Berry Picking

I have heard from several neighbors about a pick-your-own berry farm in Mapleton where you can go get raspberries and blackberries.  I have eagerly been waiting for them to open, and they did this week.  I told the children we were going to go and knew that while they would like it picking, they don't like berries so I wouldn't have to worry about them eating them.  The farm opened this week, so we went out today.

The couple who own the farm are delightful people.  The farmer got us outfitted with buckets he tied around our waists, small buckets for the kids, a big one for me, and then told us to pick away but not to feed any berries to the deer and goats in the enclosure at the end of the row.  In a little over an hour we had picked 3.5 pounds of berries, half of each kind.  The kids hung in there for a bit, but they largely entertained themselves feeding the goats leaves and sticks.

I came home and made four pints of each kind of jam.  It looks beautiful and tastes delicious.  I think I'm going to go back in a few weeks when there will be more berries and the picking will be a bit more bounteous because I'm certain we'll go through the jam really quickly!

Looking for berries to fill their little buckets.

Aren't these lovely?