Have a Berry Good Time!

In Johnny Appleseed’s backyard, you expect to find apples – and you will. Acres and acres of orchards, with thousands up thousands of trees dot the hills and valleys of North Central Massachusetts. In the spring, local orchards celebrate apple blossom season, knowing that the pink and white blooms are the happy harbingers of fabulous fruit to come.

And sure enough, by the late summer and into the fall, dozens of varieties of apples will hang heavy on those graceful branches, just waiting to be picked.

But you don’t have to wait for the apple crop to ripen to enjoy the fruits of Johnny’s backyard.

Picture it: row upon row of sun-drenched, bright red strawberries. Blueberry bushes beckoning nimble fingers, waiting to be picked and plunked into a bowl of cereal. Cheery red raspberries and tasty, dark blackberries lurking amid sturdy canes, tempting your tastebuds.

Whether you’re hankering for some oversized blueberry muffins, or gearing up to make a pot of strawberry jam, a visit to the farms and orchards in North Central Massachusetts is just what you need. Just as pick-your-own-berry trips are a popular summertime wat to spend quality family time – and return home with some luscious treats.

Here’s a sampling of where to go to have a berry good time:

Hollis Hills Farm, Fitchburg and Lanni Orchard in Lunenburg – strawberries in early June to early July, and raspberries in July.

Red Apple Farm, Phillipston – blueberries and raspberries in July and August.

Sholan Farms, Leominster – raspberries and blueberries in July and August.

Carlson Orchards, Harvard – blueberries in July and August, raspberries in August and September.

For more information on local farms, see the Destinations section of this issue of The Guide.