| A berry nice treat
by
Meg Olson
From high up in the mountains to the fertile farmland at
their feet,unassuming bushes are bejeweling themselves in
succulent finery: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries,
tay-berries, marionberries, blackberries, gooseberries, huckleberries,salmon
berries, thimble berries, loganberries. This is berry country
andit’s berry season.
Berry farmers and bears agree;berries just might be the
best food going. They smell as good as they taste, naturally
sweet, rich yet lively. They come in tidy packages, perfect
for nibbling, yet are easily transformed into everything
from familiar pies to quirky sauces. Eat more of them and
you’ll live longer.
“You’re supposed to eat a cup of berries a day,” says
Kyle Haugen, minding the field at Haugen Raspberry Farm in
Lynden. “Raspberries have cancer-fighting agents.” And
it’s not just talk. Researchers in South Carolina have
found that raspberries, blueberries and strawberries contain
compounds found to inhibit the growth of cancer cells in
the laboratory. In addition to being packed with vitamins,
minerals and fiber berries contain high levels of antioxidants
and phyto-chemicals that have been praised for slowing the
aging process,improving vision and memory and protecting
against heart disease.
They may be serious nutrition but berries are also just
fun, and especially fun to go and pick yourself. Whatcom
County produces more red raspberries per capita than anywhere
else in the world, and doesn’t do too bad in the other
berry categories as well. Not much of a surprise then that
during berry season a trip down the county’s country
roads is almost certain to run into a hand painted sign touting “U-Pick
Berries.” So park on the edge of the field, grab a
bucket and dive in. It’s messy and sticky, the smell
is heady as you inch down the rows looking for the most perfect,the
most ripe, the most enormous one – and pop it in your
mouth. It is very important to remember you’re supposed
to take some home with you, not to mention pay for the feast,so
don’t just eat your way along. Try not to, at least.
Some of the county’s farms turn into miniature country
fairs during berry season. McPhail Berry Farm between Lynden
and Birch Bay has a petting zoo, smoothies and a picnic area
to round out a few hours in their berry patch. In the kitchen
of their store, baker Marta Castenada spends the day turning
out tarts and pies and cobblers. In June it may all be strawberry
but by mid-July “we have everything and a lot of everything,” says
Leslie Dejong behind the counter.
Harry Williams’ great-great grandparents homesteaded
at the rim of the Mt. Baker foothills in 1888 and today the
Williams farm grows 13 varieties of blueberries with a smattering
of raspberries, blackberries and tayberries. “We have
a fresh crop going all season long,” he said. They
sell 100 tons of blueberries every year under the Blue Valley
label found in local stores but still run a stand on Deming
Road south of the Mt. Baker Highway. “We’re bigger
than a fruit stand but not too big,” he said.
Williams will show you the right way to pick a blueberry,
cupping your hand and gently rolling the ripe fruit in with
your thumb, and the best way to eat them – by the handful. “I’m
my best customer,”he mumbles as he strolls through
canes sporting two-inch long tay-berries. He recommends popping
a few bags of berries in the freezer for snacking all year. “When
my kids were little there was always a blue trail from the
freezer,” he said.
Whether you’re picking or just buying, a berry road
trip demands some supplies. In warm weather keep your berries
from languishing by bringing along a cooler. Many u-pick
farms don’t have containers for picking, and if they
have anything to take your berries home init’s going
to be a bag and that’s going to mean squashed berries:
bring rigid containers and a picking pail. Half the fun of
berry picking is the sweet, sticky mess. This is not fun,however,
on the steering wheel. Bring something to clean your hands
with. And don’t forget sunscreen and a hat! It’s
summertime!
Berry Farms Barbie’s Berries Getting There: Coming
from I-5 on Birch Bay-Lynden Road turn right on Enterprise
Road and left on Willey’s Lake Road. Turn right on
Melody Lane to the farm. Phone: 360/384-1260 Hours: 9 a.m.
to 6 p.m. daily Haugen Raspberry Farm Getting There: Traveling
up the Guide Meridian (SR 539) from I-5 turn right on East
Pole Road and the field on the right is marked by a big sign.
Phone: 360/354-4764 Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday
McPhail Berry Farm Getting There: Coming from I-5 on Birch
Bay-Lynden Road turn left on Bob Hall Road and the farm’s
not far on your right. Phone: 360/354-5936 Hours: 9 a.m.
to 6 p.m. daily Williams Farms Getting There: Follow the
Mt. Baker Highway (SR 542) through Nugent’s Corner
and watch for a sign and a right turn on Hillard Road, then
take a quick left at Deming Road. Phone: 360/592-6720 Hours:
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Saturday. |
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