Published: July 15, 2008 11:36 pm         

Pick your own — You can’t find fruits, veggies any fresher

Eleven-year-old Ben, laden with a bucket of freshly picked blueberries tied to his waist, turns the corner and whistles a friendly tune. Passing by his brother, 8-year-old Nathan, he gives the blueberry bucket to his mother, Anne, who is tending to customers, and then disappears back into the blueberry bushes.

Just another normal day for the Robinson family, the owners of White Oak Berry Farm in Renick, where hundreds venture each year to pick their own blueberries and raspberries and more fruits of the season.

In West Virginia, for many rural folks, berry picking is seen as a family tradition where waiting and watching for berries that are ripe enough to pick and eat never comes fast enough. That tradition is being carried on at farms in Greenbrier and Monroe counties, where friends and families gather to “pick their own.”

Anne and Max Robinson have owned White Oak Berry Farm for about 16 years and said this year’s season has produced a great crop of blueberries. A stark contrast to last year when an early frost nearly wiped out nearly all of their blueberry bushes. Blueberry picking begins about the last Saturday in June, Anne said.

“Normally we would have about 30 days of picking blueberries, but last year we only had three days,” Anne said. “But this year we have a heavy crop because of the nice spring weather.”

Rounding out the family affair are daughters Katie, 12, and Hannah, 14, who also work the family blueberry farm along side their two brothers. With nearly half of the blueberry season over, the family will next look for their red raspberries to ripen and be picked.

Blueberries sell for $1.50 a pound and for $2.25 a pound for those who don’t want to have the adventure of picking for themselves.

Sandy Fields, of Elkview, came to White Oak Tuesday for the first time, with friends and family who had picked berries there before.

“My mom and dad picked blueberries when they were little and I wanted to know what that was like,” Fields said.

With over four acres of blueberries, Johnson said birds are the biggest problem when trying to fend off wildlife with a penchant for blueberries. That’s why the family covers all of their bushes with black mesh-like nets, which makes it nearly impossible for birds to penetrate.

“We have never really had any problems with deer or bears eating the berries,” Johnson said. “The problem with deer is in the winter when they eat the fruit buds.”

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In neighboring Monroe County, Morgan Orchard owners Eric and Kathy Johnson said black raspberry season has just finished and regular blackberries are now in season. Blackberries are sold for $4.50 a quart if you pick them yourself.

“I think its just a fun day for the entire family. We have lots of people who bring their kids and grandkids,” Eric Johnson said. “It gives children an idea where their food comes from. I don’t know, but maybe it goes back to our hunter and gatherer days.”

Johnson said his berry picking season begins about a week after the Fourth of July and runs until September.

“We have thornless blackberries that are picked off of trellises,” Johnson said. “We also have peaches, nectarines, plums and many different varieties of apples.”

Johnson said the berries are going fast, but there’s still a lot left to be ripened and picked.

“If you’re going to come see us right now, it would be worth a phone call to see what we have to pick,” Johnson said.

Morgan Orchard also grows assorted vegetables, pumpkins and gourds, according to the seasons.

Morgan Orchard is located in Sinks Grove and can be reached at 772-3638. For more information about White Oak farm, call 497-3577.

— E-mail: cgiggenbach@register-herald.com