Neal's Berry Farm
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2020 season is now closed as of 7/23/20

7/24/2020

 
Wow! What a wild crazy season we have had this year! We went from being worried in mid-April that we wouldn't even be allowed to open at all due to Covid-19, to then suddenly being allowed to open AND being one of the few types of business people could get out and enjoy. We appreciate ALL of you who participated in ANY way to keep this season going. We have the most amazing customers who want this farm to succeed, and because you got the word out that this was the place to be, it will! For the first time EVER in the history of our business, we had to limit the amount of blackberries to 1 qt. zip-top bag per person for the first two weeks. But no one seemed to mind, you were just patient and returned again and again when you could pick all you wanted. We work 9 months of the year to get ready for the 3 months you can pick, so for us, the work never ends. We have already completed the first of several prunings of all the peach trees and most of the blackberry plants, so a huge bonfire is on the calendar as soon as we get some rain. After this year, we have a better idea of what to plant more of, and we have plans for some new products next season. Thanks again for your patronage and support, and check back here periodically to see what we have going on to get ready for an even bigger and better 2021 season!
 

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open thurs 7-23-20 for u-pick and pre-picked

7/22/2020

 
Cooler temps have given the plants a slight break, so the season can still last thru this week. So will be open Thurs. 7/23/20 7:30am-1:00pm. We also plan to open Sat., 7/25/20 if weather permits. Thursday with its high 70's to 80's temps looks like a great day to visit the farm, but pickin's are getting slim on most things so get here early. Saturday weather looks about the same but maybe a slighter chance for rain around noon.

For U-Pick on Thurs. we will have: Thornless Blackberries (last variety still producing nice crop, but only a few rows for early pickers), Figs (Few Celeste, lots of Magnolia, lots of LSU Gold, more LSU Purple every day), Kale (reg, & Dino, amazingly still looking pretty good), Okra, Eggplant, Tomatoes (lots of grape, not many large), Peppers (bell, tons of Tabasco, cayenne, jalapenos, a few ghost, and others), Purple-Hull Peas (patch starting to dry but still some to pick), Cream Peas (lots of good looking ones),Cucumbers (a few left, get here early), Watermelon Radishes (tops don't look great but radishes are fine). Lots of Sunflowers (Some pretty ones left for floral, lots going to seed to pick for bird/squirrel feeders), and lots of gorgeous Zinnias still waiting to be picked ($3/cup).

Pre-picked in market we will have Thursday: Lots of watermelons (red/yellow meat), Cantaloupes (still awesome!), Squash (butternut, spaghetti, Delicata), Pumpkin (Fairy-tale & Cushaw), Fresh-Shelled Purple-Hull Peas and Fresh-Shelled Cream Peas (1-lb bag/$6.00). Please remember to bring your shears for cutting flowers and some vegs.
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Sign shows what we will have Thurs, 7-23-20. Good idea to read it before you come so you can plan your route around to the farm.
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Boxes of figs picked Tues, 7/21/20. Left, LSU Gold (pick when chartreuse, they will turn gold later after you get them home), LSU Purple (pick with any bit of purple), and Magnolia (pick when ring around eye on bottom shows any bit of red.)
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Mixed bags of customer-picked veggies 7-21-20.
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You can pick a cup of zinnias for only $3.00!
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Kale, Dino Kale, peppers, eggplant and grape tomatoes went home with a customer 7-21-20
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Patch of purple hull peas and cream peas. 7-22-20.
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Lots of Fresh-shelled Purple-Hull Peas and Cream Peas will be for sale in the market 7-23-20.
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Cucumbers are in the patch near the road.
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Eggplant and peppers ready to pick tomorrow.
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For sale pre-picked in the market on 7-23-20: Clockwise from upper left: butternut squash, delicata squash, watermelons (green have red meat, yellow skin has yellow meat), Fairy-tale pumpkins, cantaloupes, cushaw, spaghetti squash (yellow, oval).
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Lots of yellow-meat (and traditional red-meat) watermelons for sale pre-picked in the market.

open Thru 7/20/20. see post tomorrow.

7/21/2020

 
Will be open Thur. 7/23/20 7:30am-1:00pm for U-pick & market shopping. More info about availability will be posted Wed. 7/22/20.

