Berryhill U-Pick Farm in Xenia Ohio
by Rachel Tayse • August 10, 2010 • Family, Local Food, Travel • 12 Comments
Our frozen blueberry stash was not replenished this July as in years past. To remedy this situation I have been hunting for an opportunity and location to pick berries.
The timing worked out this past weekend when we were visiting family in the near-Dayton area. Searching through PickYourOwn.org revealed Berryhill Farm south of Xenia Ohio. We made plans to stop there before lunch at The Winds in Yellow Springs and dinner with relatives.
Picking at a new farm is always a bit of a risk. Will the fruit be tasty and low chemical? People friendly? Prices reasonable?
Berryhill delightfully exceeded expectations. Blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries were all abundant, ripe, and extraordinarily tasty. Signs labeled the bushes pesticide free, which I have to believe based on the diversity of plant and insect life in the field.
The fields were very well maintained with wide rows for easy picking. Blackberries and raspberries were trellised up off the ground. There were only two other parties picking last Saturday morning. Even with many families the spacious farm would not seem crowded.
The Elliot blueberry variety planted at Berryhill is relatively small in form, yet easy enough to pick with a little stooping. It actually is the perfect variety to tag-team as a parent-child group where the child sits on the ground below picking the low fruit and an adult can stand over gathering berries from above.
In less than an hour’s time we picked eight pounds of blueberries and three pints of raspberries for a total of around $20. Cash and checks are accepted. Pre-picked berries and a small variety of other fruits are also available as are raw honey and ice cold water.
Berryhill has abundant parking and a friendly staff. They are lacking public restrooms. If you are traveling a distance in the heat of summer it’s a good idea to bring a cooler with ice to keep your berries fresh on the way home. From our home in Clintonville, we arrived at Berryhill in just under and hour. They are just 20 minutes from Dayton or Yellow Springs.
Raspberries and blackberries should be in season for another three weeks or more. Blueberries are likely to only last through the next week.
Lillian, our almost five year old, summarized the trip well: “The blueberries are very yummy there.”
This post was added to Two for Tuesdays.
How wonderful!! I know my kids enjoy berry picking…me too
Thanks so much for sharing this with Two for Tuesdays this week!!!
Coming over from T4T. I haven’t went berry picking since I was little and would love to find a place around here (I live in rural KY) that had pick your own. Sounds like you got a wonderful deal and had a great time.
Did you check out pickyourown.org, Kim? At least in Ohio they have tons of farms listed. Maybe there’s one in your area?
Great to know!! We are hoping to plant blackberries next year, but our soil can’t accommodate blueberries, and we eat a LOT of them. This is such good info, thanks Rachel!
We have blueberries growing but they aren’t fruiting well. I’m actually going to move them this fall and hope they do better in the spring.
I would love to have such an adorable berry-picking companion. Sounds like you found a winning farm. Thank you for sharing at Two for Tuesday.
Thanks!
Hey, that’s my hometown!
I’ve been lurking about your blog for a year or two now, becoming increasingly disappointed in my Clintonville apartment life and dreaming about moving back out to Small Town, OH. Your urban homestead strikes a chord in me. Thanks for sharing!
-Brian
The area around xenia is very beautiful. I was talking about moving there myself this weekend! Too much happening in the city for us right now to pick up and leave, but you never know.
I have never been berry picking – sounds like a fun adventure! I checked out the U-Pick link, not much in my area darn it! Thanks for linking to Two for Tuesdays.
Hi Rache and welcome to the two for tuesday recipe blog hop! So glad you could join us! I have grabbed your RSS feed, facebook liked and twittter follow. I adore the photos of your kids picking berries in a safe spot! We also grow berries and my kids gorge on them! Thanks so much for linking up and I do hope you come back again! Alex@amoderatelife
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