What is it about your hometown that leads you to overlook the treasures it holds? I have friends who have traveled up to two hours to visit The Blueberry Patch, a blueberry picking farm in Mansfield, Ohio, and though it is maybe six minutes from my home and yet it took me years to stop by!
It wasn’t until my sister-in-law was visiting from out of state and my mom asked if I had any ideas of what we could do that the Blueberry Patch came to mind. Originally I had planned a fun day visiting some of the area parks but then I spoke to a friend who suggested that I check out this local attraction for u pick blueberries and promised that it would be something that everyone in our party could easily do.
So my three-year-old nephew, teen daughter, sister-in-law and mom loaded ourselves into my minivan and set off down the road for a blueberry picking adventure.
I was a bit unsure of where to go when we pulled in to The Blueberry Patch but I followed the drive beside the greenhouse and café and right at the end, I saw a large sign alerting potential ‘pickers’ where to go.
We checked in to the building, gave my name and picked up a plastic bucket as we were directed where to go to pick our berries. On the day we were there, they were picking Bluerays on the hill directly behind the greenhouse. It was a little bit of an incline, but not anything strenuous and we arrived at the beginning of the plants a minute or two after leaving the shop, so we didn’t have far to go.
We reminded my nephew that he couldn’t eat any of the berries until we were done picking and turned him loose with my daughter. The plants were heavy with blueberries and the bushes were much different than I expected. They were fairly tall and we didn’t really find the need to bend over much to pick from them.
We had planned to pick about three pounds of berries which would be about $15 so we were told to fill our bucket half full. Even picking at a leisurely pace, we’d filled our bucket with the desired amount in around 15 minutes. Picking three pounds of blueberries certainly wasn’t an all-day affair.
When we finished picking, we headed back to the counter where I again gave my name and the girl at the counter checked to see how many buckets we took out and then weighed our berries. The berries could then be transferred to another container, or you can purchase the bucket for $1 and the lid for .50. I opted to buy the bucket, which I plan to use on future visits, which will save me a bit of money.
Remember how we told my nephew he couldn’t eat any of the berries until after we had paid for them? He was as patient as he could be but by the time we reached my vehicle, he wanted to taste what he’d been picking. Unfortunately, the berries didn’t really appeal to him but we’re hopeful that they grow on him over the years.
Our visit to The Blueberry Patch was a lot of fun, and something I wish I’d done with my own kids when they were my nephew’s age. My mom, sister-in-law and I talked and hope to make this an annual event but next time we plan to pick more berries and stick around to browse the gift shop and grab a bit to eat in the café.
Though I thought picking our own berries was a great experience, I realize it isn’t something everyone will enjoy. If you’d rather let someone else do the picking, you’ll find fresh berries already packaged in the shop that you can purchase, along with blueberry products like jam, tea, and truffles.
Here are a couple of tips to keep in mind when visiting The Blueberry Patch.
- Blueberry picking season is July and August and in Ohio, that means it’s hot. Visit first thing in the morning or later in the evening to avoid as much of the heat as possible.
- Slather on the sunscreen and wear a hat to avoid burns and take water along if you plan to pick a lot of berries.
- If you plan to make more than one visit to the Blueberry Patch, buy a bucket. Each time you return and buy four or more pounds of blueberries, you’ll save .50.
- Picking hours are from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday – Saturday and from Sunday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Not only will you avoid the heat if you plan an early morning visit, you’ll find it easier to find a parking spot too. The Blueberry Patch gets pretty busy around lunchtime. Which brings me to my 6th tip.
- If you linger or arrive later in the day, stop in the cafe for a bite to eat.
Store Information:
The Blueberry Patch
Address: 1285 West Hanley Road
Mansfield, Ohio 44904
Phone: 419-884-1797
Website: http://www.TheBlueberryPatch.org
Hours: Monday-Saturday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Blossoms Café is open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
You may call ahead to see what type of berries they are picking.
You can also follow The Blueberry Patch Facebook or Twitter to learn about specials or upcoming events.
Looking for more things to do in Ohio? Check out my Ohio Bucket List for ideas.
© 2014 – 2018, Tonya Prater. All rights reserved.