Tuesday 7-21-20 mIGHT be the last day of season--not sure yet

7/19/2020

 
Will be open Tuesday, July 21, 2020 (7:30am-1:00pm) for U-Pick and market shopping. THIS WEEK WILL LIKELY BE THE LAST WEEK OF THE 2020 SEASON, and TUESDAY 7/21/20 MIGHT BE THE LAST DAY-- WE'RE NOT SURE YET.  Pre-picked in the market, we will have Tuesday: lots of Watermelons (red and yellow-meat), Cantaloupes, Fresh-shelled Purple-Hull Peas, squash (butternut, spaghetti, Delicata), Pumpkins (Fairy-tale and Cushaw a.k.a. Green Striped Pumpkin). Early U-pickers can find blackberries and figs, and MAY find cucumbers, okra, and eggplant, and a little more of the other veggies on the yellow sign.  Zinnias are still blooming like crazy, and there are lots of Sunflowers, with some sunflowers at the seed stage which are great for self-serve bird/squirrel feeders. So make a trip to see the farm and pick some veggies and figs, and LOTS of flowers.  Please bring your clippers, and please DO NOT pick any fruit except blackberries and figs. Other fall/winter fruits are small and immature, and we would like to have them left on the trees to be able to harvest them at their peak later this year. Come visit us and help us close out this fabulous 2020 season!

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Yellow sign shows what will be available 7-21-20 until picked out. Great to read this before you come out so you can plan your route around the farm.
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Box of figs picked by a customer on 7-18-20. Magnolia figs need to be picked when the eye on the bottom of the fig has some red on it, even if the fig is still green and there is just a bit of red around the eye.
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The watermelons and cantaloupes have been super-sweet this summer since we have had little rain and the sugar is concentrated, making them extra-delicious.
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Sunflowers can be picked in the bloom stage, or they can be left on the plant to mature into the seed stage, as shown here. You can cut a stem for $1.00, the put it in your outdoor feeder for the birds and squirrels to dig out the seeds, or you can roast and eat the seeds yourself.
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One of the most beautiful bouquets we have seen picked this year! Not a bad deal for $3.00!
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Homegrown butternut squash, Delicata Squash, Spaghetti squash, watermelons, cantaloupes, and Fairy-tale pumpkins for sale in the market.
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Cream peas, purple hull peas and hot peppers picked by a customer on 7-18-20.
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Bag of hot peppers picked by a customer on 7-18-20.

NEXT WEEK WILL PROBABLY BE THE LAST WEEK OF 2020 SEASON. OPEN Sat 7/18/20.

7/17/2020

 
Will be open Saturday, 7-18-20 (7:30am-1:00pm) for U-Pick and market shopping. NEXT WEEK WILL PROBABLY BE THE LAST WEEK OF THE 2020 SEASON. Pre-picked in the market, we will have tomorrow: lots of Watermelons (red and yellow-meat), cantaloupes, Fresh-shelled Purple-Hull Peas, squash (butternut, spaghetti, Delicata), pumpkins (Fairy-tale and cushaw a.k.a. Green Striped Pumpkin). For U-Pick, the pickin's are getting mighty slim, and the early-pickers MAY find okra, eggplant, and cucumbers, and there a little more of the other veggies on the yellow sign. Early pickers can find blackberries and figs. There are TONS of zinnias and lots of Sunflowers, with some sunflowers at the seed stage which are great for self-serve bird/squirrel feeders. So come out and enjoy the morning, but don't come with high expectations of a bountiful harvest like you have had earlier in the season. But do bring your clippers so you can cut sunflowers and some of the veggies. Please DO NOT pick any fruit except blackberries and figs. Other fall/winter fruits are small and immature, and we would like to have them left on the trees to be able to harvest them at their peak later this year.

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Yellow sign shows what we have available on 7/18/20. but there are very limited quantities of some of them. It is the very end of the summer season, so arrive early for a better chance of finding what you want to pick.
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These are the four varieties of figs that are grown in our orchard.
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Cantaloupes, watermelons, spaghetti squash, butternut squash, Delicata squash for sale tomorrow.
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Celeste figs on left, Magnolia and LSU gold figs on the right, picked by a customer on 7-16-20
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Yellow low-acid tomatoes and Juliet Grape tomatoes picked by a customer 7-16-20.
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Figs and blackberries picked by customers 7-16-20. This family arrived early in order to find this many ripe blackberries.
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Bag of veggies picked by a customer 7-16-20.
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Huge bouquet of sunflowers picked by customer. You can pick sunflowers in all stages of maturity tomorrow, from beautiful blooms to seed stage for bird/squirrel snacks. $1.00/stem
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Two long rows of zinnias looking for good homes. Come out tomorrow and fill a red Solo cup for only $3.00.
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Fairy-Tale pumpkins--decorate with them now thru the fall, then make pies or other goodies for the holidays.
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Fairy-tale pumpkins shown here being processed.
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You can pick Purple-Hull Peas or take the easy route and buy a bag of fresh-shelled peas in the market. We also have a nice patch of Cream Peas in the field near the blackberries

