Neal's Berry Farm
  • Home
  • UPDATES
  • LOCATION
  • FAQ'S
  • GALLERY
  • Contact & Links
  • SITE MAP
PictureCheck this page often to see what's new on the farm! SCROLL DOWN for latest post.

status of blackberries, by named variety:

6/24/2021

 
 PEAK blackberry season is over, but there are still LOTS of blackberries to pick now. Peak just means the most ripe at one time, but there are still at least 1,000 pounds out there to pick now, and more ripening every day. The HUGE Freedom blackberries you picked in early May are starting to ripen their second crop now! Osage and Natchez blackberries are winding down and may be finished after this weekend, so if those are your faves, come pick then before they’re gone!  Ouachita blackberries are just about over, but still some left if you hurry. Traveler blackberries are just starting to bloom for their 2nd crop, and should be ripe same time as figs. Many vegs are ready to pick now— yellow squash, zucchini, carrots, okra, curly kale, dinosaur kale, peppers, cucumbers, and LOTS of eggplant  and tomatoes. Please remember to bring your shears for cutting eggplant, sunflowers & zinnias. The farmer picked (and ate!) the FIRST RIPE FIG of the season today—one Celeste! So we expect the fig pickin’ to begin around July 4 or a few days later.  
Hours the rest of this week: Fri, Sat, Sun. (June 25, 26, 27, 2021) 7:30am-1:00pm.Pickers must check in by 12:30pm, and pick. weigh, and pay by closing time. We're open even if it's raining, but no picking during lightning. Pre-Picked in the market: LOTS of tomatoes, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, acorn squash, eggplant, watermelons & cantaloupes. NOTE: WATERMELONS & CANTALOUPES ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR U-PICK. Market also offers drinks, peach BBQ wood, homemade preserves from our fruit. ORCHARD IS CURRENTLY CLOSED--will re-open for fig season. Sorry, no picnic area. See HOME page for pricing, maps, etc.
 

Picture
Picture
Picture

Blackberry and carrot pickin' and more!

6/22/2021

 
If you've never experienced the thrill of harvesting carrots, now's your chance! Kids and 'still kids at heart' love the surprise when they pull carrots out of the ground. We have a nice patch of carrots beside the back thornless blackberry field, near the U-pick sunflowers, cucumbers, yellow squash and zucchini. Other U-pick fields have: kale, dinosaur kale, eggplant, tomatoes all sizes, banana peppers, serrano peppers, and zinnias. Hours the rest of this week: Wed. thru Sun. (June 23-27, 2021) 7:30am-1:00pm, AND SPECIAL EVENING HOURS ON Wed. 6/23/21 4:30pm-8:00pm. Pickers must check IN at least 30 min before closing time, and pick. weigh, and pay by closing time. We're open even if it's raining, but no picking during lightning. Pre-Picked in the market: LOTS of tomatoes, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, acorn squash, eggplant, watermelons & cantaloupes. NOTE: WATERMELONS & CANTALOUPES ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR U-PICK. Market also offers drinks, peach bbq wood, homemade preserves and jelly. Bring shears for cutting sunflowers, zinnias and eggplant. ORCHARD IS CURRENTLY CLOSED--will re-open it when figs are ready in a couple of weeks! Sorry, no picnic area. See HOME page for pricing, etc.  FYI: Binford Rd. is under construction between HWY 290 and FM 2920, so if 290/Binford exit is closed, exit Kickapoo or FM 2920.

Picture
Picture
Picture

COME PICK BLACKBERRIES BEFORE THE BIRDS FIND THEM ALL! evening hours added on wed. 6/23/21!

6/21/2021

 
Delicious mid-summer harvest still happening this week, with blackberries, tomatoes, watermelon, cantaloupes and more, fresh from our farm! We plan to be open this week Tuesday thru Sunday (June 22-27, 2021) 7:30am-1:00pm.--check in by 12:30pm; check out by 1:00pm sharp. AND SPECIAL EVENING HOURS WED. (6/23/21) 4:30pm-8:00pm (check in by 7:30pm). Lots of blackberries NOW and for the next week or so, as red berries ripen to black. After that, most remaining blackberries are under leaves and protected from the brutal sun, so harder to see and pick. So if you want to pick lots of berries in a short amount of time, don't wait! We see more birds now scavenging the blackberry field, so come on out and pick before the birds get them all! We're open even if it's raining, but no picking during lightning. For U-Pick: Thornless blackberries, kale, dino kale, cucumbers, eggplant, tomatoes all sizes, yellow squash, zucchini, carrots, banana peppers & serrano peppers. Pre-Picked in the market: LOTS of tomatoes, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, acorn squash, and various other vegs, including watermelons & cantaloupes. NOTE: WATERMELONS & CANTALOUPES ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR U-PICK. Market also offers drinks, peach BBQ wood, homemade preserves and jelly. Bring shears for sunflowers, zinnias and eggplant. ORCHARD IS CURRENTLY CLOSED TO EVERYONE, even "just lookers."--FIGS NOT READY YET! Sorry, NO PICNIC AREA. See home page on this website for prices, etc. FYI: Binford Rd. is under construction between HWY 290 and FM 2920, so if 290/Binford exit is closed, exit Kickapoo or FM 2920.
 

