I have been attempting to go berry picking since I moved to Southwest Florida 11 years ago. This past week I received a tip that Berry Best Farms expanded their picking hours due to their large crop of sun ripened organic blueberries. I, at last, jumped at the opportunity.
The bushes are full of large fresh juicy blueberries.
With the promise of a fresh baked blueberry pie for the family, I loaded up the mini van and headed to north to Punta Gorda with the family to see if more than a decade of anticipation could be met.
We took Burnt Store Road to North Jones Loop for a more relaxing and laid back drive.
The farm is nestled in a pretty neighborhood off the beaten track. If you go, bring directions, the farm is quite the hidden gem. We pulled into the private drive and up to a informal kiosk where the owners handed out bright colored buckets and hand disinfectant. Since they don’t use pesticides it’s a good idea to wear closed toed shoes and bug spray.
Rows of blueberries as far as the eye can see.
The first thing I noticed was how peaceful and clean the farm is. The bushes are lined in tidy rows. Wide grasses footpaths make walking easy for all abilities. The farm is easily accessible for even the tiniest of berry pickers.
Tiny patrons have the freedom to pick berries at their own pace.
We arrived early and took our time wondering around the farm. In roughly 40 minutes we had just over 3 pounds of berries. It would not have been difficult to double our haul in half the time, but we were there for a family outing rather than stock up on produce.
Berry Best Farms charge $5.50 a pound for their organic blueberries. For the delicious fruit and a morning in the fresh air with the family, the price felt like a bargain to us.
I have no idea what took me so long to wander out to the farm to pick my own blueberries. Now that I have, it’s time to find a recipe for that pie I promised.
Like Berry Best Farms on Facebook for hours of operation and directions.
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Jessica Hehir is a regular contributor to 365 Things to Do In Southwest Florida. You can visit Jessica on her blog Sugar and The Spice, follow her on Twitter @sugarnthespice or try to keep up with her on her Facebook page.
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awesome review brought back fond memories of when i was a kid and we picked blueberries from a family friends farm now i want pie lol
I have always wanted to go berry picking 🙂
I would have an awesome picking blueberries and at $5.50 a pound that is not a bad price at all. We bought three blueberry trees and they are starting to ripen, the grandchildren are so excited for them to be ready so we can have blueberry cream cheese pie.
it looks really organized which is really nice. I love the taste of freshly picked berries of any sort, they are all so good that way. 🙂
Lokks like fun and yummy! My daughter and dad are looking forward to Strawberry picking here in Kansas this week!
haha, i love it so much, i pick strawberrys where i live and its so much fun to do with my family or friends in the weekend omg, then we eat it as desserts
The park where we live is full of blackberries and mulberries, we always pick them right before the 4th. We love to visit the local strawberry and blueberry farms and pick and eat ice cream
I’ve never been berry picking. I’m in SoFlo & was looking for an organic berry picking farm. Thanks for the article!
Berry picking is so fun for kids to do because they feel like they are very independent when doing it. Its also fun for adults and the blueberries taste amazing!!
This takes me back to when as a child we would pick wild berries from my G’ma’s fence line. i would love to take my G’children berry picking to create wonderful memories 7 the price is right so affordable. There is so much to do in Florida. I never knew…..
Berry picking is such a great activity to take kids to do. I have very fond memories of picking blueberries as a child!