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Blueberry U-Pick Orchards in Richmond area of Southeastern Virginia 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.

Charles City County

  • Barry's Berries and Jan's Jams - No pesticides are used, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, figs, picnic area you may bring your own food
    8200 W. Cool Hill Road, Providence Forge, VA 23140. Phone: 804-966-7357. Email: rosetre1@msn.com. Open: 7 days a week 7 am to 7 pm by appointment only call for appointment. Directions: exit interstate 64 south on Roxbury road \(route 106\) turn left on Barnetts road \(route 609\) turn left on west Cool Hill road \(route 631\) county left west off of sign and will not fix it. turn left into farm driveway 8200 west Cool Hill road. Rosetree Hill Farm Barry\'s Berries Jan\'s jams. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover. Barry's Berries and Jan's Jams Alternate Phone: 804-513-7044. Fax: 804-966-2690. . exit interstate 64 south on Roxbury road (route 106) turn left on Barnetts road (route 609) turn left on west Cool Hill road (route 631) county left west off of sign and will not fix it. turn left into farm driveway 8200 west Cool Hill road. Rosetree Hill Farm Barry's Berries Jan's jams. call and check for what is ready to pick, or e mail and request to be emailed when different berries are ready to pick. We do not use pesticides on the crops. We also have mulberries and wonderful homemade jams made by Jan's Jams. We have 20 different jams we make a few are seasonal the rest available all year. Call and see what we have to purchase now.

Chesterfield County

  • Swift Creek Berry Farm - blueberries and vegetables
    17210 Genito Road, Moseley, VA 23120. Phone: (804) 739-2037. Email: kathy@swiftcreekberryfarm.com. Open: April through October; Call for hours and picking information. Click here for a map and directions. . From Richmond, take Route 60 or Powhite Parkway to Charter Colony Parkway. Turn left, go to Genito Road, turn right, go 4.5 miles and look for signs. Ask about our mums for your fundraiser. Pick-your-own and fresh-picked . Annuals, perennials and hanging baskets from our greenhouse in the spring. Mums, pansies and pumpkins in the fall.

Hanover County

  • Blue Eden Farm - blueberries, U-pick and already picked, gift shop, concessions or refreshment stand, picnic area you may bring your own food, school tours, group reservations
    2172 Piping Tree Ferry Road, Mechanicsville, VA 23111. Phone: (804) 955-9834. Email: blueedenfarm@yahoo.com. Open: Wednesday to Sunday 9:0am to 4:00pm. Directions: Take Mechanicsville Turnpike \(360\) east to West Store. At West Store take a right onto Old Church Road. \(VA 606\) Go approximately 3 miles until you see a fork. Bear left at the fork onto Piping Tree Ferry Road. \(State Route 629\) Farm is just over a mile up on your left. Look for an old brick Dutch Colonial. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard.
    Blue Eden Farm Facebook page. . . Take Mechanicsville Turnpike (360) east to West Store. At West Store take a right onto Old Church Road. (VA 606) Go approximately 3 miles until you see a fork. Bear left at the fork onto Piping Tree Ferry Road. (State Route 629) Farm is just over a mile up on your left. Look for an old brick Dutch Colonial. (ADDED: June 09, 2017)

New Kent County

  • Couch's Corner Berries - blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, restrooms, group tours
    8201 Poindexter Road, New Kent, VA 23124. Phone: 804 932-3169. Email: ninefingers37@verizon.net. Open: Friday - Wednesday Closed Thursdays Sun-up to Sun-down; 7AM to 7PM. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. . Friday - Wednesday (Closed Thursdays) Sun-up to Sun-down; 7AM to 7PM. Pick your own asparagus, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, raspberries and strawberries. Also available honey, beeswax candles and jams. Best to call first to verify availability. A visitor writes on July 03, 2014: "I went today with my children and we had a wonderful time. We picked a bucket of blue berries and a pint of raspberries. The farmer And his son were very nice, offering us water because it was hot and driving us to the best berry picking sections on their golf cart. We also bought yummy honey and farm made jelly. We will go back again." A visitor writes on July 02, 2014: "Today we stopped at in New Kent, Virginia. We picked five pints of amazing, delicious raspberries! The prices are very reasonable, the berries healthy and plentiful, and Mr. Couch was very helpful, even giving us bottles of water when it got hot. He stated that he has quite a bit of honey, and described his beekeeping experience as well. We will be back! Couchs Corner is just a mile or two from the Providence Forge rest area off I-64 and very easy to find. "

 

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.

Click here to find a local Blueberry Festival (usually held between April and July).

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.

  • It takes about 4 cups (about of blueberries to make a blueberry pie (see this fantastic and easy blueberry pie recipe)

  • A normal batch of blueberry preserves, jam or jelly requires 5 pints of berries.

  • Blueberries do come in a variety of sizes from small (190-250 berries per cup) to extra large (<90 berries per cup).

Blueberry Recipes, Canning and Freezing Blueberries

Recipes

Canning, freezing and other blueberry recipes:

Baking tips

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!

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