U-Pick Strawberry Updates – 6/15/2021
Updated 6/10/2021
The sunshine is coming and the rain is moving out. The berries have ripened up and we’re ready for more u-pick!
We’ll be open for u-pick strawberries on Thursday through Sunday (6/17-6/20) and booking a check-in time is required.
We have Hood, Chandler, Tillamook, and Mary’s Peak varieties to pick.
Due to the heavy rain there is some mold on the berries that have become overripe and are sitting on the ground – this is out of our control – but we have a lot, A LOT of berries that are untouched by the mold to pick, just something to keep an eye out for as you pick berries so you can avoid the bad ones 🙂
Fresh Strawberry Donuts & Slushies
Made fresh daily at the farm during u-pick days
Don’t forget to stop by our table at the barn by the entrance to pickup some fresh, house-made strawberry donuts and strawberry lemon slushies on your way home! Available during u-pick hours while supplies last.
2021 U-Pick Strawberry Pricing
For reference, a full flat you purchase at a stand is approximately 9 – 10 pounds of berries
3 Pint Containers
(Holds 2-3 pounds)
–
3 pint containers perfect for those that just pick a few berries
*Picture to show capacity – berries are not pre-picked*
Half Flat Box with 6 Green Pint Containers Inside
(Holds 6-7 pounds)
$16.50 for Half Flat Box Only
w/O green pint containers which holds ~ 9-10 pounds
Half flats are available with or without the green pint containers – without them the box holds more berries but they are not as easy to remove
*Picture to show capacity – berries are not pre-picked*
Full Flat with 12 Green Pint Containers Inside
(Holds 13-14 pounds)
$32.50 for Full Flat box ONLY
W/O green pint containers
which holds ~17-18 pounds
Full flats are available with or without the green pint containers – without them the box holds more berries but they are not as easy to remove
*Picture to show capacity – berries are not pre-picked*
COVID-19 INFO: We continue to take the health and safety of our family, customers, and employees seriously. We are still utilizing plexiglass barricades and we are entirely outdoors and we now know that is one of the lowest risk places to be! At this time, per the Governor’s last update, masks are not required outdoors so we are not requiring masks at our u-pick fields but of course you are welcome to wear one if you wish. We are asking our customers to stay 6 feet apart from other groups, wash or sanitize hands before picking, and please stay home if you are sick or awaiting test results for COVID. Thank you for doing your part to help us!
U-Pick FAQ
Will you be picking on *enter specific date*?
Unlike many farms, we only pick when the rows are busting with berries! If we were open everyday we’d likely get picked over and the rest of the week people wouldn’t have enough berries to pick.
We are at the mercy of the weather, crop conditions, and nature and things can change rapidly or slowly depending. We take it a few days at a time, usually picking for 2-4 days then letting the field rest before picking again. As soon as we know when berries will be ready, we will always update our social media, website and email list and let you know – so keep an eye out for updates throughout the season!
Click here to sign up for our email list
Click here to follow us on Instagram
Click here to follow us on Facebook
Do you sell pre-picked berries?
Nope! We don’t. This is great news for our u-pickers because you get the first pick of all our berries – not what is left after a crew of pickers have picked the best for market.
What is the difference between the types of berries?
Hoods are your classic Oregon berry. They are smaller than the other varieties but they are the sweetest! Hoods are known for great flavor and sweetness, but they are the most delicate berry and don’t have a long shelf life.
Mary’s Peak are a large, juicy berry that has a sweetness very comparable to Hoods and is actually par of the Hood family – a great choice for hood lovers who want bigger berries.
Chandler berries are a large berry similar to a Tillamook but sweeter! Larger and fleshy, these berries hold up better than a Hood and are easy to pick. Especially great if you’re adding sugar for jam, smoothies or desserts.
Tillamooks look like a strawberry from the grocery store but have a much better flavor. They are less sweet than the other berries but if you need to pick a lot for recipes, jam, desserts or smoothies where other sugar is added they are fast box-fillers.
What do I need to bring?
Just you, clothes you don’t mind getting dirty, and cash or a card. We provide the boxes for picking. No containers from home, please. If it’s hot you may want sunscreen, a hat, and a water bottle. Please leave snacks and outside food in the car so we don’t litter or attract other critters.
Do you accept cards?
We gladly accept cash and cards. As a small business, card fees really add up so cash is always appreciated!
Are you organic?
We are not a certified organic farm, but we strive to use healthy, sustainable methods for growing our produce. We rotate our strawberry fields every 2-3 years and plant cover crops in off-seasons. This method is costly and time-consuming, but the benefits are worth it. Rotating helps keep disease out of the field and minimizes pests which allows us to use less pesticides. Cover crops help add organic matter back into the ground, which reduces the need for fertilizer.
This farm is our job and livelihood so losing a crop to mold, disease, or pests would be devastating. We are grateful for safe, effective, pesticides (organic and conventional) that allow us to save our crops when absolutely necessary. We try using organic pesticides whenever we can. We eat everything that we grow, and it is important to us that it is healthy!
Other questions we didn’t answer?
Feel free to email us at lara@bushuefarming.com with any other questions!
