It is time to put down your Blackberry and get to know the true Blackberry, learn about its many benefits at the Great Country Farms Blackberry & Wellness Festival this weekend, July 25 & 26.
Great Country Farms of Bluemont, VA, will host its annual Blackberry Bonanza U-pick Festival on July 25 & 26 from 9am to 6pm each day. This year’s event will also include a Wellness theme and will focus on the Top 10 Reasons to eat organic blackberries. “Berries are one of the top foods to go organic
because they tend to retain high quantities of chemicals applied to them.” said Kate Zurschmeide, owner of Great Country Farms, “Our blackberries are not treated with any synthetic chemicals which helps make them a healthy choice for our customers.” Neighboring Bluemont Vineyard makes wine with the blackberries from Great Country Farms and will be on site offering wine-tasting featuring their unique Blackberry Wine, as well as their other wines. There will be fun for the whole family including hay rides, a farm animal barnyard, a 2800 sq. ft. jumping pillow, an 18-hole Cow-Pie Putt-Putt and, of course u-pick. There will also be an Organic Demonstration Garden tours and discussion of pest control through companion planting at 11am each day. This will include a Fear Factor Bug Collection Contest. This “fear factor” style bug collecting contest helps to rid the field of beetles and bugs. Farm visitors will collect as many bugs as possible, and the person with the highest weight will win the grand prize, hmm I wonder what the prize will be? “The bugs collected are a delicacy for our chickens so the hens love this contest too.” Zurschmeide said.
The Roosteranté will be open and will feature Blackberry slushies, and freshly baked peach berry pies and the Middleburg Creamery will be serving freshly made blackberry ice cream. The farm’s market will be stocked with plenty of sweet peaches and summer produce. Entry into the festival is only $10.00 a person. Children under 2 are FREE. Admission includes the following: Hayrides to and from the u-pick fields, 18 hole Cow Pie Putt-Putt Course (??) Catch and release fishing (equipment available for purchase or bring your own) and a 5 acre farm play area with tons of activities for the whole family. Great Country Farms is a family owned and operated farm located in the town of Bluemont in western Loudoun County. For more information regarding the farm, visit www.greatcountryfarms.com or contact the farm at 540-554-2073. [map]