Grab your buckets; it’s berry-picking season.
Many berry farms in Snohomish and Island counties are already open (see list below), offering pick-your-own blueberries, raspberries and tayberries at times throughout the summer.
You’ll find berries bursting at almost any farm, but where you should go depends on what you’re looking for.
Berry pickers can enjoy a quiet, relaxed experience at Crescent Harbor Blueberry Farm in Oak Harbor.
The 180-year-old farm has a Victorian farmhouse, views of Crescent Harbor and 2.9 acres restored as a Victorian garden. There are 1,000 organic blueberry bushes and 19 fruit trees.
“It’s the ambiance, it’s beautiful,” Linda White said. “They can sit under the curly willow in the shade and enjoy the history of the location and farm.”
White and her husband Michael bought the farm as a retirement project after 45 years of marriage.
They grow four kinds of pick-your-own blueberries, available for $3 per pound.
To visit the farm, you’ll have to call first. U-pick tours are available by appointment only.
Jamie Flint of Bryant Blueberry Farm and Nursery in Arlington runs a farm that is geared toward family visits.
“The bushes are really loaded,” Flint said. “And we’ve got a lot for the kids.”
Pick blueberries, currants and tayberries with the family then take the kids to the playground or see the farm animals. They can swing and play in the sandbox, watch ducks and chickens or feed carrots to the farm’s resident goats, Lily and Coco.
Blueberries are $2.25 per pound, currants and tayberries are $3 per pound. Raspberries will be available later in the season for $3 per pound.
The farm will offer pony and hay rides, face painting and balloon animals from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 27 for the fifth annual Bryant Blueberry Festival.
“It’s just a fun family day,” Flint said. “We have a lot of great stuff for the kids, plus a barbecue with hamburgers and hotdogs.”
The farm is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and weekends through late August.
Pat Donnelly of Donnelly’s Riverbank Blueberries in Monroe grows certified-organic blueberries.
“We haven’t used a chemical on this place in seven years,” Donnelly said.
He has 750 bushes bursting with chemical-free blueberries.
Kids can keep busy on the farm’s pirate ship and other play areas.
Another reason to visit?
“We have a flushing outhouse,” Donnelly said.
Organic blueberries are available for $3 per pound. Donnelly will also sell Sky Valley honey for $10 per pint.
Call ahead for the U-pick schedule.
Where to pick berries
SNOHOMISH COUNTY
Bailey Vegetables: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekends, 12711 Springhetti Road, Snohomish; 360-568-8826; baileyveg@gmail.com; www. baileyveg.com. U-pick raspberries, $2.50 per pound..
Biringer Farm: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, 21412 59th Ave. NE, Arlington; 425-259-0255; info@biringerfarm.com; www.biringerfarm.com. U-pick raspberries, blackberries and tayberries.
Blueberry Blossom Farm: 8628 Fobes Road, Snohomish; 360-568-4713; www.blueberryblossomfarm.com; U-pick pesticide-free blueberries.
Bolles Organic Farm: 17930 Tualco Loop Road, Monroe; 360-805-1980; tualco@msn.com; open daily during season from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; U-pick blueberries and raspberries.
Broers Farms: 18228 Tualco Road, Monroe; 425-248-9321 or broersfarm@aol.com; open daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through August; organic U-pick blueberries.
Bryant Blueberry Farm and Nursery: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays during harvest season, mid-July through late August, 5628 Grandview Road, Arlington; 360-474-8424; www.bryantblueberries.com. U-pick blueberries, $2.25 per pound, U-pick currants and tayberries, $3 per pound.
Donnelly’s Riverbank Blueberries and Vegetables: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, early July to November, 11827 Reiner Road, Monroe; 360-793-2114. U-pick blueberries.
Garden Treasures: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, 3328 Highway 530, Arlington; 360-435-9272; www.arlingtongardentreasures.com. U-pick blueberries, raspberries and tayberries.
Mountainview Blueberry Farm: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday beginning July, 7617 E. Lowell-Larimer Road, Snohomish; 360-668-3391; www.mountainviewblueberryfarm.com. U-pick blueberries priced per pound.
Penryn Farm U-Pick Blueberries: 10923 South Lake Stevens Road, Lake Stevens; 425-257-0453; 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily from July 23 through Sept. 10. It’s a 3-acre honor system farm, so grab a bucket at the office and go pick berries, then weigh your berries and leave $2 per pound in the cash box.
Raising Cane Ranch: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, 5719 Riverview Road, Snohomish; info@raisingcaneranch.com. U-pick raspberries.
Whitehorse Meadows Farm: 38302 State Route 530 NE, Arlington; 360-436-1951; www.whitehorsemeadowsfarm.com. Certified organic blueberry farm with U-pick Spartans, Rubels and Jerseys.
ISLAND COUNTY
Crescent Harbor Blueberry Farm: 2726 Laurel Lane, Oak Harbor; 360-679-4210; blueberryfarm@comcast.net; www.crescentharborblueberryfarm.com. Organic U-pick blueberries $3 per pound; by appointment only.
Mile Post 19 Farm: 18997 Highway 20, Coupeville: 360-678-3641; MilePost19Farm@gmail.com; www.milepost19farm.com. U-pick pesticide-free raspberries.
Ashley Stewart: 425-339-3037; astewart@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
