A 'Berry' Good Day

Last evening Kelly & I rode our bikes down to a nearby raspberry farm, Pullins Raspberries.



We've been driving by the farm on our way to work since last winter, and for the past month we've been waiting for the sign to change from 'closed' to 'open'. So last night after work we got out our bicycles, made space in the trunk pack I have attached to mine, and rode off to get some fresh fruit.

Soon enough we made it there and pulled into their gravel driveway, heading around back to register pavillion. We met the owner and he handed us some paper cartons. Then he took us out to the field to show us where the best berries could be picked. We started with the black raspberries.

Now I have picked black raspberries in the wild but they never were as big as the ones on the farm. We didn't have to go very far to find the good ones here.



They were plentiful and in no time Kelly & I had a carton each filled.



We resisted our temptation to eat them right there (okay - one just for a taste!) and brought them back to the register. Next were the red raspberries.

Now I had never picked red ones, nor seen them growing in the wild, but the owner took us out and showed us what to look for... or better still, what to feel for. Since the berries are already red, he said, you have to feel them. They should be soft and should pull off the stem with little resistance. It is still a little early for the reds, so the going was slow. Kelly & I scoured and eventually filled up a single carton until it was overflowing.

The owner rang us up, and for 3 cartons of berries the grand total was $5.35... not bad compared to buying store-bought, and no contest when compared to freshness.

I wrapped the containers in plastic bags, placed them in my bike trunk, and we rode back home.

That night we made pancakes, and by this morning all the red raspberries were gone.

Guess we'll just have to go back in a few days once the reds are riper.

Pullins is open for a few more weeks. If you'd like a chance to get out, enjoy the fresh air, and pick some good raspberries, here is their contact info:

20780 Liberty Hi Road, Bowling Green, Ohio 43402.
Phone: (419)823-3024.
Open: Mon-Sat 8am-8pm; Sun 12-6pm.
Picking starts Sun 6/24/07.
Black Raspberries and Red Raspberries.