Open 7-16-20 For U-Pick and market shopping

7/15/2020

 
Open Thurs. 7-16-20 (7:30am-1:00pm). See yellow sign pictured here showing availability for U-Pick. Pickers must arrive before 12:30pm to pick, weigh & pay before our 1:00pm sharp closing time.Lots of figs & flowers, and smaller amounts of some veggies available for U-Pick. NEW! Cream peas aren't listed on the sign, but are ready for U-Pick. They are in same back field with purple-hull peas and sunflowers. We also have lots of watermelons, cantaloupes, squash, Fairytale pumpkins, fresh-shelled purple-hull peas and more for sale in the market. Sad to say, peach season is over for 2020. It was a great peach year, but every last peach has been sold. PICKERS: PLEASE DO NOT PICK ANY FRUIT EXCEPT BLACKBERRIES AND FIGS.  Some of the fall/winter-harvest fruits are growing on trees now, but they are very small and if they are picked now we won't have any persimmons, Meyer lemons, pomegranates, oranges, apples, or any of the other fruits from our trees. Recently we have had some "limes" picked by customers, but we don't have any lime trees--these are immature Meyer lemons that start out very small and green. So thank you for only picking what is designated for U-Pick. And remember to bring your clippers for cutting sunflowers, zinnias, okra and eggplant.  2020 Season will be closing soon!              

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Yellow sign is attached to the post under the market porch, but it helps to read it online before you come.
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Awesome box of Celeste, Magnolia and LSU Purple figs picked by a customer yesterday.
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Zinnia bouquet picked by a customer yesterday. Most of these are Cactus Flower Zinnias.
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Fairytale Pumpkins are for sale in the market, or if you have clippers you can pick your own. Add a little water to the pan, cover with foil, and bake 350 degrees for at least an hour until translucent and very tender. Scoop out and use in any recipe just like you would canned pumpkin, only much better! Homemade pumpkin bread is shown on the far right.
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Fairytale-Pumpkins

Tuesday 7-14-20 will be great day to pick and shop in the market!

7/13/2020

 
Will be open Tues, 7-14-20, (7:30am-1:00pm) for market shopping and U-Pick veggies, flowers, figs and a few blackberries. See yellow sign pictured here for what you can pick tomorrow. We MAY put eggplant on the DO NOT PICK list because they have been picked so small and need a few days to grow again to get reasonable size. There are LOTS of figs--Celeste is winding down with fewer ripening every day, the Magnolia figs & LSU Golds are ramping up production, and the LSU Purples are not far behind. You can still find a few Thornless blackberries, but you can pick enough Zinnias and Sunflowers to brighten the day of everyone you know, and then some! Get here early to pick okra, cucumbers, and any squash. Lots of different kinds of peppers are ready for picking. Pre-Picked in the market we will have: Fairytale Pumpkins (best cooking pumpkin ever!), cushaw, watermelons (red & yellow), cantaloupes (Pecos-type & super-sweet Dove), Peaches, onions, Squash (Delicata, spaghetti, butternut, fresh-shelled Purple-Hull Peas. Pickers must arrive before 12:30pm to pick, weigh and pay before our 1:00pm sharp closing time, and please bring clippers for cutting flowers and some veggies. The 2020 season is rapidly coming to an end, so DON'T WAIT if you want to enjoy the experience of picking your own fruits and veggies under the wide-open skies of Waller, Texas. We truly appreciate your support of this small family farm!

