2024 Whatcom County, Washington State Blackberry U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Blackberry U-Pick Orchards in Whatcom County, Washington State in 2024, by county

Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for blackberries that we know of in this area. Not all areas of any state, nor even every state, have blackberries orchards that are open to the public. If you know of any others, please tell us using the add a farm form!

Remember to always check with the farm's own website or Facebook page before you go - or call or email them if they don't have a website or Facebook page. Conditions at the farms and crops can change literally overnight, so if you want to avoid a wasted trip out there - check with the farm directly before you go! If I cannot reach them, I DON'T GO!

PLEASE report closed farms, broken links and incorrect info using the "Report Corrections" form below.

Whatcom County

• Alm Hill Gardens - ORGANIC, blackberries
  3550 Alm Road, Everson, WA . Phone: 360-966-4157. Email: alm_hill_gardens@msn.com. Open: call or email for current hours. Click here for a map and directions. . is a small diversified fruit, flower and vegetable farm in the foothills of the Cascade mountains in northwest Washington. We specialize in high quality, direct to the consumer farm fresh produce and flowers. For 25 years we have used sustainable and organic farming methods, and have developed a reputation for good taste and reliability. We also have prepicked vegetables and Blackberries, Blueberries, Melons, Raspberries.
• Barbie's Berries - strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries
  7655 Melody Ln, Ferndale, WA . Phone: (360) 384-1260. Open: daily 9 am to 6 pm; Call ahead for fruit availability and orders; The season typically begins early to mid June with strawberries. Click here for a map and directions.
  Barbie's Berries Facebook page. . In July, you can pick all 3 fruits. . Farm Stand; U-Pick; Restaurants & Retailers; Phone Orders. Our family-owned and operated business welcomes your whole family to enjoy a harvest of luscious fruit in a picnic-like setting. Visit our picturesque mini-farm offering U-pick/We-pick . Strawberry harvest starts in June and runs through mid July, Late harvest starts end of July/beginning of August and runs through to labor day weekend. Raspberry harvest starts late June, and runs through late July. Late bearing raspberry begins the beginning of August and runs through Labor-day weekend. Blueberry harvest starts mid July and runs through Labor-day weekend. Blackberry harvest starts mid July and runs through Labor-day weekend. Facebook page.
• Ghost Cat Farm - apples, blackberries, flowers, pears, walnuts, Other fruit or veg, U-pick and already picked
  7943 Kickerville Road, Blaine, WA 98230. Phone: 360-332-1517. Email: dogma33334@mypacks.net. Open: Friday thru Tuesday from 10 am to 7 pm, July 21st until mid October. Directions: Heading North from Bellingham about 20 minutes, on Interstate 5, Exit 270, turn Left to cross over the Freeway. Continue West for 2 miles until Kickerville Road. Turn Left. We are the 4th real house on the Right. Light Blue house with chain link fencing in the front yard. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. . Blackberries start in the middle of July all the way through August, Late July until the end of August we have the early Apple varieties, Yellow Delicious and Transparents; Typically in September Gala Apples, Arkansas Black Apples, Gravensteins; October we have Granny Smith for canning and pies; Quinces are ready in early October. We are a small Transitional Organic Farm, with Semi-Dwarf & Regular sized Apple trees, Asian Pears, Comice & Bartlett Pears, Black Walnut Trees (& Fruiting Quince that get to the size of a tennis ball.) No dogs are allowed because this is also a Wetland Wildlife Habitat and there are Seasonal Ponds & Creeks to keep your young children out of. For 2011 we are now finished with the harvest.
• Kamm Creek Farm - Uses natural growing practices, blueberries, red currants, black currants, red raspberries, yellow raspberries, strawberries, blackberries
  850 Hampton Road, Lynden, WA 98264. Phone: 360-433-7616. Email: kammcreekfarm@gmail.com. Open: Monday, Wednesday and Fridays from 9 am to 3 pm; Open other dates depending on whether and crop availability. Directions: We use natural practices, but are not yet certified Organic. Payment: Cash, Check. Click here for our Facebook page. U-Pick Prices in 2020 were: Raspberry and Blackberry U-Pick: $2.50/pound, Blueberry and Currant U-Pick: $1.50/pound, We-Pick: -Fresh and Frozen We-Pick = $4.00/pound. Order pre-picked by calling or texting Hank at 360-815-4360 or email.
  Seasonal Updates: No raspberry U-pick in 2023. (UPDATED: July 12, 2023, JBS) (ADDED: June 18, 2015)
• Shumway's Berries Sunset Exit - Raspberries, Blackberries
  Mt. Baker Hwy, Everson, WA 98247. Phone: (360) 354-5981. Open: dawn-dusk daily. Directions: Located 10. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: cash, check, Venmo or PayPal.
  Shumway's Berries Sunset Exit Facebook page. . Phone: (360) 815-7321. Shumway's Berries Facebook page. At "The Stand" .5 miles from I-5 off the Sunset exit that turns into Mt. Baker Hwy. Since 1985, Shumway's Berries has brought excellent quality fresh picked and U-Pick strawberries, raspberries and blueberries and blackberries to its customers. Fresh picked sales occur daily at "The Stand" on the Mount Baker Highway and at the Bellingham Farmers Market on Saturdays. U-Pick happens at three different locations in Everson and Lynden. To reduce the costs to our customers, we sell our berries in less packaging and feature self-serve stations at our U-Picks. Thank you for your honesty! Farmers Market; Farm Stand; Phone Orders. Stop by our Mt Baker Hwy stand for our fresh, hand-selected, top-crop strawberries, sun-ripened in the micro-climate of Nugents Corner. Shumway berries are unique, bulbous, juicy and delicious.

