Berry picking season has begun! Strawberries are ready and raspberries should be ripe for picking pretty soon too! Last weekend a friend and I headed to McPhails farm just outside Lynden to pick strawberries. An hour and half and 40 pounds later I drove home for the huge task of washing, de-stemming and dealing with the berries.
I never realized how much of a Whatcom County “thing” it is to pick berries until I was talking to one of my friends last summer. He had recently moved up from California and I was excitedly talking about berry picking I was going to do that weekend. When I asked if he was going to pick any berries that summer, he gave me an odd look and informed me that where he came from, they had people that did that for you.
So to anybody out of Whatcom County who may be reading this, I realize that the prospect of standing in a hot dusty field picking berries does not sound all that entertaining, but I would urge you to try it if you come to the area. The berries are cheaper, you get to eat a few along the way as you pick, and you will be able to say that you picked berries in the berry capital of the US. Whatcom County has strawberries, raspberries, marion berries and blueberries – all of which are delicious!
If you are wondering where to go, my personal recommendation is Bjornstad Farms. Head north out of Bellingham on the Guide Meridian, then take a left (west) on King Tut Rd and follow the signs. They have great berries and prices!
I’m curious as to what kinds of U-Picks other areas do…
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Just so you know, you do have a regular Florida reader. I lived in Lynden in 2004 and enjoy keeping up with the area through this blog. I didn’t pick berries that summer but I did enjoy the pies! We have U-Pick here too. The citrus groves in Central FL have U-Pick seasons. It doesn’t take long to get more oranges and grapefruit than you can comfortably carry out of the grove back to the car.
We love our regular readers – wherever they are. Your picking sounds a lot less time consuming though!
Thanks for reading!
I moved here last summer, but unfortunately didn’t go berry picking. When this season came around, I knew I couldn’t miss out! My husband and I picked 13 pounds of strawberries at Barbie’s a few days ago. I’ve never eaten a berry warm off the bush/vine before. Oh my goodness!! It was amazing. We plan to visit many of the other area farms to pick other berries as they come in season. And don’t forget blackberries! You can pick them here too, either at a farm, alongside a country road, or at a park.
I’d agree…Bjornstad’s is the best place around to pick berries. My daughter and I have picked at many farms in Whatcom County and Bjornstad’s tops them with quality berries and great prices! We go back every year. Last year we ended up getting 15 lbs of strawberries and 25 lbs of blueberries (later in the season.) Just when you think you have enough berries…..you walk a bit farther and find even larger and juicier berries than where you were just at. It’s like a treasure hunt!!! If you’ve never picked before, try it! It’s much more fulfilling to come home with a bucket of fresh picked berries that costs
By far the best thing about summer is fresh berries. Bjornstad has tons and tons and is well worth the trip. Friendly people and great prices. My favorite are the rasberries. I can eat them all day. I also hear they sell vegetables later on in the season (but don’t know for sure). Sure do love produce in Whatcom county.
For those who are interested in picking berries or getting employment the local paper The Bellingham Herald featured a great list of local fields that would be a good resource you can access the article at
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2010/06/06/1461458/berry-harvest-beckons-in-whatcom.html