.  Having frost blankets on them for several weeks helped speed up the ripening too.  This has got the be the best crop I've ever grown.  Come see for yourself. 

We will be open from 7am to 7pm, 7 days per weeks from now on rain or shine.  Tons of berries.  Amanda and Jake take great prides in keeping a clean strawberry patch.  This means the row middles have been mowed, there isn't tall grass or weeds in your way, and this makes for a more pleasant picking experience.  We are open practically all the time so you can come and bring the family when it's convenient to you. 

Price is $10/basket.  We supply the basket for free.  (It holds 4 or 5 lbs.)  U-pick only at the farm.  There will be pre-picked berries sold by the lb. at the Smithfield Farmer's Market in downtown Smithfield on Saturday mornings. 

I hope you enjoy yourself and get all the delicious berries you want.

Some ideas you can make are:
strawberries and whipped cream
homemade strawberry ice cream
smoothies
daiquiris
strawberry popsicles
chocolate covered strawberries
strawberries on top of Belgian waffles
fruit salad
strawberry jam