 

Blackberry Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

In the U.S. Blackberries typically peak during June in the South, and in July in the North. Crops are ready at various times of the month depending on which part of the state you are located. In order to produce good local Blackberries, producers depend on ideal spring and early summer weather conditions. See this page for a list of blackberry festivals around the U.S.

Before you leave to go to the farm:

1. Always call before you go to the farm - And when they are in season, a large turnout can pick a field clean before noon, so CALL first!
2. Leave early.  On weekends, then fields may be picked clean by NOON!
    
3. Most growers furnish picking containers designed for Blackberries, but they may charge you for them; be sure to call before you go to see if you need to bring containers.
   If you use your own containers, remember that heaping Blackberries more than 5 inches deep will bruise the lower berries. Plastic dishpans, metal oven pans with 3 inch tall sides and large pots make good containers. I like the Glad storage containers like the one at right.
4. Bring something to drink and a few snacks; you'd be surprised how you can work up a thirst and appetite! And don't forget hats and sunscreen for the sun. Bugs usually aren't a problem, but some deet might be good to bring along if it has been rainy.

Tips on How to Pick Blackberries

1. There are two types of blackberries to know about: thorny and thornless! Obviously, the thornless are easier to pick, but some people claim the thorny varieties are sweeter. With the thorny plants, you want to reach into the plant in the gaps, so you don't need to touch anything but the berry you're after, avoiding the thorns.
2. A ripe blackberry is deep black with a plump, full feel. It will pull free from the plant with only a slight tug.  If the berry is red or purple, it's not ripe yet.
3. Repeat these operations using both hands until each holds 3 or 4 berries.Unlike strawberries, blackberries are usually pretty tough, I dump mine into the bucket. Repeat the picking process with both hands.
4. Don't overfill your containers or try to pack the berries down.

General Picking Tips

Whether you pick Blackberries from your garden or at a Pick-Your-Own farm, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

1. Pick only the berries that are fully black. Reach in between the stems to grab for hidden berries ready for harvest. Bend down and look up into the plant and you will find loads of berries that other people missed!
2. Avoid placing the picked berries in the sunlight any longer than necessary. It is better to put them in the shade of a tree or shed than in the car trunk or on the car seat. Cool them as soon as possible after picking. Blackberries may be kept fresh in the refrigerator for up to a week, depending upon the initial quality of the berry. After a few days in storage, however, the fruit loses its bright color and fresh flavor and tends to shrivel.

