The Serenity of Blueberry Picking Season
Moving into the majestic valley of North Bend, has brought a new appreciation for blueberry picking season, especially at the base of Mount Si at Bybee Farms. Depending on the weather, the season begins mid-July and ends in September which will determine the success of your pick. The earlier you start in the season the larger the berry size, some measuring the size of a nickel. Two of my favor times of the day are mid-morning, after the morning dew has dried off the branches and as the sun slowly begins its decent to sunset, otherwise known as the “magic hour”.
The farm is only 10 minutes from downtown North Bend and parking is plentiful. Prepared for at least a one hour picking frenzy, I slide into my runners or rain boots, jeans or jean shorts and the best protective armor you can wear, a thin long sleeve T or denim shirt. My goal is to pick 6-8 lbs in an hour. Without any hesitation, cash in my pocket, my cell phone on silent, my car keys clipped to my jean loop, I quickly scoop up a small bucket at the cashier tent, dangle it off my neck with the attached rope and also in tow a larger bucket. Looking at the field, I walk over to one of the many rows of blueberry bushes and start gently double hand picking the large blueberries into my small bucket. As the bucket get heavy on my neck, the blueberries are transferred to the large bucket.
The view of Si leaning over the fields never gets old, the tranquility of the area is breath talking and calming. Occasionally you hear a mother call out to their child, “Marco” and the voice of a small child somewhere nearby her says, “Polo”. You know the children will eat more than they pick, but the whole experience is a special outdoor moment. “Just pick the blueberries, leave the white and red ones alone”, you hear people tell their friends or children. The voices lightly echo in the valley, but then you just hear the dropping of berries into the buckets. In the evenings, as the sun starts to set, a warning whistle will go off to remind you there is only 15 minutes left and it’s time to stop picking and get the berries weighed. Cash Only! It’s all worth it, Mount Si blueberries are so tasty and back home I will spend time washing and drying them over paper towel lined cookie sheets. Half my blueberries will get frozen (laid them on cookie sheets lined with wax paper for a half hour in the freezer, then transferred to gallon zip lock bags). The other half will get cooked down and made into a Blueberry crisp or blueberry spread, yummy.
What can be better than a tummy full of blueberries and a purple tongue, it’s the best.
