I just picked 3 gallons of glorious blueberries!

First, the bad news: I called Falls Blueberry Farm in Maryville yesterday and they said that would be their last day. Say it isn't so?! There were just no more berries on the trees. I went the same time last year and they were dripping with berries; last year they had them well into August; so I was VERY disappointed. Between trips, camps, and VBS, we haven't had a single day to get there til now.

Second, the good news: I had heard the Blueberry Hill Farm in Norris was great. The answering machine said they were open for picking every day, sun up to sun down and they should have berries til the end of August. This farm was actually closer to me; so I piled all three kids in the car and off we went.

I was delighted to see they had PLENTY of blueberries and they were delicious! And I had the added surprise to see a friend had brought her kids there too. So we got to pick and visit at the same time. In an hour and a half, we had filled 3 gallons. I would have kept picking but the kids were done. The berries seemed nice and plump after yesterday's rain, but I did get soaked by the drops falling off the leaves. We all cooled off in the creek near Norris Lake not far away.

I am pleased with my berries, but their pricing is much higher than in Maryville. $16 a gallon--cash only (more than twice what I paid last year). I respect that they work on the honor system. You put your money in an envelope and slip it between two slats in a barn! Despite paying more, it's still much cheaper than any market's sale, they don't spray pesticides on the berries, I'm supporting local agriculture, and I've ensured I should have enough fresh berries to get me through to next summer. Very happy! Sorry I have no good pictures; I was too busy harvesting blueberries! ;-)

Details:

Blueberry Hill Farm

Brian & BJ Baxter, owner/operator

101 Reservoir Rd

Norris, TN 37828 (Anderson County)

Phone: (865) 494-7903

E-mail: info@tnblueberries.com

Web: http://www.tnblueberries.com

Blueberries Galore

"Ooohhh, here we go into the enchanted garden!" I beckon. "Ooohhh," my kids respond, ducking under branches into a copious canopy of lush fruit. "Look up...and over there...and right here...blueberries are everywhere!" I exclaim with joy. The excitement is infectious and within minutes, my children (ages 6, 3, and 1) are all busy gathering a bounty of blueberries.

We've come to Maxine and Bob Falls Blueberry Farm in Maryville today to stock up on this antioxidant superfood. Since this is one of the dirty dozen (foods you should try to buy organic), my goal is to get as many as I can today. Though this farm is not "certified organic," they are "green" in my book because they do not use chemicals or pesticides and are locally grown. I'd take the freshly picked element over certified organic trucked from across the country any day.

When we first arrive, we are greeted by Bob and Maxine on the patio. To me, it looks more like an extended garden in their yard than a farm. Open to the public for 18 years, the Falls attribute the success of these 30-year-old bushes to using filtered water. "You can't grow blueberries with city water," Bob declares. Duly noted.

Each of us are outfitted with their brilliantly simple blueberry gathering system: milk jugs with the tops cut off attached around the waist with belts strung through the handles. I'm going to make some of these for our own garden. The boys beam with pride in expectation for a grand expedition.

"Where should we go?" I ask. "Oh anywhere," Bob responds. "Just choose a bush and start pickin'. You'll probably be more comfortable under a bush looking up than in the sunshine. It looks like an arbor in there." Thinking of our own blueberry bushes my husband planted last spring that are maybe two feet tall, I have a hard time imagining an arbor of blueberry bushes. Sure enough, many of them are probably seven feet tall and I have to get on my tip toes to reach the upper branches. Already 10:00am and stinkin' hot, I had feared the kids wouldn't last long. However, under the branches, it must be ten degrees cooler. Ahhh.

After a few pictures and video clips, we all get quickly to work. Though I've loved picking strawberries with the kids, a few bonuses spring to mind about blueberries.

A. We aren't out in the blazing sun.

B. We don't have to walk far.

C. All three kids can wander and still be within sight.

D. There is no mud or standing water.

E. I don't have to crawl in the mud.

F. Their attention span is much greater and allows us to stay for nearly two hours.

At the end of our quest, we've gathered six pounds of blueberries, about the equivalent of 1 1/3 gallons. Here's the best part: the cost. Since they only charge $1.25/pound, my total is $7.50 for blueberries that should last us at least a few months. I'm debating about going back for another round before they're out of season (Maxine expects another 3-4 weeks for harvesting), but I'll need to evaluate my freezer space.

So what does one do with 6 pounds of blueberries? Maxine hands us a sheet with recipes for using blueberries in syrup, bundt cakes, jam, pancakes, pies, lemonades, smoothies, even chicken salad. I think we'll eat as many as we can fresh, I might make Gabe's cobbler recipe, I'll trade a bag of berries for homegrown cantaloupe with my friend Libby, and I'll freeze the rest. Maxine recommends NOT to wash the berries before freezing--only just before eating them. I'm going to lay them out in a single layer on a cookie sheet and pop them into the freezer; then I'll throw them into quart size freezer bags.

