Often asked: Snohomish U Pick Blueberry Farm When Does It Open?

Is there a picking blueberry machine?

More growers are now using over- the -row (OTR) mechanical harvesters to pick blueberries for the fresh market instead of solely relying on hand pickers. OTR harvesters can reduce the cost of harvesting by hand from over $1.00 per pound to only $0.10 to $0.13 per pound.

Where can I pick blueberries in Washington?

• Clark County. Valley View Blueberries. (360) 892-2839.
• King County. Blue Dot Farm. (360) 825-1623.
• Lewis, Pierce & Thurston County. Eatonville Nursery. 360-832-4345.
• Skagit & Snohomish County. Blueberry Blossom Farm. (360) 568-4713.
• Walla Walla, Yakima & Chelan County. Blueberry Hill Berries.
• Whatcom County. Koskela Blueberry Farm.

How much money can you make picking blueberries?

They get a little paper slip that they can turn in once a week for cash. “So far this year, our average, for everybody, has been $16 an hour,” Barnhill says. “I’ve seen them make as high as $30 to $35 an hour picking blueberries.” Some farm workers consider harvesting blueberries their favorite job.

What do you wear to go blueberry picking?

Wear clothing you don’t mind getting stained and consider long-sleeved shirts and pants, especially if you ‘ll be picking berries on thorny canes. Choose footwear that is comfortable for standing and walking and ones that you don’t mind getting dirty (think old tennis shoes over flip-flops).

How much does a blueberry picking machine cost?

You pay now or you pay later.” While the initial investment for a large machine could be as much as $30,000, what a grower will make up for in labor costs makes it worthwhile.

Are there wild blueberries in Washington state?

One kind of blueberry or another are ripe for picking from late spring to mid summer throughout the meadows and forests of western and eastern Washington. The berries grow most profusely on sunny, south-facing slopes, but you’ll also find some bushes in shady spots.

What month is strawberry season?

Because of that, and the varied locations where they are grown, the national strawberry season is said to run January through November. In the Deep South, when to harvest strawberries will usually be late April and May. In the middle part of the country, at Eckert’s, May and June are typically best.

How do you start a pick farm?

Here is how to start your own U – Pick berries farm:

1. Plant, plant, plant. via Rainbow Gardens.
2. Be Prepared to Work. Next, you need to be prepared to work.
3. Call Your Insurance Agent.
4. Create a Welcome Center.
5. Fence Off Your Property.
6. Purchase Supplies.
7. Pick Ahead.
8. See What Else You Can Sell.

How much does it cost to start a blueberry farm?

For planting 1 gallon blueberry plants it would cost about $5,445 an acre. For 2 gallon blueberry plants it would cost about $8,712 an acre, and for 3 gallon blueberry plants it would cost about $10,890 for an acre of blueberry plants.

Can you make good money picking blueberries?

The positions at the big farms are probably the best paying jobs in part because they work for the entire season. Pay in this type of fruit picking job is around the $20/hr mark, and you spend most of your time telling people how to do their jobs. Then you have the pickers.

What is a good companion plant for blueberries?

Plant blueberries near flowers like lilacs and azaleas. Lilacs attract pollinators and provide shade with its fragrant blossoms. Towering, lush rhododendrons and azaleas offer shade and attractive blossoms during particularly hot summers, and thrive best in the same hot, acidic environment as blueberries.

Is it hard to pick blueberries?

And I learned blueberries are one of the hardest fruits to pick. Each tiny berry is ripe at a different time, and you go to pick one, and others will fall off. Five to ten berries won’t move the scale, so you can pop them in your mouth before you notice that you did. Eating off the plant is the fun of a you- pick farm.