As strawberry season winds down, berry lovers still can fill their baskets as Virginia’s blackberries and blueberries ripen.

After a mild winter, blueberry and blackberry growers are welcoming customers to their U-pick fields and farm stands.

“It’s a good crop this year,” said Margaret Hutcheson, who co-owns Sunrise Gardens in Madison County. “We had an earlier spring so we’re open a week ahead of schedule.”

Open mid-June through mid-July for U-pick, the Hutchesons grow 16 types of blueberries on their 2-acre vegetable and berry farm, including BlueRay, BlueJay and Elizabeth—a larger variety that’s “nickel- or quarter-size.”

As one of the few U-pick blueberry growers in her area, Hutcheson said customer demand is strong. When picking blueberries, she recommends looking for the “biggest berry in the clump” as it will be the ripest. Unlike some types of produce, blueberries will not ripen on the counter.

“So you really want to make sure you pick blue ones,” she advised.

...