Nearly noon, I ask the boys if they had fun. "Yeah, can we do this again?" Bobby asks. "I'm a good helper." Smile. Honestly, there are days every SAHM questions if she's the best person for this important and sometimes daunting task of raising children 24/7. Our little field trip today not only proved that it can be fun to "go green and save green" but that I'm on the right track of mommyhood.

Thanks to Squeezing a Dollar out of Dime for the tip on this place. Here are the basics of the farm:

Maxine and Bob Falls Blueberry Farm

111 Harmon Rd. Maryville, Tn 37804

(865) 982-3457

Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, & Saturday 6:30am-8:30pm.

1.25/lb when you pick them yourself and 2.50/lb if you just stop in to purchase them. They also have a few baked goods.

They're located about 10 minutes beyond McGhee Tyson Airport.

Please enjoy my little video below.

That's So Martha Stewart

This was one of my first paid articles in EvaMag three years ago. As I am heading to Rutherford's for strawberry picking on Friday morning, I thought you might enjoy this:

Producing homemade jam from berries I pick myself is so Martha Stewart, but that’s what I’ve decided to do. Not only will my three-year-old be exposed to a natural treasure hunt but he will see first-hand that strawberries come from vines in a field--not from the supermarket. Plus, I’m driven by a need to preserve a virtually legendary family tradition.

Growing up a farmer’s daughter in Mississippi, I helped my mother make endless jars of jam every summer. Our fruit of choice was the dewberry, similar to blackberries. They grew wild along the roadside, but they were never easy to get. Thorns, deep ditches, and snakes were the biggest obstacles. Carefully tending a bubbling pot for what seemed hours, mom turned gallons of fresh berries into a beloved treat. This labor of love was all worthwhile for the chance to give something special to neighbors at Christmas.

Having decided it’s time to create my own tradition, I turn to what’s available locally this time of year: strawberries. Thanks to pick-your-own fruit farms, this should be a snap. The closest place for me is The Fruit and Berry Patch in Halls. How disappointing to discover the freeze around Easter wiped out their entire strawberry, blueberry, and peach crop this year. I hunt around for other options and learn Rutherford’s Strawberries in Maryville does have the delicacy. Let’s go!

When I arrive with my two boys, field manager Gail King says, “I hope you’ve come for the experience and not for a large volume. This morning we had hordes of folks ascend the fields like locusts.” My heart sinks! The recipe I have for old-fashioned jam requires six cups of crushed fruit. I have no idea how many strawberries that will take. Trying to stay positive, I put my squirming infant in a sling on my back and head towards the section of the field she advises (the part with knee-high weeds).

At first my preschooler Bobby is eager for the challenge. He’s been given directions to leave all the green or gushy ones. About one out of every ten we inspect are acceptable. We’re glad we’re wearing jeans, as we crawl in the dirt for the best view. I smile when he exclaims, “Hey Mom, this one is gorgeous!” Bobby’s enthusiasm for this activity quickly fades within ten minutes, however, and I barely have enough to fill a jar of jam. So I begin speed picking. I don’t have time or energy in the blazing sun to be too choosy. I’ll just cut away the bad parts I rationalize.

As we check out, the owner of the farm, Steve Rutherford, moseys down the path. In business for more than thirty years, he established the farm as an excuse to be outside and “because strawberries are mighty tasty.” He says it’s a nice balance to his day job as a special agent, a self-described “snoop.”

When asked how his strawberries survived the freeze, he lets out a deep sigh. Like an attentive father to a newborn, Steve constantly monitored temperatures and moisture levels for eight nights of sub-freezing weather. Using ground cover and irrigation to insulate the delicate fruit with blankets of ice, he didn’t sleep for more than two-hour stretches. One night when the temperatures dipped to fifteen degrees, his pipes leaked. “I became a human popsicle trying to fix them,” Steve remarks. He estimates he still lost hundreds of gallons of berries, probably a third of his crop, but he won’t know for sure until the season is over.

Regardless, he decided not to raise prices. At just $1.20 a pound, these strawberries are the best local price I’m told. Sensing my concern that four pounds isn’t enough, Steve advises making “freezer jam” instead. You only need four cups of fresh fruit, it requires less sugar than traditional methods, it’s much easier to make, and it tastes just as good if not better. SOLD!

Equipped with pectin and plastic cups specified for freezer jam, I’m ready to give our family tradition a modern twist. It is as easy as the packet instructions say: measure, crush, stir, and pour. I almost feel guilty that it isn’t more laborious. Bobby grins from ear to ear when we crush berries into mush. The taste test results are delicious; you truly can tell a difference from store-bought. All said, each eight-ounce container costs about two dollars, but I’m hoping my son will consider the experience priceless.

Footnote: Rutherford’s Strawberries on 3337 Mint Road in Maryville should have berries available through mid-June, but call ahead (982-5891). They’re open Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays 8am- 1pm and 4-8pm or until picked out. For other farms and produce, check out www.pickTNproducts.org.