Four Varieties of Thornless Blackberries Ripe Now

   Many, many thornless blackberries are ripening and ready to pick now.  Each of our 4 different varieties of thornless blackberries has ripe berries now, and they will continue to ripen over the next 4 weeks, until July 31 to Aug. 4.  There are NO chiggers, and you can pick a quart in 5 minutes.

'Natchez' thornless blackberries have huge fruit, and many people have been picking them.

   All our blackberries have large fruit, and 'Natchez' has huge fruit.  'Natchez' started ripening 2 weeks ago and will continue to ripen over the next 2 weeks.  'Apache' blackberries have very large fruit, and 'Ouachita' and 'Triple Crown' blackberries have large fruit.  'Triple Crown' blackberries have the smallest seeds and are the juiciest with the most flavor, so they're especially good for making jams and jellies.

On June 30 we hosted a Master Gardener tour of people from the Cooperative Extension Service District of Allen, Bourbon and Neosho Counties. This Master Gardener picked  'Triple Crown' blackberries, which are very plentiful now.

   We provide containers, and just ask that you return the containers to us for reuse on your next trip to Brenda's Berries.  We also appreciate it if you can bring some cardboard trays, such as those used for 6-packs of energy drinks or beer, to place your quarts of blackberries in to bring home.  Many people have been picking berries in the last few weeks, so we're running extremely low on cardboard trays now.  Some customers have brought plastic or metal trays to bring home their blackberry quarts.  Others have brought us some cardboard trays to use for other customers, which we greatly appreciate!

Colby Bradbury helped his grandpa Clyde Bradbury pick 30 quarts of thornless blackberries last week. They also got a 20-lb. box of 2nds 'Enterprise' apples, because Clyde says he's the apple pie king of his community, and people tell him that 'Enterprise' apples make the best pies of all. 

   We will have about 30% of a full peach crop for sale this year, mainly from about July 18 to Aug. 20.  We will have only a few peaches for sale before July 18 and after Aug. 20, as the early and very late peach varieties were greatly hurt by 6 frosts during bloom.  We're harvesting a few 'Newhaven' yellow  peaches and 'Nectar' white peaches in early-mid July, and from mid-July to mid-August we should have a good supply of 'Intrepid', then 'Contender', then 'Glowingstar' yellow peaches.  In mid-August we should have some 'China Pearl' white peaches.
   From June 1 to Aug. 31, we're open our summer hours: open Mon. to Sat. 7:30 a.m. to 12 noon and 7-9 p.m., and Sundays 7-9 p.m. only.  We're closed Sunday mornings for church, and closed every afternoon from 12 noon to 7 p.m. during the summer due to high heat.  We are open our regular hours on July 4.
   You may come any time during our open hours (no appointment needed in summer); just allow enough time to finish picking by our closing time.  Get here at 7:30 a.m. if you can, to beat the heat!
   We still have many 'Enterprise' apples for sale, for the next 2 to 3 weeks.  These apples taste much better than any sold in grocery stores, and are great for baking as well as fresh eating.  I give taste samples.  Our #1 apples, with no damage, sell just as fast as I sort them.  A 20-lb. box of #1 apples still costs $23.15 + tax ($1.15 per pound + tax), which saves $1.00 off the per-pound price.  We also have some 2nds apples, with small cork spots, cracks or other surface damage.  A 20-lb. box of 2nds apples costs just $14.82 + tax ($0.74 per pound + tax).
   For payment, we accept cash and checks (from any state), but NO credit cards or debit cards, as the sidebar at left details.  We do not have a card reader or a phone line to the sales building.  Please bring your checkbook or enough cash to cover the amount of fruit you want to buy.  Thanks.