Picture
Picture
Picture

Last couple of weeks of e-z blackberry picking

6/16/2021

 
We will have lots of blackberries for the next week or two, as the red ones ripen to black. After that, most remaining blackberries will be under the leaves because they are protected from the brutal sun, so more difficult to see and pick. So if you want to pick lots of berries in a short amount of time, don't wait! The rest of this week, we will be open Thurs thru Sunday (June 17-20, 2021): 7:30am-1:00pm, so must check in by 12:30pm. We're open even if it's raining, but no picking during lightning. LOTS of tomatoes and various other vegs. Bring shears for sunflowers and some vegs. Pre-picked in the market, we have: homegrown watermelons, cantaloupe, tomatoes, spaghetti squash, butternut squash, acorn squash, peach bbq wood, homemade preserves and jelly. See www.nealsberryfarm.com for pricing, maps, etc. and https://www.nealsberryfarm.com/updates-neals-berry-farm-blog. .) FYI: Binford Rd. is under construction between HWY 290 and FM 2920, so if 290/Binford exit is closed, exit Kickapoo or FM 2920.

Picture

peak blackberry and tomato season now!

6/8/2021

 
The blackberry plants LOVED the snow and 8 degree freeze they got in February, so more blackberries are ripening simultaneously than ever before. We're open even if it's raining, but no picking during lightning. PEAK BLACKBERRY AND TOMATO SEASON IS NOW, along with lots of other veggies for U-Pick: Squash (Butternut, spaghetti, yellow, zucchini), beets, cabbage, kale, dinosaur kale, cucumbers, peppers and more. If you need lots of blackberries and tomatoes, now is the time for easy picking! Bring garden shears to cut sunflowers, zinnias and some vegs. See Home Page here for pricing, maps, etc.

Picture

BEST BLACKBERRY PICKING WEEK OF THE YEAR! NOW IS THE PEAK OF PEAK SEASON!

6/5/2021

 
Calling all Blackberry-Lovers, Jelly-Makers, Cobbler-Bakers, and Wine-Makers--THIS IS YOUR BEST WEEK TO PICK BLACKBERRIES ALL YEAR! There won't be another time this year when there are more ripe blackberries at once. Four of our five varieties of thornless blackberries are producing this coming week and possibly next week. After that, amounts ripening will slowly diminish as the annual blackberry season fades. Easiest and best picking is NOW! Peak blackberry season typically runs last week in May thru first two weeks of June, so we are right in the middle of that time period. Tomato season just starting, and they are highly susceptible to various demons, especially with recent monsoons, so pick tomatoes while they are abundant and lookin' good. OPEN Sunday 6/6/21 7:30am-1:00pm. (OPEN TUES. THRU SUNDAYS 7:30am-1:00pm UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. Pickers must check in at market before 12:30pm to pick, weigh and pay before our 1:00pm sharp closing time.) We're open even if it's raining, but no picking during lightning. Rain boots or yard shoes recommended at this time. Lots of good stuff to pick: THREE MILES of thornless blackberries in peak production, 1,000 ft. of tomatoes on fences, kale, dinosaur kale, cabbage, Napa cabbage, squash (yellow, zucchini, spaghetti), peppers, cucumbers, beets, few radishes. Bring shears to cut zinnias, sunflowers and some vegs. Pre-picked: acorn squash (white, green, and yellow), spaghetti squash, tomatoes, and a few peaches. Peach BBQ wood & homemade preserves/jelly for sale in the market. Check HOME tab on this website for pricing, maps, etc., and ALWAYS check this "Updates" tab before coming to be sure we are open. Special welcome to area bikers for our first of two "Biker Berry Weekends." (see flyer in photos below) FYI: Binford Rd. is under construction between HWY 290 and FM 2920, so if 290/Binford exit is closed, exit Kickapoo or FM 2920.

Picture
Fresh-picked zucchini stands guard over two boxes of beautiful blackberries picked by a customer. Most farmers only have potatoes with eyes, but occasionally you may find a zucchini staring out from under a plant here!
Picture
I see a few batches of homemade salsa in someone's future, made with this bag of tomatoes and peppers
Picture
Spaghetti and acorn squash, with a Solo cup of zinnias to brighten your day!
Picture

Making kimchi?Pick your own napa cabbage

6/2/2021

 
Open Thurs 6/3/21, and Tues. thru Sundays (7:30am-1:00pm) until further notice. On open days, pickers must check in at market before 12:30pm to pick, weigh and pay before our 1:00pm sharp closing time. U-Pick available Thur. 6/3/21: thornless blackberries, cabbage, Napa Cabbage, yellow squash, zucchini, spaghetti squash, acorn squash, beets, peppers, kale, dinosaur kale, green onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, sunflowers, zinnias and a few eggplants. Sorry, peach season is over. Please bring your garden shears/clippers to cut flowers and some vegs. Delicious homemade preserves and jelly for sale in the market: Peach, Wild Mustang Grape, Blackberry, LSU Purple Fig, and LSU Gold Fig. Check HOME tab on nealsberryfarm.com for pricing, maps, etc., and ALWAYS check this "Updates" tab before coming to be sure we are open. FYI: Binford Rd. is under construction between HWY 290 and FM 2920, so if 290/Binford exit is closed off, exit Kickapoo or FM 2920.

Picture
Sunflowers only $1 per stem, in any stage, from bloom to seed heads which are great for a natural bird or squirrel feeder.
Picture
Grape tomatoes can be picked when they have a tiny bit of red or yellow color, and will ripen at home at room temperature. Pick a bag in various stages of color so you can have a continuous supply of ripe tomatoes.
Picture
Napa cabbage, one of the main ingredients in kimchi, only $4.00/head. Be sure to bring your garden shears to cut the root and take the whole head.
Picture
Blackberries picked 6-2-21. During peak season (NOW!) you can pick these full boxes in just a few feet on one row.

    Author

    WRITTEN BY THE FARMER'S WIFE

    Archives

    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed


Thank you for visiting our site! Return often to see what's new on the farm.

  • Home
  • UPDATES
  • LOCATION
  • FAQ'S
  • GALLERY
  • Contact & Links
  • SITE MAP