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2022 U-Pick Season
Updated April 20th
Greetings blueberry fans!
The berry buds are getting fat even though it doesn't seem like Spring has arrived yet.
Our Membership drive will kick off on May 1st. Visit our Membership page for more information if you are interested in becoming a Member.
Take Note!
Waterfall Corridor Permit Access
A daily permit is now necessary for vehicle travel between Crown Point and Ainsworth SP.
Our farm is not within that area, but if you intend on touring the Gorge before or after picking berries you will need a permit.
More info on this here
www.oregon.gov/odot/waterfall-corridor-permits/pages/default.aspx
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We run our U-pick differently here at Columbia View Blueberries. The difference is in allowing the berries to totally ripen before picking. Once a bush is picked, we do not come back to it for 7-14 days, allowing the remaining berries to ripen properly. We manage this with "row assignment" for every customer.
You will find the berries taste better throughout the season.
We look forward to seeing all our old friends and new customers!
********************************************************************************
Columbia View Blueberries, located in Corbett at an elevation of 1000', starts a bit later than other blueberry farms
which mean we are open later in the season when other farms are done picking.
We look forward to seeing our old friends and meeting new people here at the farm!
** During the U-Pick season -
Call or check here for availability before driving out to the farm **
503-227-3183
***********************************************************************
Updated April 20th
Greetings blueberry fans!
The berry buds are getting fat even though it doesn't seem like Spring has arrived yet.
Our Membership drive will kick off on May 1st. Visit our Membership page for more information if you are interested in becoming a Member.
Take Note!
Waterfall Corridor Permit Access
A daily permit is now necessary for vehicle travel between Crown Point and Ainsworth SP.
Our farm is not within that area, but if you intend on touring the Gorge before or after picking berries you will need a permit.
More info on this here
www.oregon.gov/odot/waterfall-corridor-permits/pages/default.aspx
********************************************************************************
We run our U-pick differently here at Columbia View Blueberries. The difference is in allowing the berries to totally ripen before picking. Once a bush is picked, we do not come back to it for 7-14 days, allowing the remaining berries to ripen properly. We manage this with "row assignment" for every customer.
You will find the berries taste better throughout the season.
We look forward to seeing all our old friends and new customers!
********************************************************************************
Columbia View Blueberries, located in Corbett at an elevation of 1000', starts a bit later than other blueberry farms
which mean we are open later in the season when other farms are done picking.
We look forward to seeing our old friends and meeting new people here at the farm!
** During the U-Pick season -
Call or check here for availability before driving out to the farm **
503-227-3183
***********************************************************************
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What to bring
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What not to bring
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When are our blueberries ripe and ready to pick?
Due to our location at the west end of the Columbia River Gorge at an elevation of 1000', our blueberries ripen much later than Willamette Valley blueberries. Typically our u-pick stand opens mid July. Check back for updates as we get closer to the season.
Our Varieties Berry taste and characteristics
Bluecrop Mildly sweet and juicy. Large, firm and light blue
Jersey Very sweet. Small to medium size and firm. Great for muffins and pancakes
Elizabeth Very sweet. Small to large and firm. Great for muffins and pancakes
Ivanhoe A unique spiciness and aromatic. Large and medium blue. Great for cooking.
Eberhardt Sweet with a hint of tartness. Large, firm and dark blue
Blueberry Fruit Care
Due to our location at the west end of the Columbia River Gorge at an elevation of 1000', our blueberries ripen much later than Willamette Valley blueberries. Typically our u-pick stand opens mid July. Check back for updates as we get closer to the season.
Our Varieties Berry taste and characteristics
Bluecrop Mildly sweet and juicy. Large, firm and light blue
Jersey Very sweet. Small to medium size and firm. Great for muffins and pancakes
Elizabeth Very sweet. Small to large and firm. Great for muffins and pancakes
Ivanhoe A unique spiciness and aromatic. Large and medium blue. Great for cooking.
Eberhardt Sweet with a hint of tartness. Large, firm and dark blue
Blueberry Fruit Care
- Fresh Blueberries: Blueberries are perishable and need to be handled gently. Protect the berries from sunlight, particularly in your car.
- Take the berries straight home (don't leave them in a hot car)
- Blueberries are probably the easiest fruit to prepare and serve. There’s no peeling, pitting, coring or cutting.
- Fresh blueberries are perishable and should be refrigerated. Fresh blueberries should be consumed within 10-14 days after harvesting. Before enjoying your blueberries rinse and drain them just before serving. Using a colander works best. Excess moisture from rinsing can be removed by placing the berries on a paper towel.
- Freezing Blueberries: You can freeze blueberries in zip lock bags or by simply placing them in a cardboard box. Freezer burn is minimal within one year. Prepare them for freezing the same as for fresh berries discussed above.
- Pre-freeze berries in a flat metal baking sheet. Add only one layer of berries to the pan. Using a pan freezes them quickly and they will not be frozen together in a lump.
- Bag the berries in either zip lock bags or vacuum sealed bags. Remove excess air from zip lock bags.
Spotted Wing Drosophila Fruit Fly
A newly recognized pest in Oregon continues to concern fruit growers and researchers with the recent discovery of the Spotted Wing Drosophila fruit fly. The Spotted Wing Drosophila is a close relative to the common fruit fly that feeds on spoiled and rotting fruit like bananas. In contrast, the Spotted Wing Drosophila infests fresh fruit, which presents a significant concern to both customers and growers.
There have been an increasing number of reports of its occurrence in a variety of Oregon fresh fruits, including blueberries, peaches, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, plums and grapes.
The OSU extension service is advising Oregon fruit farmers to take precaution with Spotted Wing Drosophila. Klock Farm practices an aggressive approach to Integrated Past Management and will monitor first and foremost. We will not apply control measures unless we absolutely have too. However, just as with last year, if the fly traps (how we monitor and determine the infestation) are full of the Spotted Wing Drosophila flies we will have to spray. The Spotted Wing Drosophila does not appear until the fruit is ripening or fully ripe, so we will not know if we have to control them until the harvest season.
Note that this action is not taken lightly as we have never applied pest spray during the harvest season in our 30 years in farming. We apologize for any inconvenience and understand your concerns.
A newly recognized pest in Oregon continues to concern fruit growers and researchers with the recent discovery of the Spotted Wing Drosophila fruit fly. The Spotted Wing Drosophila is a close relative to the common fruit fly that feeds on spoiled and rotting fruit like bananas. In contrast, the Spotted Wing Drosophila infests fresh fruit, which presents a significant concern to both customers and growers.
There have been an increasing number of reports of its occurrence in a variety of Oregon fresh fruits, including blueberries, peaches, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, plums and grapes.
The OSU extension service is advising Oregon fruit farmers to take precaution with Spotted Wing Drosophila. Klock Farm practices an aggressive approach to Integrated Past Management and will monitor first and foremost. We will not apply control measures unless we absolutely have too. However, just as with last year, if the fly traps (how we monitor and determine the infestation) are full of the Spotted Wing Drosophila flies we will have to spray. The Spotted Wing Drosophila does not appear until the fruit is ripening or fully ripe, so we will not know if we have to control them until the harvest season.
Note that this action is not taken lightly as we have never applied pest spray during the harvest season in our 30 years in farming. We apologize for any inconvenience and understand your concerns.