Shell Feis says
What a great idea to take visiting family to do this. Sounds like so much fun- a great family activity!
Marisa says
Yum! I would love to be able to pick fresh blueberries. It would be fun with the kids too!
Beth says
I love blueberry picking. We just went peach picking as that was the kids pick. Hopefully next year we can add in blueberry picking to our activities.
Tonya says
Peaches is one thing that I’d love to pick. Yum!
valmg @ Mom Knows It All says
How fun! I haven’t been fruit picking in many years. Great way to spend a day with the kids!
Digna D. says
Holy cow, those are some huge blueberries. Blueberries are so high in antioxidants, they rock. I have never been blueberry picking, would love to give it a try. Although I have done the apple picking.
Tonya says
Yes, the blueberries are huge! I’m planning to go back again and pick some more before the season is over.
Andrea Kruse says
Love blueberries! We just put in 5 acres on the farm last year so this year we spent several evenings picking. The blueberry season really depends on the varieties you have available and how fast each variety matures. We started picking in early June and through July because my husband selected a few back-to-back varieties … and an early one that just touches the end of our Strawberry season.
Tonya says
I’m planning to talk my husband into planting a few trees as well.
Kimberly Grabinski says
We love blueberries but we have never been to pick them ourselves. My kids would have a blast doing that, I’m definitely going to see if there is a place around here!
Tonya says
I should have taken my kids when they were younger but my teen enjoyed it since my nephew was in tow.
Lisa says
This looks like a ton of fun!
Lauren (Lolo) says
That is so much fun! I would love to pick blueberries with my family.
Mimi says
We absolutely love picking blueberries. Haven’t found any where local to do it, but I’ll be sure to mention your location to my boss who lives in OH!
Wendy says
YUM! My CSA has a blueberry field – and I get a few pints in my share. I LOVE Blueberries!
Elaina says
What a cool thing to do with the kids!!
Lynsey @MoscatoMom says
How fun! I have picked peaches, veggies, and grapefruit – but never blueberries! Looks fun!
Melissa says
How fun!! My kids would love to pick blueberries.
Sara P. (@SensiblySara) says
What a TON of fun!
When you go back, how do they know you had previously purchased the bucket??
Tonya says
Good question! When you walk into the building to check in, they ask your name and if you need a bucket. If you do, they mark it down on the sheet. They pass out the buckets so if you don’t take one from them, they know you brought your own.
Crystal says
That looks like so much fun. I’m sure my kids would really appreciate the opportunity to pick their own berries. I might buy the whole bucket & then make some jam.
Tonya says
I made some blueberry muffins but they didn’t taste good enough to blog about. 🙂
Kecia says
We love picking fruit! There aren’t any blueberry patches around here (that I know of), but we pick apples and strawberries every now and then. The places to pick are about 45 minutes from here so we make a day of it.
Valerie Remy-Milora says
I absolutely LOVE blueberries and would be thrilled to go blueberry picking! What a fun way to spend a morning. I don’t have a blueberry patch close by but I am happy for you you discovered this little gem so close to home! Enjoy!
Mandi says
We have a local strawberry farm that lets you do u-pick strawberries, and then blueberries and raspberries so now I want to go try that too! It’s so much fun to pick them fresh and take them home and make them into some delicious muffins or pancakes!
Rhea says
Oh how fun! My son LOVES blueberries, he would have that bucket eaten in an hour and make himself sick. LOL I wish we had something like that around here in SoCal. We have local “pick your own apples” and we haven’t done that either. I understand about not doing local activities!
Tonya says
We have a lot of “pick your own” places here. Apples, blueberries, strawberries, etc. We’ve never really picked much on our own either. I really wish I’d done this with the kids when they were younger. It was fun and really didn’t take much time.
Erica B. says
Where are other fruit pickings? Would love to take my daughter…she doesn’t like blueberries however lol too…picky…go figure…
Tonya says
You can pick strawberries in Belleville and many locations around Mansfield will have apple picking soon. And don’t forget pumpkin season- that’s always fun.
Shop with Me Mama (Kim) says
Oh yum! We love fresh picked blueberries!!