Entertainment - Entertainment News

POSTED: Monday, Jun. 15, 2009

County's summer harvest awaits to be plucked, savored

The bounty of berries in Whatcom County offers young and old an opportunity to savor the fresh, sweet tastes of summer right off the vine, and maybe even put some by for that rainy evening in January to remember that hot day in July.

For a list of farms outside of Whatcom County, and details on other farms in our area that offer everything from lavender to cherries to sweet corn, go to smallfarms.wsu.edu for a farm and crop locator, hosted by Washington State University's Small Farms Team.

You can also visit sustainableconnections.org.

Make sure you call ahead to see if berries are ready before venturing out to pick.

AAA Raspberries U-Pick

Address and directions: 827 W. Pole Road., Ferndale; two miles west of Guide Meridian, .6 of a mile east of Northwest Road

Contact: 384-1152, 303-1333

Open: Start date is first week of July. Season lasts about 30 days.

Hours: Dawn to dusk, seven days a week.

Special note: No pesticides used. Some we-pick. Call for details.

Alm Hill Gardens

Address: 3550 Alm Road, Everson

Contact: (360) 312-1868

Open: U-Pick on Tuesdays and Saturdays, late June-September, by appointment only.

Special note: WSDA certified organic u-pick raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and strawberries.

Barbie's Berries

Address: 7655 Melody Lane, Ferndale

Contact: 384-1260, barbiesberries.com.

Open: Tentative start date for strawberries: June 20-25 with u-pick to begin about June 30; raspberries will be available about July 4, with blackberries and blueberries to follow.

Hours: Open daily 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Special note: Five stand locations: Market Fuel at Bakerview Road and Bennett Drive in Bellingham; Raspberry Ridge on Hannegan; Fairway Center in Lynden; corner of Rathbone and Birch Bay-Lynden roads in Birch Bay; and off Willeys Lake Road.

Bellingham Country Gardens, U-Pick and Farm Stand

Address: 2838 Kelly Road, Bellingham, .5 mile west of Mount Baker Highway at Sand Road

Contact: 223-3724, bellinghamcountrygardens.com.

Open: Strawberries all summer and seasonal vegetables, herbs and flowers.

Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays and by appointment.

Special note: All no-spray.

Bjornstad Farms

Address: 6799 Old Guide Road, Bellingham

Contact: 398-9874, bjornstadfarms.net.

Open: June 15 for u-pick strawberries, $1.25 per pound, raspberries and blueberries later in season.

Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday.

Boxx Berry Farm

Address: 6211 Northwest Road, Ferndale, two miles north of the Smith Road soccer fields

Contact: 380-2699, boxxberryfarm.com

Open: Approximately June 15, through Oct. 31

Hours: Retail market and u-pick is open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays.

Special note: Retail market sells strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, other fresh produce and products. U-pick: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, flowers and pumpkins.

Eastview Blueberry Farm

Address: 4983 Ferndale Road, Ferndale, I-5 to Slater Road (Exit 260), drive two miles west on Slater Road, turn right on Ferndale Road, drive .25 mile. The entrance to the farm will be on your left.

Contact: 384-3023, eastviewblueberryfarm.com, dave@eastviewblueberryfarm.com.

Open: Several varieties of fresh blueberries are available from mid-July until September; frozen berries are available year-round.

Special note: No u-pick, bulk packaging available.

Generations Blueberry Farm

Address: 2298 Stickney Island Road, Everson; from Guide Meridian, head east on Pole Road. Turn left onto West Main Street. West Main Street becomes Park Drive, and Park Drive becomes Stickney Island Road. The farm is located on the corner.

Contact: 966-2600

Open: Projected start date is mid-July.

Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m.- 3 p.m.,

Special note: U-pick or we-pick. Call ahead for large orders. No pesticides are used on any of the berries.

Hannah Blueberries U-pick

Address: 7892 Enterprise Road, Ferndale, between Willey Lake Road and Birch Bay-Lynden Road.

Contact: 366-1070

Open: Mid-July

Special note: U-pick, $1 a pound; we-pick for $3 a pound; 24-hour advance notice necessary. The berries are not sprayed.

Haugen's Raspberries

Address: 577 East Pole Road, Lynden, halfway between Hannegan and Guide Meridian.

Contact: 354-4764

Open: Beginning of July for about 6 weeks.

Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday -Saturday.

Special note: Abundant Meeker Raspberries and Duke Blueberries. U-pick and we-pick at farm stand.

