frequently asked questions
When will the berry picking season begin?
The exact dates vary from year to year, but generally we are open for raspberry picking from mid-July through mid-August, and for blueberry picking from late July through Labor Day weekend. When the plants begin to bloom in May and June, we can make a pretty good prediction about when the harvest season will begin. We update picking information on the Current Info page of our website regularly throughout the summer, so we encourage customers to check this page for up-to-date information.
2024 Retail Prices (all prices include tax)
Blueberries
Pick Your Own Discount (25 pounds or more) $3.75/lb
Pick Your Own $4.50/lb
Pints $5.50
12 Pint Flats $60.00 (call ahead to reserve)
10# Bulk Box $60.00 (call ahead to reserve)
Frozen Juice Grade 30# Bulk Box $105.00
Raspberries
Pick Your Own: $4.50/lb
Red or Black Currants
Pick Your Own: $4.50/lb
Maple Syrup
Pints $13.00
Quarts $22.00
Honey
8 oz Squeeze Bears $8.00
Pints $14.00
Quarts $24.00
Wine
750ml bottle $16.00
Sparkling Cider
750ml bottle $15.00
Wine and Cider Tastings $1.00/each
PYO Trays
$1.00/each
Credit Card Payment Fee 3%
Do you accept purchase coupons for Wisconsin’s WIC and Senior Farmer’s Market Nutrition Programs?
Yes.
Berry Pounds to Pints Rough Conversion Chart
3/4 lb berries = 1 pint
1.5 lbs berries = 1 quart
6 lbs berries = 4 quarts
10 lbs berries = 6.67 quarts
a 12-pint flat of Blueberries holds roughly 9 lbs of berries
How long does it take to pick your own berries?
We manage our fields to ensure that customers are being offered the best picking available in areas that are fully ripe. On an average day, a focused picker should have no problem filling their picking tray with 10 lbs of berries in an hour or two.
Do you allow camp and youth groups to come pick?
In the past we have been able to accommodate small (a counselor and handful of kids) and large (up to 100 campers and chaperones) camp groups. We request that camps email us or call us in advance to reserve field space for your group. The fee for camp groups is $20 per person for 30 minutes of picking.
Do you ship your products?
No. All of our products are picked up from our farm by local and regional buyers. If you would like to order in advance, we can hold product for you to pick up. Frozen berries must be picked by October 31 each year, so that we can shut our freezers down. Orders can be emailed to [email protected] and checks can be mailed to 87080 Valley Road, Bayfield WI 54814.
Is your farm organic?
We are not organic, but we are certified by Food Alliance Midwest. Food Alliance is one of the nation's leading certification organizations for environmentally friendly and socially responsible agricultural practices. Food Alliance certified farms and ranches:
-protect, conserve and enhance soil, water, wildlife habitat and biodiversity,
-conserve energy, reduce and recycle waste,
-reduce use of pesticides and other toxic or hazardous materials,
-maintain transparent and traceable supply chains,
-support safe and fair working conditions,
-guarantee food product integrity, with no genetically engineered or artificial ingredients,
-ensure healthy, humane animal treatment,
-and ensure continual improvement of practices.
Do you use pesticides?
"We do not produce any pesticide free fruit here at Highland Valley Farm. I share many peoples concerns about excessive pesticide use in our food system and to that end I do all that I can to reasonably limit pesticide use on our farm. However, there are four households dependent on the income from this small farm, leaving little margin for avoidable loss. I personally spend a lot of my time scouting our fields for signs of disease and insect presence. Pesticides are only applied when there is a substantial threat present. I also spend a good deal of time educating myself as to what products are available and which are the safest, most targeted, and most effective to use against the pests we face. When applied correctly the pesticides we do use should leave no harmful residues and I personally recommend eating berries right out of the field. If you are uncomfortable with that I would suggest washing them before you eat or freeze them. Do not wash berries and then try to refrigerate them as the refrigerator life of washed berries is very short.
As I will tell anyone who asks me about our pesticide use--I don't ever want to give a second thought to eating our fruit right off the bush or taking it home for my wife and two young sons.
If you would like specific information about the pesticide products that we use please feel free to contact us. If you are interested in one example of why we choose to use pesticides on our farm please click here."
--Chris Dale
Production Manager for HVF
What varieties do you grow on your farm?
