Out and About – Picking Blueberries under Blue Skies

It’s the season I wait for all year. Not summer. No, it’s blueberry season. And there is one lovely U-Pick blueberry farm in Comox that you can hit for the next six weeks or so and snack down on those tasty blue morsels – Blue Haven Farm on Anderton Road and Idiens Way. If you are in Courtenay, head out to McClintocks Farms on Dove Creek Road for a similar great time.

First off, let’s get the important stuff out of the way. These berries are not sprayed with insecticides or fungicides. If you want to U-Pick, this is the least chemical-free option in The Valley as far as I’m aware of (if you know of others, please let us know and we’ll post them here).

Organic blueberries are ALWAYS going to be the best option. Nature’s Way Farm just north of Courtenay has farm sales of delicious organic blueberries and sells at the Farmers Market. But, they are not U-Pick, which makes it a bit less of an adventure. I urge you to encourage local growers who offer “family-friendly” options such as U-Pick to go spray-free. Kids are very susceptible to the effects of chemicals on food and it is just plainly better for the world.

It’s so much fun to get out there and let their kiddos experience food at its source. Berry picking is one of those great childhood memories that you look back on fondly. Back to the farm, Blue Haven and McClintock are two of those places that you can easily spend an afternoon just enjoying time out in the fields.

With incredibly helpful and friendly staff on hand, local kitties running the fields and big, huge blueberries for eating, the time there is fun for everyone.

We wandered out at Blue Haven the other day and spent the afternoon just casually picking berries, running up and down the rows and talking ourselves out of some berry-filled ice cream.

U-Pick is totally fun because it gives kiddos a chance to really get into seeing their food in the raw. There’s running between bushes, the inevitable dumping of a half-full bucket of berries and sheer happiness at a different sort of play time.

It is very casual and it is darn hard to pick an amount of berries that would break the bank. We spent an hour and a half out there and picked half a container.

In the end, Blue Haven and McClintocks farms are a great summertime stop that the whole family can really enjoy. So, get on over and enjoy!

Tags: berries, blueberries, children, Comox Valley, family, Farms, Kids, local food, Our Big Earth Media Co., u-pick

Category: EAT LOCAL, Meet Vancouver Island Farmers & Food Producers