Blueberry Picking

Last year at the very end of the summer I stumbled upon Swift Creek Berry Farm not too far from me in Richmond.  I was thrilled to find a place to pick fresh blueberries but disappointed to realize that I only had an hour to pick before they closed for the season.  I literally was the last person (furiously) picking in the blueberry plants trying to fill my bucket before they kicked me out to close their gates for the year.  I was honored to be their very last customer of the 2010 season but bummed to not have discovered them earlier...especially because the blueberries are so sweet & delicious.  The amount I picked only lasted me through half of the winter so I decided that I'd try to pick enough this year to carry me all the way through till next summer.

Cheryl agreed to join me this year for some blueberry-pickin' fun.  It was a beautiful Saturday morning in August spent picking & chatting in the berry plants.  We were enjoying ourselves so much that we both ended up picking 2 full buckets.  11 lbs. and a couple hours later I was a happy camper with a cooler full of berries.

Just in case my first batch of berries did not last me through the winter (because I gave away more than a couple pounds), Mom and I decided to explore Bush Neck Farm in Williamsburg a few weeks back for some more blueberries.  It's a farm way off the beaten path, at the end of a very long one lane road, and backs up to the Chickahominy River.  We both each picked a bucket (totaling 9 lbs. all together) rather quickly because the sound of all the boats on the river made us anxious to get home and get out there ourselves.  So...between the 2 trips, my freezer is full and I should be set for a long while in the blueberry department!