Raspberries: Taylor
Blueberries: Duke, Chippewa, Northland, and Patriot, (in order of ripening)
The exact dates vary from year to year, but generally we are open for raspberry picking from mid-July through mid-August, and for blueberry picking from late July through Labor Day weekend. When the plants begin to bloom in May and June, we can make a pretty good prediction about when the harvest season will begin. We update picking information on the Current Info page of our website regularly throughout the summer, so we encourage customers to check this page for up-to-date information.
2024 Retail Prices (all prices include tax)
Blueberries
Pick Your Own Discount (25 pounds or more) $3.75/lb
Pick Your Own $4.50/lb
Pints $5.50
12 Pint Flats $60.00 (call ahead to reserve)
10# Bulk Box $60.00 (call ahead to reserve)
Frozen Juice Grade 30# Bulk Box $105.00
Raspberries
Pick Your Own: $4.50/lb
Red or Black Currants
Pick Your Own: $4.50/lb
Maple Syrup
Pints $13.00
Quarts $22.00
Honey
8 oz Squeeze Bears $8.00
Pints $14.00
Quarts $24.00
Wine
750ml bottle $16.00
Sparkling Cider
750ml bottle $15.00
Wine and Cider Tastings $1.00/each
PYO Trays
$1.00/each
Credit Card Payment Fee 3%
Do you accept purchase coupons for Wisconsin’s WIC and Senior Farmer’s Market Nutrition Programs?
Yes.
Berry Pounds to Pints Rough Conversion Chart
3/4 lb berries = 1 pint
1.5 lbs berries = 1 quart
6 lbs berries = 4 quarts
10 lbs berries = 6.67 quarts
a 12-pint flat of Blueberries holds roughly 9 lbs of berries
How long does it take to pick your own berries?
We manage our fields to ensure that customers are being offered the best picking available in areas that are fully ripe. On an average day, a focused picker should have no problem filling their picking tray with 10 lbs of berries in an hour or two.
Do you allow camp and youth groups to come pick?
In the past we have been able to accommodate small (a counselor and handful of kids) and large (up to 100 campers and chaperones) camp groups. We request that camps email us or call us in advance to reserve field space for your group. The fee for camp groups is $20 per person for 30 minutes of picking.
Do you ship your products?
No. All of our products are picked up from our farm by local and regional buyers. If you would like to order in advance, we can hold product for you to pick up. Frozen berries must be picked by October 31 each year, so that we can shut our freezers down. Orders can be emailed to [email protected] and checks can be mailed to 87080 Valley Road, Bayfield WI 54814.
Is your farm organic?
We are not organic, but we are certified by Food Alliance Midwest. Food Alliance is one of the nation's leading certification organizations for environmentally friendly and socially responsible agricultural practices. Food Alliance certified farms and ranches:
-protect, conserve and enhance soil, water, wildlife habitat and biodiversity,
-conserve energy, reduce and recycle waste,
-reduce use of pesticides and other toxic or hazardous materials,
-maintain transparent and traceable supply chains,
-support safe and fair working conditions,
-guarantee food product integrity, with no genetically engineered or artificial ingredients,
-ensure healthy, humane animal treatment,
-and ensure continual improvement of practices.
Do you use pesticides?
"We do not produce any pesticide free fruit here at Highland Valley Farm. I share many peoples concerns about excessive pesticide use in our food system and to that end I do all that I can to reasonably limit pesticide use on our farm. However, there are four households dependent on the income from this small farm, leaving little margin for avoidable loss. I personally spend a lot of my time scouting our fields for signs of disease and insect presence. Pesticides are only applied when there is a substantial threat present. I also spend a good deal of time educating myself as to what products are available and which are the safest, most targeted, and most effective to use against the pests we face. When applied correctly the pesticides we do use should leave no harmful residues and I personally recommend eating berries right out of the field. If you are uncomfortable with that I would suggest washing them before you eat or freeze them. Do not wash berries and then try to refrigerate them as the refrigerator life of washed berries is very short.
As I will tell anyone who asks me about our pesticide use--I don't ever want to give a second thought to eating our fruit right off the bush or taking it home for my wife and two young sons.
If you would like specific information about the pesticide products that we use please feel free to contact us. If you are interested in one example of why we choose to use pesticides on our farm please click here."
--Chris Dale
Production Manager for HVF
What varieties do you grow on your farm?
Raspberries: Taylor
Blueberries: Duke, Chippewa, Northland, and Patriot, (in order of ripening)
