Still Some Time for U-pick

A three or four hour outing can provide a family enough time to secure a good haul of farm-fresh, u-pick berries.  

This summer's cooler weather has provided us one u-pick advantage: even as notorious procrastinators we hit the three berry seasons. Strawberries usually are around in June to early July; raspberries ripen in July and early August; and blueberries come available in August. We often miss at least one of those seasons, usually strawberries. Not this year, though. We managed to hit all of them, as the picking seasons went later than usual. And blueberries are still available. 

 Recently, after a moment's consideration of the area's u-pick prices, a friend noted "You're paying about the same price as at Costco." The underlying question seemed pretty clear: Why bother? 

Fair question. Why get hot, dusty, tired, and berry-stained to pick a bunch of fruit when it's available in air-conditioned comfort for about the same price? Berry picking is ingrained in me as a summer event, so it could be conditioning from childhood that pushes me out there. But maybe there are other reasons…

• Berries taste better from the field than from the box 
• Fresh berries that could spoil soon provide great motivation to make pies
• An excuse for waffles and whipped cream
• An affection for courting heat stroke

This was the first year in a long while that we actually made this a family event. After a couple of outings that didn't end cheerfully or with many berries, we opted for a strategy of divide and conquer. One parent entertained the kids, while the other took on the thorns, stains, and dust. This year, though, it was an all-hands' effort. We coaxed the kids into the fields, emphasizing the prospects of pie, jam, and waffles. Then we threw in a stop at Issaquah's Krispy Kreme as a bonus.

With all of that, the kids' enthusiasm had a half-life of about 25 minutes. Lots of water, a fair amount of product sampling, and some impromptu picking competitions helped sustain us. During the productive hour or so we had in the fields, the five of us (ranging from 7 years old to adult) typically collected 15 - 20 pounds of berries.

Most berries are done for the year, but blueberries are plentiful and the season should last another week or two. If you're looking for u-pick places to go, the website http://www.pickyourown.org/WAseattlearea.htm lists a number of u-pick farms in the area. We usually end up around Carnation:

• Remlinger Farms (all berries): 332610 NE 32nd St, Carnation, WA. Phone: 425-333-4135.  Offers u-pick of all three, in season.  Busy, with many rows of plants.  The farms' grocery store offers fresh produce, plus frozen berry and fruit pies.   Another added bonus: Remlinger Farms has an  amusement park.
• Blue Dog Farm (blueberries) 7125 W Snoqualmie Valley Road NE, Carnation, WA.  Phone: 425-844-2842. Email: berries@bluedogfarm.com.
• Harvold Berry Farm  (strawberries, raspberries): 
Highway # 203 (Carnation-Duvall Road NE), Carnation, WA 98014. Phone: 425-333-4185.  Email: nharvold@yahoo.com.  Call for a voicemail with latest berry information.

 If you're like us and sometimes let the seasons slip past, you can extend your picking opportunities a bit by heading further north.  Here's one spot we've visited:

• Biringer Farms: 21412 - 59th Avenue NE, Arlington, WA 98223. Phone: 425-259-0255. Email: info@biringerfarm.com.   Strawberries and all kinds of raspberries.  Has a picnic area and a playground.  Sometimes they haul you from field to cashier in a tractor.

Check web sites and a farm's information if you're interested in growing practices and the use of pesticides. Some web sites say "Pesticide-free", others, "limited use of pesticides", and a few are silent on the topic. (Keep in mind — as I didn't — that you can interpret "Pesticide-free" also to mean "May Contain Pests". Keep eyes out for multi-legged, colorful critters creeping around those wholesome, organic berries, especially if you're keen on field samples)

Does anyone else have a favorite place for berries?