When you get home

1. DON'T wash the berries until you are ready to use them or freeze them.  Washing makes them more prone to spoiling.
2. Pour them out into shallow pans and remove any mushed, soft or rotting berries
3. Put a couple of days supply into the fridge, wash  off the others, drain them and freeze them up! (Unless you're going to make jam right away) Blackberries are less perishable than blueberries or strawberries, but refrigerate them as soon as possible after picking. Temperatures between 34 F and 38 F are best, but, be careful not to freeze the blackberries (while they are in the fridge)!
4. Even under ideal conditions blackberries will only keep for a week in a refrigerator, so for best flavor and texture, use them as soon as possible after purchase

Blackberry Recipes, Freezing and Jam directions

1. How to make Blackberry jam - It is VERY easy - especially with our free Blackberry jam directions - very easy!
2. How to make Blackberry jelly
3. How to freeze berries
4. Blackberry syrup, make and can it! 
5. Seedless blackberry pie!
6. Blackberry Festivals: Where, When and More to Find an Blackberry Festival Near You this year:

Blackberry Facts and Tips

• Black Raspberries, also known as "black caps" are a very healthy food; packed with anthocyanins!
• The USDA says 1 cup of blackberries has about 62 calories.
• 1 cup of blackberries, not packed down weighs about 140 grams.
• Select plump, firm, fully blackberries. Unripe berries will not ripen once picked.
• Ohio State University's Article Regarding Their Prevention of Cancer
• Oregon Berry Black Raspberry Brochure
• Blackberry tea was said to be a cure for dysentery during the Civil War. During outbreaks of dysentery, temporary truces were declared to allow both Union and Confederate soldiers to "go blackberrying" to forgage for blackberries to ward off the disease.
• Blackberries were enjoyed by the ancient Greeks, who believed them to be a cure for diseases of the mouth and throat, as well as a preventative against many ailments, including gout.
• The blackberry leaf was also used as an early hair dye, having been recommended by Culpeper, the English herbalist, to be boiled in a lye solution in order to "maketh the hair black".
• Guide to blackberry varieties
• Researchers have known for quite some time that berries contain antioxidants which help to fight cancer causing free radicals.  A study at the University of Ohio has found that blackberries are the most potent cancer fighting berries of them all, by nearly 40 percent!
• U-pick Blackberry farms typically sell berries by the pound. A quart equals 1 and 1/2 pounds of fresh berries.
• Do the math and be careful not to over-purchase as Blackberries quickly mold when left at room temperature, and only last a couple of days in the refrigerator.
• You can easily freeze berries that you cannot use right away - just wash, cut the hulls off and pop them into a ziplock bag, removing as much air as possible.  Those vacuum food sealers REALLY do a good job of this! The berries will keep for many months frozen without air.
• Want to go to a blackberry festival? See this page for a list!

Other Local Farm Products (Honey, Horses, Milk, Meat, Eggs, Etc.)
(NOT pick-your-own, unless they are also listed above)

• Farm markets and roadside stands
• Local Honey Finder
• Local Meat, Milk and Eggs
• Venues: Farms, Wineries, Orchards for your event, wedding or party
• Easter egg hunts
• Children"s consignment sales
• Fruit and vegetable festivals
• Winery tours and wine tastings
• Horse rides, stables, lessons, trails
• Maple Syrup farms and sugarworks
• Bed & Breakfasts on Farms, Wineries, Ranches and Orchards
• Pumpkin patches
• Corn mazes
• Zombie Paintball venues
• Christmas Tree Farms & lots
• Environmental resources
• Consumer fraud information
• Wholesale food sources
• Resources for Farmers