One pint is never enough

RASPBERRY SEASON HAS ENDED FOR 2024. We have autumn red raspberries which start ripening in September with a late September peak season.  After Peak, our raspberries will then continue to ripen slowly til frost.  Best picking conditions tend to be on Thursdays after the patch has Mon-Wed to rest and re-ripen after the prior weekend picking.

Picking Guidelines & Price

You must pay for the raspberries you pick.  Raspberries are $5.00/pint and you must pre-purchase our containers to pick our raspberries.  You can NOT use your own containers.  We are allowing children to pick, but they must be under your supervision at all times.  A note to parents with toddlers; we have found over the years that young children often do not last long at raspberry picking.  If planning on picking more that a pint or 2, please be mindful.

Raspberry Season Development

Many of you who have picked here over the years have seen our raspberry patch reduce from 2+ acres to our present 1/2 acre patch.  Also many have noticed we've switched over our entire patch to a later bearing variety and wondered why.  All thru the US, including northern states like Wisconsin, we have a new invasive small fruit fly called SWD.  SWD is NOT harmful to people.  At this point in time, eradication of SWD is impossible without using intensive sprays, either organic or conventional.  Since raspberries in particular are like little sponges, controlling the flies thru spray does NOT fit within the environmental choices we make on our farm.  (There is nothing we grow that we do not eat, and we eat A LOT of it!)  SWD adults prefer warm temperatures and can complete a generation in as little as 8-9 days.  While still active in the cooler fall weather, they’re production drops.  We have decided to control the SWD population by reducing the patch size to guarantee the entire patch is picked bone dry clean by Sunday evening. If any SWD is still present in berries, they are killed by 2-3 days of refrigeration or freezing. This means our best picking will always be on Thursday & Friday, after the patch has had a 3 day rest to re-ripen.  If looking to pick large quantities for freezing/jam, you should always plan to pick on Thurs or Friday.  We do not take reservations for raspberry picking since it’s logistically impossible the gauge with rain, how the raspberries produce differently each week and the varying quantities each picker actually picks. The berries continue to re-ripen, but by the weekend, the supply will always be more appropriate for pleasure picking (1 or 2 pints for fresh eating). By Sunday afternoon, it will take a sizable stroll to pick a pint. If a more acceptable control method is discovered in the future (trapping, beneficial species, etc), we will expand our patch again at that time.  But so far, despite many efforts none has been found.

After Picking Care

Fresh raspberries are perishable.  They must be refrigerated as soon as possible.  Never leave them in a hot car or out on the kitchen counter.  DON'T wash the berries until your ready to use them.  It washes off the thin protective epidermal layer.   

Berry Quantities

1 pint = 2 Cups

8 pints = 1 gallon 

For Pie, 2 pints (4 cups) raspberries are needed for a 9" pie

Cash is best.  We are a small farm and have only 2 credit card terminals.  Also there is a 3.5% fee added onto all credit card transactions..  There is an ATM (with $2.50 fee) inside the apple cabin