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Yellow sign is posted here and on Facebook and also actually on a post under the market porch. Great idea to read it before you come, and also compare it to the site map on this website so you can plan your picking route and save time and steps in the heat.
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Beautiful twin boxes of figs picked by a customer on 7-11-20.
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Pre-picked and for sale in the market, clockwise from upper left: onions, spaghetti squash, butternut squash,one huge zucchini, Delicata squash, watermelons and cushaw.
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Box o' blackberries picked by a customer on 7-11-20. Don't let this box fool you---yes there are SOME blackberries to pick, but you have to be one of the first pickers of the day to get this many,and they are few and far between. The easy pickin' days ended a few weeks ago.
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Profusion of zinnias ready and waiting to be picked and re-homed.
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Lots of small-medium size okra can be picked tomorrow.
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Fairytale Pumpkins are easy to prepare, and their smooth, thick walls make superb pies, soup, sauce, pumpkin bread and just about anything else you want to make with them.
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Hurry in for homegrown vegs & fruit before 2020 season ends

7/10/2020

 
Visit the farm tomorrow 7/11/20 (7:30am-1:00pm) for picking veggies, figs, flowers, blackberries and shopping in the market. Our regular schedule is now Open (7:30am-1:00pm) Tues., Thur, & Sat., but always check this FB page or website before you come to be sure we are actually open that day. Figs are still in prime season but not for long! This will prob be the last week for Celeste Figs. Attn Fig Jam Makers: This is your last week to pick volume quickly! Also, the Magnolia, LSU Gold & LSU Purple Figs are ripening more every day. Some nice big blackberries are ripe every day, but they are few and far between. Okra, eggplant, peppers, zinnias and sunflowers love the heat, so they are looking good. Lots of Purple-Hull peas ripe now, but get them soon before they dry up. Watermelon radishes, cucumbers and tomatoes are producing now. but the plants won't last long in this heat. Tomatoes won't set any more fruit, but will ripen those tomatoes already in progress. Do you see a trend here? We are approaching the end of the summer fruit & veggie season, and with these really high temps, the end comes sooner than we would like. So DON'T WAIT or you will miss out. For sale pre-picked in the market, we will have tomorrow: Home-grown peaches (Most are La Feliciana, known for its superb taste and red color surrounding the seed which makes a beautiful preserve or pie!) Also in the market: Homegrown watermelons (red & yellow meat), cantaloupes (Pecos-type & super-sweet Dove), squash (butternut, spaghetti, cushaw, Delicata), Fresh-shelled Purple-Hull Peas, and onions and more. Pickers must check in before 12:30pm to pick, weigh & pay before 1:00pm sharp closing time. And bring your clippers for some veggies and flowers. Come early and beat the heat!

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Celeste figs trees are loaded now but this will be the last week for heavy production. Pick now before they are all gone!
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Mixed box of Celeste, Magnolia and LSU Purple figs.
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Customer picks from 7-9-20, clockwise from left: Celeste figs, Thornless blackberries, yellow squash, and Juliet grape tomatoes with okra.
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Orange cones mark the ends of the Celeste Fig rows. Approximately 20' between rows so it's easy to practice proper social distancing.
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Watermelons just picked and brought in from the field. Watermelons, cantaloupes and peaches are very sweet this year since we have had little rain and the sugar is concentrated in the produce.

Closed Fri 7/10/20. OPen sat 7/11/20

7/9/2020

 
Closed Fri.7/10/20. Open Sat. 7/11/20 (7:30am-1:00pm). Lots of figs, vegs & flowers to pick Sat. More info to be posted tomorrow.

great fig picking now 7-9-20

7/8/2020

 
Will be open Thurs, 7-9-20, 7:30am-1:00pm. LOTS OF Zinnias, Sunflowers and CELESTE FIGS TO PICK. This is the best week of the year for fig picking, and the Celeste may all be gone by this time next week. See yellow sign pictured here for what will be available to pick tomorrow. As posted previously, we are changing our regular hours to be OPEN TUES, THUR, and SAT (7:30am-1:00pm) and CLOSED SUN, MON, WED & FRI. These hours are subject to change in case of weather, being picked out etc. but we will adhere to these as closely as possible for the next couple of weeks at least. Always check this page or the update tab on nealsberryfarm.com for latest info before you come. For sale pre-picked tomorrow: watermelons (red & yellow) cantaloupes, peaches, fresh-shelled purple-hull peas, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, delicata squash, onions, and probably more. Pickers must check in before 12:30 pm to pick, weigh and pay before our 1:00pm sharp closing time. And remember to bring you clippers for flowers and some veggies.

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