Blueberries may be available soon at Out of the Blue Berry Farm, located at 397 Stevers Mills Road in Broadalbin, but berry season is coming to an end.
“But it was a really good year. We started early and it took longer,” said owner Camille Parisi.
Parisi, a retired teacher, and her husband Ben bought the farm at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
“I had my eye on it,” Parisi said. “We bought it when the ‘for sale’ sign went up.”
“A few days later, the whole world stopped,” she said. “We were panicking. We even caught COVID at the end of the day.”
It was difficult to get started, but Parisi said they got help from Cornell Cooperative Extension, previous owners and local blueberry growers.
“For the first two years, nobody knew we were here. Now everyone comes when we open,” Parisi said.
To attract people, the Parisis held pop-up days where they greatly reduced the price of berries, from $3.50 to $1 per pound. During the pandemic, these were initially for medical and emergency management workers and the following year for veterans.
“Now pop-up days are for everyone,” Parisi said.
The next pop-up day is Thursday from 4-7pm. The farm’s operating days are Thursday through Sunday, but pop-up days can be scheduled on any day and will be announced on the farm’s Facebook page.
“We have followers on Facebook. When they see that we are open, they are very happy,” said Parisi.
Parisi also posts blueberry recipes on the farm’s Facebook page.
“We have a lot of bakers, but I would say most of our frequent pickers freeze them all winter instead of buying blueberries at the supermarket,” she said
“Berries from the supermarket are more expensive and they like our better quality,” Parisi said. “I don’t think they (berries from the supermarket) are as fresh as the ones you picked this morning.”
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Now in its fourth summer, the farm continues to grow and berry production increases. Regulars come all season long and some keep notes in notebooks about how much they need.
“And we have families who just want the experience and others who come for the socializing,” Parisi said. “They meet their friends here. That’s why we put up the gazebo. They can bring their lunch and hang out.”
Customers strap small buckets around their waist or neck and go out to pick blueberries. The farm also has bins that hold 12 to 15 pounds of blueberries.
“We have people who pick berries for us. But now the student grant has returned to the university. From now on, people have to pick berries themselves,” Parisi said.
According to Parisi, blueberries are really healthy. They are a source of antioxidants and do not raise blood sugar levels as much as other fruits.
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“I have gym teachers and athletes who put them in smoothies and coffee,” she said.
Parisi said growing blueberries is labor-intensive — a labor of love.
The berries rest in winter. Pruning takes place from January to March. The berries are protected from diseases using fungicides and organic sprays and are then ready to be picked and eaten.
“We are conventional. I’m not a big sprayer,” said Parisi. “We test the soil regularly.”
It may not be as popular as apple picking, Parisi admitted, because children and young people are often at the camp.
Apple picking is a bit like the start of school, when buses full of children arrive, Parisi says, although the farm also benefits from summer visitors who stay home seasonally.
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“It’s exciting to see how people enjoy the place. Some have become friends,” she said.
Parisi said she plans to close this Sunday.
“But I’ll scout the field on Friday,” she said. “If there are a lot of berries left, we’ll do a lot of pop-ups until we run out.”
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Photos: Out of the Blue Berry Farm, Broadalbin
Camille Parisi of Middle Grove, owner of Out of the Blue Berry Farm in Broadalbin, picks blueberries on Sunday, August 11, 2024.
Christine Nelson of Niskayuna picks blueberries during a field trip to Out of the Blue Berry Farm in Broadalbin on Sunday, August 11, 2024.
Chip Guyon of Saratoga Springs picks blueberries during a trip to Out of the Blue Berry Farm in Broadalbin on Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024, with his wife Jane, not pictured.
Blueberries were plentiful late in the season at Out of the Blue Berry Farm in Broadalbin on Sunday, August 11, 2024.
Jim and Shelly Rose of Broadalbin display their latest blueberry crop late in the season at Out of the Blue Berry Farm in Broadalbin on Sunday, August 11, 2024.
A view of a row of blueberry bushes at Out of the Blue Berry Farm in Broadalbin, Sunday, August 11, 2024, late in the season.
A look at some of the available blueberries at Out of the Blue Berry Farm in Broadalbin, Sunday, August 11, 2024, late in the season.
A look at some of the available blueberries at Out of the Blue Berry Farm in Broadalbin, Sunday, August 11, 2024, late in the season.
A look at some of the available blueberries at Out of the Blue Berry Farm in Broadalbin, Sunday, August 11, 2024, late in the season.
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