Berry Picking at Alstede Farms

This past weekend, we crossed another Northeastern cultural activity off the list — berry picking! Day trips to the local farm to pick berries, apples, or pumpkins just isn’t really a thing in Dallas. I’m so glad we finally went out and experienced it after living here in Jersey for two years (even if we did pick the hottest day of summer to spend blistering under the sun).

Upon arriving, we started the day off with an iced coffee and freshly made apple cider doughnut.

We then spent a couple of hours in the blueberry fields, sampling…erm… I mean, picking …. blueberries. Unfortunately the raspberries in a neighboring field were overpicked so the harvest was leaner, but the hunt was still fun.

Thank goodness for the (shaded) tractor ride which made rounds throughout the day to allow exploration of all the different areas of the farm.

Alstede Farms also offered a sunflower maze. I loved being surrounded by gargantuan yellow beauties but we didn’t have the energy by mid-day to go through the maze itself. Instead, we snapped some quick photos and sought shelter in the shade.

Berry Picking Tips and Tricks

Planning a berry-picking trip of your own? Here are some tips to make to most of it!

1. Check the website of your chosen farm before driving out there! We learned that berry-picking conditions change rapidly and your berries sadly may not be available on the day of your choosing. We initially planned a trip to Terhune Orchards in Princeton, but when checking the website one last time the night before the outing, I was disappointed to see the announcement that blueberry picking was temporarily on hold to allow them to ripen sufficiently after some apparently heavy picking the week prior. A bit of Googling then brought us to Alstede Farms in Chester Township (which did not disappoint!).
2. Again, check the website or call your chosen farm to purchase or reserve tickets in advance as needed. Many farms in New Jersey require “PYO” (Pick Your Own) tickets for admission and we chose to purchase them online ahead of time to avoid any mishaps on the day of.
3. Alstede Farms included 1 pint of berries with each PYO ticket, and offered additional pint boxes at $6.99 each. We purchased an additional pint and am glad we did, but I would recommend against going ham and buying more than 1 or 2 extra per person. This is because blueberries should be picked fresh (dark blue all around and not still pink) as they don’t continue to ripen after picking and thus have quite a limited shelf/refrigerator life. Also, it’s difficult to juggle holding multiple boxes upright while reaching over bushes to pick more berries, all the while trying not to drop all the berries you’ve already gathered. Even just holding one box, I sacrificed many a berry this way.
4. Bring a lidded container to store your berries on the way home! The cute little tubs provided by the farm were great for pictures but did absolutely nothing to protect the precious cargo inside. I would also bring ice packs. The berry farms are usually out of the way and a bit of a drive to get to, so your berries will likely need to endure a car ride in the summer heat— especially if you plan to take advantage of any other fun activities like pony rides, corn/sunflower mazes, wine tasting, etc.
5. Start your picking in the morning! Berries are summer creatures and the mid-day heat is exhausting. Alstede Farms had lots of activities like the aforementioned mazes, wine tasting, live music, and a food market — but we were so drained from the heat we could barely get to it all. Bring water and sunscreen!

I’d say our first experience picking the state fruit of our new home state was a success! I’m excited to return for other seasonal pickings throughout the year.