The u-pick blueberry season in Southwest Michigan is a special time of year! Michigan is the number one state of high bush blueberry production. In fact, the state of Michigan alone produces over 100 million pounds of blueberries each year. You can enjoy these delicious fruits right here at The Castle in our farm-fresh fruit cups, cornmeal blueberry pancakes, or lemon curd and blueberry stuffed sourdough French toast, yum! Here at Castle in the Country Bed and Breakfast, we use blueberries multiple times a week! We are blessed to have access to fresh blueberries within 30 minutes of our Inn. The great part is that most of the farms producing this fresh little fruit allow you to pick yourself!
Brookside Farms
One of our innkeepers visited the Brookside Farms in Gobles, MI and loved the experience. Since it was the first time she went blueberry picking, the lovely women behind the counter helped her out with all of her questions and needs. They provided a bucket with a bag in it and each of the lanes of blueberry bushes were labeled.
At Brookside, there were ten different varieties of blueberries to choose from. Each of the ten has a different purpose, such as cooking, baking, or even consuming immediately! While venturing through with buckets, there were green, pinkish red, and larger blue colored berries. The green were new buds – not ready to pick yet. The red berries were about to turn blue in the next few days. The blue, obviously were ready to pick and eat!
Some of the blueberries available in the store are Berkley and Jersey berries. Because they’re so sweet, they are ready to eat or use immediately – perfect for fruit cups or muffins. A type you normally will use for cooking and baking jams and pies is the Covel variety, which is very tart.
The different varieties may be colored lighter or darker, and may be larger or smaller in size. At Brookside, they weigh your berries, have you label which variety you took and you’re on your way! The little farm also has many Michigan-based items, such as: maple syrup, honeys, barbecue sauces, jams, and some baked goods. Do not worry if you pick too many, you can always freeze them and use them whenever you would like!
*Royal Recommendation: We love to visit the Brookside Farms in Paw Paw and Gobles, MI. With three locations, they are open to guests to venture through the fields and pick blueberries.
While visiting the Paw Paw location, you can stop at St. Julian Winery which is a few miles south from the farm. This is the 2nd largest winery in the state of Michigan and we recommend that our guests purchase bottles of wine to bring back to our property or enjoy while soaking in our whirlpool tubs.
National Blueberry Festival
The National Blueberry Festival is a fun (and delicious) festival each August in South Haven, Michigan. During this four-day event, you’ll enjoy a parade, live music, baked and fresh blueberry goods, and so much more! Four of the top blueberry farms in southwest Michigan are supplying their blueberry crop for this event. We look forward to the many pictures and goodies our guests bring back with them each year!
Crane’s Pie Pantry, Orchard and Restaurant
If you like u-pick farms, Crane’s also offers a variety of you pick fruits. Located in Fennville, MI just a mile from one of our favorite restaurants, Salt of the Earth, you are able to pick seasonal fruits, grab a small lunch in their deli, and try some of their new fruit wines after picking some fresh fruit.
Lastly, have you ever wanted to grow your own blueberry plants? Baby Blue Blueberries, in Bangor, MI, offers that just for you! They specialize in starter plants and will help you through the process. What a fun thing to bring home from your vacation get-a-way at Castle in the Country!
Interested in trying one of our Michigan Blueberry recipes from our own Chef Herb? During blueberry season, Herb makes Blueberry Juniper Cornmeal Pancakes; they are light, airy, and have a sweet tart bite with the fresh Michigan Blueberries.
More Places for Michigan Blueberries
After having a fresh and filling breakfast here at the Castle Keep, venture out with your loved one to one of these blueberry farms.
- Dees Lakeshore Farm, Fennville, MI
- Earl’s Berry Farm, Fennville, MI
- Gary Crane Farm, Fennville, MI
- Pleasant Hills Farms, Fennville, MI
- Brookside Farms, Martin, MI
- Brookside Farms, Gobles, MI
- Heintzman’s Blueberries, Gobles, MI
- J&J Blueberries, Bloomingdale, MI
- Joe’s Blues, Bangor, MI
- Stoke’s Homestead Market, Grand Junction, MI
- True Blue Farms, Grand Junction, MI
- Mitchells Blueberrys, Grand Junction, MI
- Munjoy Blueberries, Pullman, MI
- Beard’s Produce, Dorr, MI
- The Phunny Farm, Holland, MI
- Riverbend Farms, South Haven, MI
- Degrandchamp Blueberries, South Haven, MI
- Sparks Blueberry Farm, South Haven, MI
- Stephenson Farms, South Haven, MI
- Brookside Farms, Paw Paw, MI
- Morrison’s Sunny Fields, Paw Paw, MI
- Schutlz’s Fruitride Farms, Inc., Mattawan, MI
*Many of these locations do not have websites, but you can find a full listing and specific addresses of all of the above u-pick farms.