Blueberry Picking Has Begun

Large bunches of ripe blueberries to pick

This morning we got up early to pick blueberries on a farm in Delta.

Emma Lea Farms announced that today was the start of blueberry season and we decided we'd be one of the first to pick these brilliant berries. The weather was perfect with some clouds and about 15 degrees.

The farm has many rows of blueberry bushes

Traffic was relatively light -- most people staying at home or going to watch World Cup parties to watch Canada play against Morocco in Houston, Texas.

We drove south for about 40 minutes and our journey just before reaching the farm included going across a wooden bridge that only had a single lane; it was manned by two people standing on either side to direct traffic.

The farm was started in 1885 by Joseph Tamboline, an immigrant from Italy. He and his wife Emma started by farming mostly grain and hay, and used heavy work horses instead of tractors.

By 1954, Tamboline's granddaughter and her husband bought the farm and had award-winning dairy cattle, and grew grain, hay, potatoes, peas, sugar beet, beans and corn. In 1994, the farm marked its 100th anniversary with recognition from the provincial government.

Conditions were perfect for picking this morning

In 1975, the fourth generation took over, and added new crops, like strawberries, rutabaga, and cabbage. Today the fifth generation grow strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, tayberries, boysenberries, and blackberries, as well as vegetables like beans, peas, rutabagas, beets and cabbage.

The farm also raises cattle, chicken, and three rescue miniature donkeys.

At the entrance, visitors are asked to choose which container they wish to purchase, from small cardboard boxes, to large buckets to put their berries in. For $48 I got an 8L bucket. It looks daunting to fill it up with blueberries, but in about an hour and a half we were able to fill it and have a large heaping mound on top.

Being the first batch of visitors to pick blueberries, we entered rows of blueberry bushes and there were lots of ripe berries ready to be picked. They were firm and easy to pick. Periodically we would move to another row, but in general most of them had medium to large-sized blueberries. 

Lots of berries to pick (and eat)!

The kids couldn't resist eating the blueberries as they picked them, while I focused on the task at hand! Yes I'm serious about my berries!

By the time we left just after 11am, many people were coming to pick the berries, but the temperatures were starting to rise, and mosquitoes were buzzing around looking for victims.

We left at a good time with a giant bucket filled with blueberries. At home I sifted through the berries, picking out the green stems and some unripe ones, and placed the unwashed blueberries in plastic bags that I later put in the freezer. 

Sadly we later found out at lunch that Morocco was winning 2-0, and then the final score was 3-0. Most fans are just thrilled to see Canada advance to the final 16! What an amazing run!