Sam Brown (6) enjoying a raspberry, photo by Friends in Photography

One of the ‘extra’s’ we offer at our orchard for fun are pick your own raspberries.  You can either pick in ‘Raspberry Fields Forever’ or on ‘Raspberry Row’.  Whatever you choose is sure to bring great results.  Raspberry Fields Forever can be found just north of our store near the Little Tyke Playground equipment.  Part of the raspberry bushes can be found under the tunnel which theoretically extend their season past the first frost – hopefully we’ll see that it works this year.  There are also some more berries not under the tunnel just west of the tunnel. 

Becky Markgraf and Kenzie (3) in Raspberry Fields Forever, photo by Friends in Photography

Here the bushes are quite tall as they’ve been living there for a few years now.

Kenzie (3) ‘lost’ in berry picking, photo by Friends in Photography

I’ve heard from a lot of parents that they like to pick here because the kids can play on the equipment while they fill their containers.

photo by Friends in Photography

New in 2011 is our Raspberry Row which can be found behind the Goat and Emu area.  here we have some very long rows of berry plants that are quite a bit shorter than the Field berries.  These are the plants that we transplanted this season from the old location.  

Pickers in Raspberry Row, photo by Friends in Photography

They’re not as tall as the other berries but are still fun to pick. 

Jen Brown and Clayton (10) fill their tray of berries, photo by Friends in Photography

Some people wonder how we have fall bearing raspberry plants – well, here’s the story:

The raspberries we grow are primocanes, producing fruit only in the fall. They
fit well with our “season” when apples are ripening and can be managed with very
limited hand pruning. Because primocanes produce fruit in the fall from canes
grown the same year, we prune by cutting all canes at ground level in late winter.

If we wanted a summer crop, we would prune only the top part of each cane that
bore fruit in the fall. The rest of the cane would produce fruit the following
summer. After that it would be cut at ground level. Every cane would need to be
cut individually TWICE every year. Instead we can use a mower or brush cutter
and cut the entire patch very quickly.

Becky Markgraf and Kenzie (3) “sampling” the raspberries, photo by Friends in Photography

When you come to pick berries – don’t forget – we strongly encourage sampling when your out in the field.  It’s all just part of the fun!

Stop by the orchard between 9-6 Mon – Saturday and 10-5 on Sunday’s to fill your pint (or two, or three…)!