
(Photo courtesy U-Pick Wisconsin - Blueberry Ridge Farm)
Blueberry season is in full swing and these local families still want to welcome yours to their farm!
DID YOU KNOW? Blueberries are one of the rare fruits native to North America. 95% of the world’s blueberries come from our continent.
“This season is the finest we’ve ever seen and the picking is amazing,” Rick Dale of Highland Valley Farm in northern Wisconsin said this week.
While Wisconsin is more commonly associated with cheese or cranberries (if we’re sticking with the fruit theme)–the Badger State is also a great place to grow blueberries (here’s why)… if you know how.
“Blueberries are very picky about their soil pH,” Vijai Pandian, a horticulture expert from the University of Wisconsin-Extension told WPR. “They like an acid soil, ranging from 4.5 to 5.5 pH. Most soil in Wisconsin is 7, and that makes it very challenging to grow blueberries.”
The good news: Many experienced farmers have perfected the process and, this time of year, open their blueberries fields to the public for picking.
Here are 5 we love…
Flyte Family Farms, Coloma
This farm specializes in organic blueberries. You can pick them yourself, or grab some that have been pre-picked. The Flyte Family also sells sweet corn, watermelon, and cabbage.
TIP: This farm serves breakfast on the farm each October. On the menu: biscuits and gravy, cheesy potatoes, ham, and pancakes.
Highland Valley Farm, Bayfield
Highland Valley produces more blueberries than anywhere else in the state! Its durable, cold-variety blueberries can withstand cooler temperatures, and Highland Valley grows a LOT of them. The on-site store also sells frozen berries, honey, beeswax candles, and wine.
Blueberry Ridge Orchard, Eleva
Once a small family-owned dairy farm, Blueberry Ridge has expanded to 25 acres of blueberry fields! And, despite its name, Blueberry Ridge also grows plums and apples. TIP: Check out the orchard’s online recipe page for creative ways to use the berries you pick!
Blueberry Haven, Bear Creek
Blueberry Haven grows five varieties of berries, which ripen at different times for an extra-long picking season that lasts eight weeks, rather than the usual 5-6. Visitors can also stop by to see and feed the farm goats.
Chet’s Blueberry Farm, Stevens Point
With more than 14,000 blueberry bushes and eight different varieties, Chet’s is one of the largest farms on this list. You can also pick your own currants and gooseberries! Tip: Don’t leave without fresh jars of locally-tapped honey and maple syrup.
BONUS: If you’d rather go blueberry hunting on your own, check out these two spots for wild blueberry-picking.
Namekagon Barrens Wildlife Area, Danbury
Seasoned pickers think the Namekagon Wildlife Area is Wisconsin’s best spot for wild blueberry picking. Dating back hundreds of years, Dakota and Ojibwe people set up camps so they could pick and preserve berries. Then, they burned the site after every season to encourage even more growth.
Moquah Barrens, Bayfield County
Another spot to find wild blueberries is the Moquah Barrens, in the US Forest Service’s Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.
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