![blackberries_blueberries blackberries_blueberries](https://pagevalleynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/blackberries_blueberries.jpg)
~ Press release provided by the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation
RICHMOND â June is National Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Month, and consumers will have plenty of Virginia-grown blueberries and blackberries to celebrate.Â
In Virginia, the picking window for blueberries and blackberries usually lasts from June through August, depending on the varieties grown. Janet Bowen of Windmill Hill Farms in Nottoway County said her blueberries and blackberries are right on schedule.Â
âOur blueberries are turning out great,â Bowen said. âI think the cool weather has helped the blueberries tremendously, and the blackberries are looking very good too.â
Bowenâs farm grows early-season blueberry varieties like Suziblue, Premier and OâNeal, and those berries were ripe on June 1. The picking window likely will last until the end of July.
The farmâs blackberries will be ready for picking around the end of June and should be ripe through the middle of July.
Dwight Boston of Gold Hill Blueberry Farm in Orange County said the summerâs blueberry picking will be âvery bountifulâ after experiencing few challenges this growing season.
âThe bushes are loaded, and itâs looking like a great season ahead,â Boston said. âThe only challenge is we certainly could use more rain.â
But Boston has high hopes for his blueberries since the farm uses drip irrigation to help manage abnormally dry conditions like those reported in the county as of June 13 by U.S. Drought Monitor.
Boston grows 11 rabbiteye varieties, including Premier, Powderblue, Tifblue, Titan and Climax. The Yadkin variety is the farmâs âoverall favorite for sweetness, but itâs not as prolific as some of the others,â he added.
The farmâs U-pick season typically lasts for six weeks from early July into mid-August. Updated hours of operation are posted to the farmâs Facebook page.
Boston encourages consumers to take advantage of the bountiful picking season.
âWeâve got 400 bushes, and theyâre 7 feet tall, so you donât have to bend over if you donât want to,â he added.
Next to their sweet flavor and versatility, blueberries are hailed as a superfood â an excellent source of vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin and vitamin K, and a good source of folate and fiber.
Blackberries also are an excellent source of vitamins C and K and fiber, and contain carotenoids and flavonoids that may be beneficial for health, according to Virginia Cooperative Extension.Â
To find fresh blueberries and blackberries near you, visit the Virginia Grown website at vdacs.virginia.gov/vagrown.Â
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