Blueberries Ripe for the Picking at Vanderhelm Farms
In which I revisit favorite articles from 2024.
Originally published in the Hughson Chronicle & Denair Dispatch on June 25, 2024. The Hughson Chronicle & Denair Dispatch is part of MidValley Publications - committed to the power of the positive press. Reprinted with Permission.
Beyond the city limits, where Geer Road turns to Albers Road, a rusted rustic truck sits along the roadside with an inviting sign that reads Vanderhelm Farms and an arrow pointing down a long dirt driveway. Turning down the driveway and meandering around the farmhouse, visitors pull up to the gravel parking lot in front of the large, newly constructed barn and a play area made of homespun traditional trappings and vintage farm equipment that children can explore at will under adult supervision.
Its season runs from May to August, and at 1678 Albers Road, the produce options have expanded from blueberries to four varieties of strawberries, eight varieties of cherries, twelve varieties of white and yellow peaches, eight varieties of nectarines and eight varieties of apricots, apriums and hybrids.
Blueberries, that antioxidant-rich superfruit that comes in pint-sized packages at the grocery store, can be had by the bucketful for a little bit of effort spent on a sunny summer morning. The blueberries at Vanderhelm cost $4.10 a pound, and they have berries already picked for those with little time or hands to spare.
The first stop upon arrival is the barn, where people pick up a blue or red bucket, depending on the fruit they plan to pick. Wagons are available to help with the load.
From there, they can make their way through nine acres of blueberries. The choices may feel limitless as families walk down the rows of 12,000 blueberry bushes labeled with their varietal names. In the barn, owner Ron Vanderhelm marks which varieties are “coming soon,” “tart,” “sweet,” or “finished,” and during a mid-June visit, 13 out of 15 hit the sweet spot.
Vandelhelm Farms opened in 2009, with its first “U-pick” season in 2012. Vanderhelm, who opened the farm with his mother and wife, said in a 2018 interview that each year they reinvested all they earned back into the farm, to make it grow each year. Blueberries, he said, are ideal for this business model: short bushes, easy to pick, no threatening thorns. “U-pick” farms connect children to their food. So many do not see where their food comes from, but when they do, research shows they make healthier choices.
Some make the trip an annual outing with a tough work ethic. Others make it an enriching opportunity for young children and youth to gather. According to Vanderhelm, some pickers return week after week, picking what they’ll consume that week and freezing the rest. Of the notable pickers, Vanderhelm recalled one family who filled 14 of the 7-lb buckets adding up to 98 lbs. of blueberries. Vanderhelm estimates it takes about 20 minutes to fill a bucket.
When asked what aspect of the farm he is most excited about this year, Vanderhelm said, “Just seeing people being happy.”
Children stop to play in the playground before heading out to the bushes. On an unusually cool summer morning, David Grace watches cautiously as his grandchildren, Lincoln and Olivia, play on the playground farm equipment. Shelly Grace said this was their second visit this season. After enjoying it so much with one grandchild, they brought a large family group, including five children, for a picking expedition. From their pickings, Shelly Grace has a blueberry compote in mind.
Whether they come for a quality, low-key family outing or to extend their grocery budget, Vanderhelm Farms is the place to be as families and individuals wander through the rows picking. As the early crowd checks out, they bring their buckets into the barn. College students weigh and bag the berries, finalizing the purchase and offering $10 off every $100 spent with punch cards that can be used year after year.
The berries cost less than the picked market rate sometimes by as much as half the going rate. Nectarines, peaches, apriums and tomatoes are $3/lb. Cherries and strawberries are $4/lb. Zucchini, squash and cucumber are $1 each.
On an average season, Vanderhelm Farms will complete 7000 transactions. “It’s enough to support us,” Vanderhelm said. After 12 years of growing, Vanderhelm Farms has made blueberries, and the tradition of picking them, is a family staple.
The farm is open Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and closed on Sundays. Visitors are encouraged to dress for hot, sunny weather and bring bottled water. For farm updates, sign up for their email list on their website at vanderhelmfarms.com.
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