“We had a weird spring here in the Kansas City metro area and, while it affected all of us, it reeeeeealllllly affected our local growers. We had a lot of rain (usually good) and a late freeze (overwhelmingly bad). Some crops were damaged, others just delayed. But here we are – mid-June. And the berries are upon us!”– this is copied directly from 2009’s Berry post.
Funny how the Spring weather in KC seems to repeat itself…the same story holds true for this year. The 2011 crop is “late” by most standards, with this weekend being the first real weekend for U-Pick Berries.
I didn’t take the kids berry picking last year, and it’s one of those things I put on my mental list of things to do this summer. The season is closing in! I took them to the Overland Park Farmer’s Market today, and there weren’t any berries to be had. Still the root vegetables and lots of greens, squash and zucchini. A few peaches made their way up from Georgia.
Quick tip: I buy LOTS of blueberries, wash them and put them in a single layer on a lined cookie sheet. After they are frozen, I divide them into small zip bags (only half-filled) and freeze the bags. One bag added to pancake batter = awesome blueberry pancakes, year-round!!! Look for blackberries starting about July 1st through September/October.
You might also want to check out our Pumpkin Patch/Orchards directory for ideas. Here are the Kansas City-area berry picking spots to check out:
- The Berry Patch (just south of Leawood & Martin City) – HUGE crop of blueberries and blackberries, great activities for kids!
- Cy & Dee’s Blackberry Farm (Louisburg, KS) - 28615 Rockville Rd., 913-837-2254
- Duncan’s Berry Farm (Smithville, MO) – blueberries sold at Briarcliff Farmer’s Market, U-Pick blackberries in July
- Lawson Brothers’ Farm (Baldwin City, KS) – NO 2011 CROP! Typically, they have strawberries, raspberries and blackberries.
- Schreiman Orchards (Waverly, MO) – 660-493-2477 – berries and peaches, an hour east of KC
- Sibley Orchards (Sibley, Jackson County, MO) – asparagus and rhubarb (and peaches and apples in season)
- Wagon Wheel Orchard (Gardner, KS) – no berries here but look for peaches and apples and pears beginning in July/ August
For a few more in the outlying areas, check out the Pick-Your-Own Farms and Orchards site for state-by-state lists:
*photo via barcoder96
