By Jeanette Hurt
Springtime strawberries get all the glory – understandably, since the long winters whet our appetites for them. But come summertime, blueberries and raspberries come into their own. Here are five pick-your-own berry farms where, by providing your own labor, you get a break on the price and pluck just when they’re ripe.
Bashaw Valley Greenhouse, Shell LakeOrganic blueberries don’t get much sweeter than at this family farm. Besides pick-your-own blueberries, a half-acre of raspberries were planted last summer and they’re available pre-picked from mid-July onward. W7402 Fox Trail Rd.; (715) 468-2591,
www.bashawvalleygreenhouse.com.
Blue Skies Organic Farm, BrooklynThe skies might not always be so blue, but the raspberries here are always delicious. Beginning on or about Aug. 10, you can get your treatment 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Check the berry hotline before you go. Bring your friends or your family. On weekdays, you can even bring along your well-mannered dogs, provided you clean up after them. Check out the heirloom tomatoes, baby beets, and other produce, too. 10320 N. Crocker Rd.; (608) 455-2803,
www.blueskiesfarm.com.
Blue Vista Farm, BayfieldBesides its plethora of raspberry and blueberry varieties, this eco-friendly farm also boasts a charming farm store. Gorgeous flower gardens attract hummingbirds and butterflies. County Hwy. J and Hatchery Rd.; (715) 779-5400,
www.bluevistafarm.com.
Carandale Farm, OregonThis farm’s pick-your-own season starts in June with strawberries, and then ripens up with raspberries. The berry season continues into early October and coincides with the pick-your-own Concord grapes harvest. 5683 Lincoln Rd.; (608) 835-3979,
www.carandale.com.
Henke’s U-Pick, JacksonSummer raspberries may be sweet, but nothing beats the rush of fall raspberries. Six acres of them ripen right after Labor Day at Henke’s, and these babies are available until the first frost. Open daily from 9 a.m. until at least 5 p.m. 1987 Mill Rd.; (262) 677-4672.
For other berry farms, check out:
www.pickyourown.org/WI.htmMilwaukee-based writer Jeanette Hurt is the author of The Cheeses of Wisconsin: A CulinaryTravel Guide (The Countyman Press). Content produced in cooperation with Wisconsin Trails, www.Wisconsintrails.com. For a complimentary copy of Wisconsin Trails magazine, please e-mail info@wistrails.com.