2024 Marin and Sonoma counties in California Blueberry U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org
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Blueberry U-Pick Orchards in Marin and Sonoma counties in California in 2024, by county
Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for blueberries that we know of in this area. Not all areas of any state, nor even every state, have blueberries 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.
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Sonoma County
Duckworth Family Farm - CERTIFIED ORGANIC, Blueberries 2950 Canfield Rd, Sebastopol, CA 95472. Phone: (707) 829-7999. Email: blueberries@sonic.net. Open: mid June through July, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 7am to 2pm, until blueberries are gone late August?. Click here for a map and directions. . mid June through July, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 7am to 2pm, until blueberries are gone (late August?). Reservations needed: Tickets are available on eventbrite https://duckworthupick_july11.eventbrite.com. Tickets are per car, not per person, so pile as many people in the car as you like! Due to the uptick in Covid, we have increased our safety protocols and have drastically limited the amount of people allowed per day on the farm. Masks must be worn. I love to taste while I pick too, however, safety requires that we no longer allow eating in the field. If you like to pack a picnic, please do. We have many places to picnic while maintaining distancing. They have a WWOOF program (Worldwide Opportunity on Organic Farms) in the late spring to late summer. Students from WWOOF come from all over the world to learn about the farm and all that comes with it. learning to work with the wool from our sheep, we teach the drop-spindle, spinning wheel, and weaving on one of our many looms. We also grow indigo for natural dyeing.We offer U-pick days once our blueberries are ready for picking in the summer. Families and friends can come out and pick their own blueberries! We will be selling blueberry pies made from our organic blueberries as well.Bringing the family out for a farm day of U-picking is a great way to unplug and make family memories. The blueberry season only lasts 7 weeks, so make plans now to come out and pick! (UPDATED: March 20, 2021) (ADDED: July 11, 2020, JBS)
Love Farms Organic Produce - CERTIFIED ORGANIC, beans, beets, blackberries, blueberries, broad beans, broccoli, carrots, corn (sweet), cucumbers, eggplant, flowers, grapes, herbs or spices, melons, onions, peas, raspberries (Spring, red), summer squash, winter squash, strawberries, tomatoes, other vegetables, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, farm animals, school tours, events at your location (call for info) 15069 Grove Street, Healdsburg, CA 95448. Phone: 707-433-1230. Email: rlove@lovefarms.com. Open: UPDATE for 2021, They may have closed; Does anyone have current information, are they still offering pick your own or are even open? If so, please write me, their last reported hours were April to November 9 am to 5 pm. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, WIC Vouchers, SFMNP Vouchers. Love Farms Organic Produce Facebook page. . Alternate Phone: 707 433-6274. . We are certified organic for all crops!
Blueberry Picking Tips, Recipes and Information
Blueberries are one of the easiest fruit to prepare and serve.
There's no peeling, pitting, coring or cutting. They have few natural pests,
(other than birds), so pesticides are generally unnecessary! This year's crop is
fantastic (see
related news story), thanks both to the weather and to
more farms planting more blueberry bushes due to increased consumer demand
over the past few years as more studies proclaim the anti-oxidant and other
health properties of blueberries.
If you are looking for information about a similar
berry, the saskatoon (also called the June berry or Serviceberry)
see this page about
saskatoons.
Picking
tips:
Select plump, full blueberries with a light gray-blue color. A berry with any
hint of red isn't fully ripened.
Ripening AFTER picking?
First, it is key to know that once picked, blueberries will NOT become any sweeter, nor will the flavor improve. The only change that occurs
is the color. They will APPEAR to ripen, but it is only a color change, from white to green to rose to red to pale blue to fully blue. So, white and green colored blueberries will not
"ripen" after they are picked; while blueberries that have already turned purple,
red or blue-ish usually DO change color after they are picked (if they are kept at room
temperature to "ripen").
As the blueberries ripen ON THE BUSH, the flavor goes from tastless to bitter to tasteless tart to tart blueberry flavor to sweet blueberry flavor.
Grocery stores sell blueberries that are tart, not sweet because they had them picked unripe by machine so they are very firm and can handled being
bumped around in shipping. They may look good, but are not as tasty as those picked when actually ripe.
So, the key is, PICK ONLY RIPE BERRIES!
How to pick blueberries
Since blueberries hang on the bushes in bunches a but like
grapes do, the easiest and fastest way to pick them is hold your bucket under
them in one hand and with your other hand, cup a ripe bunch and gently rub them
with your fingers. The ripe berries will drop into your bucket, while the
unripe ones will remain attached to the bush.
When the bushes are at peak, I can easily pick 2 gallons per
hour (if I'm not being distracted by the kids and the sun isn't too hot!).
A newbie might do 1 gallon per hour.and at the beginning or end of the season it
takes more time as the berries are not as plentiful nor concentrated
in clusters.
Tips for storing blueberries after harvesting:
Once picked, don't place the berries, still warm from the sun, in a
closed bag or container. Leave the container open so moisture doesn't form
in the container.
Don't wash berries until just before using, to prevent berries from
becoming mushy.
Chill berries soon after picking to increase shelf life. Store
your fresh blueberries in the refrigerator as soon as you get them home,
without washing them, in a covered bowl or storage container. If
refrigerated, fresh-picked blueberries will keep 10 to 14 days.
Freeze berries in freezer containers without washing to keep
the skins from toughening. Place berries one layer deep. Freeze,
then pour the frozen berries into freezer containers. Because unwashed
blueberries freeze individually, they can be easily poured from containers
in desired amounts. Remember both frozen and fresh berries should be
rinsed and drained just before serving. Just before using, wash the berries
in cold water.
Blueberry Measurements and Conversions
Keep in mind that blueberries vary considerably in density and moisture
content, so these ranges are approximates.
1 gallon of blueberries weighs about 7.5 lbs or (4
liters of blueberries is about 3.5 kg)
1 pint of fresh blueberries weights about 3/4 of a pound. (1
liter of blueberries is about 700 grams)
1 pound of fresh blueberries is usually between about 2 and
3 cups
of berries.
If you have trouble with blueberries settling to the bottom of muffins and
blueberry breads, try one or more of these tips:
Coat them with flour before adding to the batter. Just gently shake the
blueberries in a bag (plastic or paper) with 1/2 cup of flour, then dump
them mix in a sieve to remove excess flour.
It may just be that your batter is too thin. try making the batter a
little thicker!
Fill the muffin cups or baking pan up to 1/4 full with batter (which
hasn't had blueberries added to it yet); then stir the blueberries into the
remaining batter, and continue to fill the muffin cups or bread pan. The
blueberries will start off higher in the mix!