The sweet satisfaction of picking berries is woven into the fabric of my summer memories. As a kid, I would head off into the blackberry brambles to pick berries with my family, which we’d later turn into an amazing pie. On summer mornings I would walk out our back door to pick strawberries that went right on top of my cereal.
Now I’m making new berry-flavored memories with my kids. We usually harvest huckleberries and blackberries in the wilds around Sudden Valley where we live, and my children have grown to love it as much as I do.
One thing I didn’t do as a kid was pick berries in a u-pick field. I didn’t discover u-picks until adulthood when I had children of my own. And fortunately for us, and you, Whatcom County is filled with u-pick fields for strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries.
Our family favorite is Boxx Berry Farm in Ferndale. Along with strawberries, blueberries and raspberries, the farm offers u-pick flowers and the fall brings pumpkin picking.
The Boxxes make the berry picking easy: the fields are well marked and both buckets for picking and boxes to take home your sweet spoils are provided.
After you’ve picked your fill of berries, the fun isn’t over. The kids will want to make a stop at the playground. I’ve found we spend as much time at the playground as we do berry picking because the kids are having so much fun!
Pack a picnic lunch to enjoy on one of the many picnic tables, or head inside to the Shortcake Shack for all sorts of strawberry delights, including heavenly strawberry sundaes.
The adults will want to check out the Market Store, which offers fruits and vegetables grown on the farm as well as from other growers, plus wonderful pickled vegetables, sauces and dressings.
Farm festivals throughout the summer celebrate the crops in the height of their harvest season. Kids can ride the tractor “train” and hay rides let the whole family get in on the fun. Check the Boxx Berry Farm website for dates.
Travel Tip: Did you know that more than 65% of the nation’s red raspberry crop is grown in Whatcom County?
