Berry Patch Farms - What's Available!

I mentioned this farm in another thread in The Kitchen Forum - it's an organic family farm up in Brighton in which you can go and pick your own fruits, veggies, and herbs. They have classes, encourage children's participation (and have lots of farm animals for them to pet!), host birthday parties, and offer various classes. If you don't want to do any picking, they have lots of their produce available already picked for you to buy! Check 'em out!

http://www.berrypatchfarms.com/
Their Facebook page

BERRY PATCH FARMS 7/25 Update

THIS IS IT!

The black raspberries and red currants are plentiful this week and so are the mosquitoes.
Be sure to bring insect repellent and long sleeve shirts and pants.

Just remember that the black raspberries and red currants will be gone before you know it. We do expect good picking though into next week. That means August! Wow, what happened to July? The strawberries are a little poky and won't be in season yet for a few more weeks.


Other things to pick: basil, flowers, pickles and all the weeds you wish. Tomorrow morning Tim will be picking up Yukon Gold and Red potatoes from Isabel Farm located in Boulder County. He should be back by 10am. Oh yes, don't forget that every Tuesday from 8-10 is Adult Picking.

COOKING WITH LAURA: Registration deadline for her August 6th class is this Saturday. All interested persons will need to register by going to this link: http://berrypatchfarms.com/healthy_cook ... _laura.htm

I called today and was told that strawberries and raspberries should start coming available in one week, and they're expecting a bumper crop of raspberries (red and gold) this year! I can't wait to make my own jam - a new adventure (my mom never touched fruit, we always canned veggies).

Will do! We're shooting for next Saturday morning (they are closed Sundays and Mondays), Wednesday if the fruit still isn't ready by Saturday (I'll call for another update Friday and post it). If anyone else wants to come, please do - let's make this a picking party! If anyone can't make it (say if we have to go Wed), let me know what you want and how much and we'll pick it for ya and arrange a time to meet.

Email update I just received:

BERRY PATCH FARMS
Berry News and Other Stuff:
The strawberry yield is lower this year than in the past; due to 2.5 acres which have been taken out of production as part of our crop rotation plan. This means that picking flats may have to be limited to Tuesday and Saturday mornings. The rest of the time we will need to limit strawberry picking to three quarts per family.

The raspberry harvest will be a fantastic one with no holds being bard. The reds are coming on strongly and will be at peak most likely in two weeks or so. The golds are running very late and should be in harvest mode in two weeks. Flat picking will be possible late this week.

OPEN LABOR DAY MONDAY: 8-Noon. (Please note that the strawberry fields will be closed, but not the raspberries and in our barn we will have melons and peaches available.)

Melons and More Melons: We strongly urge you to purchase some melons for the taste of your life. Our melons are grown here on the farm and picked full slip.....not green. Enjoy the many varieties we grow which cannot be found in grocery stores nor other farm markets.

Our chili peppers are sizing up, but are not quite ready to pick and roast. Some things we just have to wait for.

NOTES FROM CLAUDIA: Are you enjoying all the flavors of summer? Now is the time to enjoy vine-ripened melons, peaches, tomatoes, eggplant, basil, cucumbers, green beans,salsa. Now is the time to begin planning for winter by putting up tomatoes and green beans and pickling cucumbers. Now is the time to pick up grilling bags for the holiday weekend. Now is the time to slice bell peppers and freeze them for winter use. Now is the time to place peach orders for the harvest will end. So come on out to the farm and take of business!

Hubby now has to go out of town later today through Saturday so I'm going to not go this Saturday and pick - we have 2- 25lb boxes of peaches coming from our Grant Farms Preserving shares order today that I'll have to start processing on my own, as well as a flat of strawberries (8 pints) and a flat of raspberries (12 half pints) to make into freezer jam.

Through dumb luck (and a friend in the know), I found this fresh produce wholesaler who sells to grocery stores and restaurants, but also to the general public: I was able to purchase half pints of raspberries - the same exact Driscolls in the grocery stores for $2/half pint and strawberries for ~$2.75/pint. They aren't organic, but the raspberries are huge and not a single rotten one in the bunch - they haven't been sitting around getting to the grocery yet! I had to open an account, so they can track where their produce goes if there's ever an issue (recalls, etc), but it's free to do and if you pay cash there's no credit check, etc. Whenever I want anything, I just give them a call ahead of time, let them know what I want and how much of it so they can pull it from the pallet, get a price, and walk up to their will-call to pick it up. Here's the info in case you're interested:

http://www.freshpoint.com/
Fresh Point
5151 N. Bannock St.
Denver, CO 80216
303-382-1700

Celestina Hernandez is the person to speak to, her direct line is 303-382-1703.
Their weekly newsletter with info on produce availability and quality: http://www.freshpoint.com/news/freshpress.php
FreshPress: a quick glance at the top produce items for quality and market conditions

Here's what I brought home:

Just got this email from the Berry Patch Farms:

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: WE ARE HAPPY AND SURPRIZED TO SAY THAT STRAWBERRY PICKING IS AVAILABLE ON TUESDAYS, THURSDAYS AND SATURDAYS FROM 8-NOON DURING THE MONTH OF MAY. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF THE SEASON WHICH WILL LAST INTO JUNE.

I know where I'll be Saturday! :woo hoo:

Most recent email (we're heading up as soon as hubby gets back from his bike ride to pick up our boxes of roma tomatoes for salsa!)