Hopewell Farm

Address: 3072 Massey Road, Everson; Just out of Everson off Highway 9 (Nooksack Road)

Contact: 927- 8433

Open: Farm stand open July to November.

Hours: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

Special note: Strawberries and blueberries and other certified organic produce.

Koskela Blueberry Farm

Address: 943 Piper Road, Ferndale, out Northwest Road, right on Piper, fourth driveway on right.

Contact: 734-9509

Open: August

Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Special note: U-pick and we-pick.

Lubbe Farm

Address: 3200 Lindsay Road, Everson

Open: Berries will be ready early June and last about three weeks.

Hours: Call 966-3382 or 510-3510 for times or to place an order.

Special note: Organic strawberries, u-pick or we-pick. Three varieties to choose from.

McPhail Berry Farm

Address: 8318 Bob Hall Road, Lynden, north on Guide Meridian, west on Birch Bay-Lynden Road, north on Bob Hall Road.

Contact: 354-5936, mcphailberries.com

Open: June-October.

Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday, noon-6 p.m. Sunday, June through August; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday, September and October.

Special note: Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, Marionberries, loganberries, boysenberries, blackberries, tayberries, red gooseberries, green gooseberries, red currents, black currents, u-pick or we-pick; other products in the retail store.

North Field Blueberry Farm

Address: 6726 Northwest Road, Ferndale, at Pole Road.

Contact: 380-5257

Open: Late July.

Hours: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday through Monday.

Special note: Pesticide and herbicide-free fruit; u-pick or we-pick by prior order.

Shumway's Strawberries

Address: 3957 Mount Baker Highway, 10 miles east of Bellingham.

Contact: 354-5981, 815-7321

Open: June 10-July 10.

Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday.

Together Gardens

Address: 500 E. Pole Road, Lynden, halfway between Guide Meridian and Hannegan Road, on the north side of the road.

Contact: 398-1665

Open: Raspberries: u-pick or we-pick, open first of July. Boysenberries: we-pick only, open mid-July. Blackberries: u-pick, we-pick, open mid-August.

Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday- Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday.

Special note: No-spray berries. Phone orders welcome.

Williams Farms

Address: 4405 Deming Road, 12 miles east of Bellingham on Mount Baker Highway across from Mount Baker Vineyards.

Contact: 592-6720

Open: After July 4.

Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily.

Special note: Late raspberries, blackberries, tayberries, blueberries, sweet corn. Farm stand only, no u-pick.

Berry Festivals

Boxx Berry Farm Berry Festivals

6211 Northwest Road, Ferndale, two miles north of the Smith Road soccer fields.

Strawberry festival will be on a Saturday in the middle of June from noon to 3 p.m. Free strawberry sundaes, farm wagon tour rides, kiddies' train rides, face painting and a kids' animal balloon maker. There will also be a discount given on u-pick prices of more than 20 pounds.

Raspberry festival will be on a Saturday in the middle of July from noon to p.m. Free raspberry sundaes, farm wagon tour rides, kiddies' train rides, face painting and a kids' animal balloon maker.

Blueberry pancake feed will be the first Friday in August from 9 to 11 a.m. Free blueberry pancakes with homemade Boxx Berry Farm syrups.

Contact: 380-2699, boxxberryfarm.com.

Glen Echo Community Club's Annual Strawberry Social

Saturday, June 27, 6-8 p.m.

Glen Echo Community Building, 7694 Goodwin Road at South Pass Road.

Enjoy local strawberries served on homemade shortcake with ice cream, whipped cream and a beverage. Music by the Valley Voices a cappella chorus and the Bellingham Blend Barbershop Quartet.

Suggested donation of $6, $3 ages 6 and younger of 60 and older; all proceeds go to building improvements.

Contact: 966-7370 mailbox No.4, glenechocommunityclub.org.

Lynden Raspberry Festival

Friday, July 17 and Saturday, July 18, downtown Lynden.

10 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday

Kids' day on Friday; raspberries and ice cream sundaes, live jazz, 11th annual Curt Maberry Memorial Classic 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament. Saturday: Same as Friday, plus shuttle to McPhail Berry Farm, wine-tasting at Samson Estates Winery, street fair, car show, fun run/walk, all-you-can-eat raspberry pancake breakfast, much more.

Contact: Lynden Chamber of Commerce, 518 Front St., 354-5995, lynden.org, events@lynden.org.

Web: mcphailberries.com.