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Berry pickers, tall and small, grab your buckets!
By SUZANNE KENNEDY
It’s PYO season! Don’t
know what that is? To the
layperson, that would be
͞ƉŝĐŬLJŽƵƌŽǁŶ͘͟^ƵŵŵĞƌŝƐ
ĂŐƌĞĂƚƟŵĞĨŽƌƉŝĐŬŝŶŐLJŽƵƌ
own fruits at U-Pick farms. In
fact, it’s the only season. This
ĨĂŵŝůLJͲĨƌŝĞŶĚůLJĂĐƟǀŝƚLJŝƐĨƵŶ͕
easy and good for you.
Online, check out www.
pickyourown.org for local
farms, a harvest calendar,
and even some fairly local
ŚĂƌǀĞƐƚĐĞůĞďƌĂƟŽŶƐĂŶĚ
events.
If you love blueber-
ries, you’ve got to try K &
K Blueberries in Hermiston
and Lampson Blueberries
ŝŶDŝůƚŽŶͲ&ƌĞĞǁĂƚĞƌ͘tŚŝůĞ
LJŽƵ͛ƌĞŝŶDŝůƚŽŶͲ&ƌĞĞǁĂƚĞƌ͕
swing over to 5 Acre Farm
Fruit and Produce Stand for peach-
ĞƐĂŶĚĂƉƌŝĐŽƚƐ͘DŽƌŶŝŶŐƐƚĂƌĞƌƌLJ
Farm in Walla Walla has raspber-
ƌŝĞƐ͕ďƵƚLJŽƵ͛ůůŚĂǀĞƚŽǁĂŝƚƵŶƟů
next June. Joshua’s Oregon Country
^ƚŽƌĞ͕>>ŝŶhŶŝŽŶŽƵŶƚLJŽīĞƌƐ
u-pick vegetables as well as pre-
ƉŝĐŬĞĚƉƌŽĚƵĐĞ͕ĂŐŝŌƐŚŽƉ͕ƐŶĂĐŬƐ
and refreshment stand, restrooms,
ƉŝĐŶŝĐĂƌĞĂ͕ƉĞƫŶŐnjŽŽĂŶĚĨĂƌŵ
ĂŶŝŵĂůƐ͘DĂŬĞĂĚĂLJŽĨŝƚ͊
Blackberries and raspberries are
fun picks in the wild. They’re com-
mon at the edge of wooded areas,
and along fences on sunny roads.
,ƵĐŬůĞďĞƌƌŝĞƐĂƌĞŽŌĞŶĨŽƵŶĚŝŶ
former clearcut areas. Scope them
out in the spring so you’ll know
where they are, and then you can
return again and again to your
favorite spots.
,ĞƌĞĂƌĞƐŽŵĞƟƉƐƚŽŵĂŬĞLJŽƵƌ
ďĞƌƌLJͲƉŝĐŬŝŶŐŽƵƟŶŐƐŵŽƌĞĞŶũŽLJ-
able.
What to wear: For wild picking,
Columbia River
Community Health Services
541-481-7212 • 450 Tatone St., Boardman, OR 97818
Mon. 7:30 am - 7:00 pm; Tue. - Fri. 7:30 am - 5:00 pm
See us for all your medical
needs. Most major
insurances, Medicare and
Oregon Medicaid accepted.
We are an insurance
exchange and Medicaid
Assistor Site. Please give us a
call for more information.
Hablamos Español
to bring them home in.
Consider the size in terms of
weight. How heavy will a full
container be? How much will
you actually use or eat? Be
ĐĂƌĞĨƵůŶŽƚƚŽƉĂĐŬŝƚƵŶƟůŝƚ͛Ɛ
ŽǀĞƌŇŽǁŝŶŐ͕ĂƐďĞƌƌŝĞƐĂƌĞ
delicate and can bruise or
smash with too much weight
on top. Keep your hands free
ďLJĂƩĂĐŚŝŶŐĂƐƚƌŝŶŐŽƌƌŽƉĞ
to the container so that you
can hang it around your neck
or from your belt.
WŝĐŬŝŶŐĞƟƋƵĞƩĞ͗There
are two schools of thought
on this. Some say to stay at
the same bush and pick it
clean, which leaves the other
ďƵƐŚĞƐŝŶďĞƩĞƌĐŽŶĚŝƟŽŶ
for the next pickers. Others
say to only take a few and
you’ll want to wear closed shoes,
move on. So, whichever you
long pants, and long sleeves to
choose, you can’t win. Sorry. Do
ŬĞĞƉƚŚĞďƵŐƐĂǁĂLJ͘DĂŬĞƐŽŵĞ
be sure to try to get to the middle
noise to let the snakes and other
of the bush. The berries are great
wild animals know you are there.
in there and more new pickers
Picking on a farm is usually a bit
won’t be reaching all the way inside
safer (fewer chances of unwelcome anyway. Your gloves will come in
wildlife), but do remember the sun- handy! Remember that you are
screen and bug repellent. You might paying by weight for what you pick.
consider gloves in order to avoid
It’s bad form to eat your berries
the scratchy thorns and branches of before you pay for them.
some of the fruits.
ŌĞƌƉŝĐŬŝŶŐ͗Keep your berries
What to pick: Know what your
in the shade and get them into a
ĨƌƵŝƚůŽŽŬƐůŝŬĞǁŚĞŶŝƚ͛ƐƌŝƉĞ͘DŽƐƚ fridge or cooler soon. Don’t wash
ŽĨƚŚĞŵƌĞĂĚŝůLJĨĂůůŽīƚŚĞƉůĂŶƚ
ƚŚĞŵƵŶƟůLJŽƵĂƌĞŐŽŝŶŐƚŽƵƐĞ
ǁŝƚŚǀĞƌLJůŝƩůĞƉƌĞƐƐƵƌĞ͘tŚĞŶ
them. Some pickers like to soak the
LJŽƵĐĂůůĂŚĞĂĚƚŽĞŶƐƵƌĞƟŵĞƐĂŶĚ fresh berries in salt water (one cup
ĚĂƚĞƐ͕ĂƐŬĂďŽƵƚ͞ũĂŵďĞƌƌŝĞƐ͘͟
per gallon for an hour) to dislodge
^ŽŵĞĨĂƌŵƐŵĂLJŽīĞƌĂĚŝƐĐŽƵŶƚŽŶ ĂŶLJůŝƩůĞƐƚŽǁĂǁĂLJŐƌƵďƐ͘/ŶĂŶLJ
already-picked berries that may be
case, enjoy!
ƚŽŽƐŽŌƚŽĞĂƚ͕ďƵƚĂƌĞƉĞƌĨĞĐƚĨŽƌ
________
preserves and baked goods.
Where to put them: Check with
^ƵnjĂŶŶĞ<ĞŶŶĞĚLJŝƐĂĨŽƌŵĞƌ
ƚŚĞĨĂƌŵĂŚĞĂĚŽĨƟŵĞƚŽƐĞĞŝĨLJŽƵ ŵŝĚĚůĞƐĐŚŽŽůƚĞĂĐŚĞƌǁŚŽůŝǀĞƐŝŶ
need to bring your own container.
Pendleton with her husband and
Either way, you’ll need something
three children.