CLAUDIA WRITES.......

Greetings!
One of the joys of farming is observing the subtle changes as the seasons transition. As we approach fall, there are new birds singing, the mornings are quite cool and fresh, the light levels more intense and the sun drops down more quickly now. There is an underlying sense of urgency to harvest before the cold comes that conflicts with a sense of complacency brought on by the warm afternoon sun. Complacency is overcome by the lure of ripe tomatoes hanging on the vines, onions dropping down waiting to be pulled and cured, peppers blushing colors under their canopies, the fragrance of ripening melons as we pass through the fields...we heed the call and gather them in, offering them to you in their glory.

TOMATOES: At their peak now. Sweet, rich flavor perfect for eating, canning, freezing and dehydrating. Canning boxes are available for both beefsteak and Roma. We usually have boxes ready, but appreciate 24 hours notice, especially for larger orders. Boxes are 23 pounds. Beefsteak are $44 and Roma $42. Have a canning party!
ROASTED TOMATO SAUCE BAGS: Awesome flavor!!

MELONS: sweet Canary are in. Don't miss Piel de Sapo (sweet "frogskin" melons). This will be the last week for super sweet watermelons both red and yellow.

ROASTED CHILIS: All 5 varieties of Anaheim "green chili" are ready. They are varieties known for flavor and meatiness. We grow our own, pick and roast them fresh from our fields.

-Sonora-extra-mild, really large and delicious.

-Joe Parker-mild, meaty with terrific flavor.
-Heritage Big Jim-truly medium heat. The original strain. Flavor on par with Joe Parker.

-Mosco-hot, about the heat level of a jalapeno. A heritage chili from the Arkansas Valley.

-Barker-extra-hot for fire-eaters.

Additionally: Poblanos (medium heat), Jalapenos, Mariachi-spicy but fruity flavor that is great with grilled meat or mixed with cream cheese.

We also offer roasted sweet red bullhorn. These are sweet with an appealing rich flavor-perfect with pasta and for soups, salads, eggs and sandwiches.

Roasted sweet Italian have a delicious slightly smoky flavor that pairs well with Italian sausage and also with your favorite pasta sauce.

Red Spanish Spice have a unique rich warm flavor that is excellent alone or paired with garlic and olive oil as a spread for crusty bread. They are also wonderful with eggs and pasta.

SALSA BAGS: Both Salsa Verde and our unique "regular" red salsa are ready. Both freeze well for winter, tasting like you just went out to your garden!

PEPPERS: The colored bells are deeply colored (full of anti-oxidants) and sweetness, cubanelle are wonderful stuffed or in salads. The green bells make excellent stuffed peppers. Nardello are an Italian heirloom in the Slow Food Ark of Taste. And more, there are thirty-four varieties!

APPLES: Ela's Galas are still in season. You may order 20 lb. boxes of number 2 by calling (303) 659-5050 Tuesday-Saturday 8-6.

PEARS: Ela's buttery sweet Bartlett pears are currently available by the box.

PEACHES: Alas, the last of quintessential Colorado summer...

The fragrance of roasted chili will be in the air all day Saturday here at the farm. We expect to begin roasting on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays next week. Hope you get a chance to come enjoy the rich flavors and smells of our farm in late summer!
Claudia

www.berrypatchfarms.com/
13785 Potomac Street Brighton, CO 80601
(303) 659-5050

Their latest email update:

Greetings!

Sometimes change comes slowly into our lives and sometimes it is sudden
and dramatic. One moment clouds of dust billowed around my shoes with every
step, trees were dying and the earth was cracked as we sweated in the
fields. The next moment I found myself drenched and shivering as the first
of the storms rolled in. We are grateful that while yes, we are impacted
significantly by this weather, we still have raspberries and many other
crops at this point. Our hearts are heavy for friends whose farms and homes
are under water and for those we don't know who have lost so much, including
loved ones. Like the wildfires, this will pass but the impacts will affect
all of us profoundly for many years. We must grieve and then work together
to rebuild and help each other in any way that we are able.

As you may know, most vegetable and fruit plants are susceptible to
diseases and problems like cracking with over-watering. You will notice
issues in your gardens and we will on the farm as well. Currently, the
raspberries are producing well and we have nice tomatoes and peppers. If
you are looking for canning tomatoes, salsa bags or roasted chilis, I would
suggest getting them now rather than later. Call 303 659-5050 to reserve
tomatoes and chilis. Watch our website for berry updates:
www.berypatchfarms.com . Normally, we can offer raspberry and strawberry
picking until mid-October. It can vary significantly from year-to-year,
depending on when we get a hard freeze.

This week you may order pears for delivery next
week. Orders must be placed by Friday, September 20th. They will be
available for pick-up starting the afternoon of Tuesday, September 24th.
Both are available by the 20 lb. box.

This year, our fall harvest festival will be held on just two
Saturdays, the 12th and 19th of October from 10 am until 4 pm. Activities
will include a nice hayride to the giant straw maze that kids must pass
through to find their way to the pumpkin patch, live music and more. Our
festival is intended to be family-friendly and geared towards kids 10 years
and under as well as adults. Watch for details on our website.

As always, Tim and I, as well as our staff are deeply appreciative of
your support. We are concerned for you, knowing that many of you have been
at best, inconvenienced, and many of you have been much more significantly
impacted. We are praying for you and will help in any way we can.

Claudia