Many Thornless Blackberries for Next 2 Weeks

   Many thornless blackberries are still ripening now and for the next 2 weeks.  Each year the heaviest blackberry production occurs from July 10 to July 31, and some blackberries will still ripen until about Aug. 4.  Fewer people come to pick blackberries in late July, so there's almost always plenty to pick at this time of year.

Many 'Natchez' thornless blackberries are ripe and ready to pick now, and more will ripen for the next week or so.

   Some 'Natchez' thornless blackberries are still ripening now, and 'Apache' thornless blackberries are starting to ripen in quantity now.  We also have some 'Ouachita' thornless blackberries to pick, though the 'Ouachita' crop was greatly reduced this year due to cane dieback from the Feb. cold.  All these varieties are from the University of Arkansas thornless blackberry breeding program.

'Apache' thornless blackberries have started ripening in quantity, and more will ripen for the next 2 weeks.

   Thornless blackberries are sold pick-your-own only, for $3.72 per quart + 7.5% sales tax.  There are NO chiggers or thorns, and you can pick a quart in 5 minutes.

   Our Summer Open Hours run from June 1 until Aug. 31, as shown in the sidebar at left.  We're open Mon. to Sat. 7:30 a.m.to 12 noon and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Sundays 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. only.  We're closed Sun. mornings for church services (as we are year-round), and closed from 12 noon to 7 p.m. each day in summer.

   We do not take appointments in summer; just come during our Summer Open Hours.  Please do not arrive before our opening time, and allow enough time to finish picking and check out by our closing time.  Thanks.

   We provide plastic quarts for you to pick berries into, and have you fill them level-full.  We have waxed picking flats to place quarts on while picking, and appreciate it when customers bring cardboard, plastic or metal trays to place their blackberry quarts on to bring them home.  (We have cardboard trays for those who don't bring any, as Chetopa Foods saves them for us, which we also appreciate.)

   Do NOT bring bowls or bags to dump the berries into, as that damages them, and we want the berries to stay in the quarts you picked them into until you get them home.  Our plastic quarts are the best way to store blackberries in the fridge for 7 to 10 days; just put plastic wrap over the tops of the quarts, to prevent frost-free fridges from drying the berries out.

   Sales dates for all our crops are listed in the sidebar at left under Crop Sales Seasons. That also tells which crops are sold pick-your-own and which crops are sold harvested.

   We have NO peach crop in 2021 due to Feb. cold that killed the fruit buds, as I've posted on this blog since late March.

   For payment, we accept cash and checks (from any state), but NO credit cards or debit cards.  We have no phone line to the sales building, and no card reader.  Please bring your checkbook or enough cash to cover the amount you want to buy.  Thanks.

   Our parking areas can fit 3 vehicles between each pair of oak trees (which provide nice shade for your vehicle).  So please pull in straight, fairly close to a tree, or into the middle spot if 2 other vehicles are already parked next to the 2 trees.  That way we'll have enough parking spots for everyone who's coming to get fruit.  Thanks.

   The Kansas Highway Department is replacing 3 bridges on Highway 166 east of Chetopa, KS, and work is expected to take 15 more months.  They've installed 3 stoplights and have one-lane traffic open, so it now takes about 15 minutes instead of 5 minutes to drive the 4.5 miles from Chetopa to our farm if you go on Highway 166.

   Those coming here from from the northwest can save time by heading east on Highway 160 from Oswego, KS for 5.0 miles to Hallowell.  Just after you pass Angelo's Deli on your left, turn right (south) onto 90th St., and continue south for 10.0 miles on this paved road.  At the stop sign, turn right onto Highway 166, go just 0.5 miles west, then turn left onto 95th St. at the sign for Brenda's Berries.

   Those coming here from from the east, northeast or southeast can follow your usual route here.  Those coming here from from the southwest should come up through Miami, OK rather than through Welch, OK and Chetopa, KS.