PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – With the start of June comes the start of strawberry season in many parts of the Pacific Northwest. Some local farms are already open and excited to welcome people to their U-pick berry fields.
In the Portland area, there are plenty of places for people to go if they prefer picking berries themselves over buying them in the store or at a farmers market.
Strawberries are in season now, but many local farms specialize in blueberries, which won’t be ripe until around early- or mid-July.
For anyone looking for berries to snack on, to bake pies with, or to boil into a sweet jam, these local farms will have what you’re looking for.
Clackamas County
South Barlow Berries – Canby
The strawberry plants at South Barlow Berries are loaded and ready to be picked. The juicy Sweet Valley berries are perfect for eating, freezing and jam. The Mary’s Peak variety hold their shape and have been gaining popularity, since they are similar to the fan-favorite Hood strawberry. South Barlow Berries has raspberries, boysenberries, marionberries, and Columbia Star berries available to pick later in the season.
- 29190 South Barlow Rd. Canby, OR 97013
Captain Blueberry – Eagle Creek
As the name suggests, Captain Blueberry specializes in blueberries. It’s not quite blueberry season yet, but plan ahead and know that Captain Blueberry usually opens for U-pick in mid-July and the season lasts into September. Captain Blueberry also sells blueberry plants. The farm asks people to bring their own containers to transport their berries home after picking.
- 28760 SE Folsom Rd, Eagle Creek, OR 97022
Bushue’s Family Farm – Boring
Bushue’s Family Farm in Boring is asking people to be patient. On Sunday, June 4, the farm said U-pick strawberries wouldn’t be ready for about 1.5 to 2 weeks longer. They’re growing on the bushes, but are still green. This year, they have the Hood and Mary’s Peak varieties. Bushue’s Family Farm said the Mary’s Peak variety is a new and improved Hood variety.
- 9880 SE Revenue Rd, Boring, OR 97009
Multnomah County
Columbia Farms – Sauvie Island
June 7 is the big day for Columbia Farms’ U-pick strawberry season. The Sauvie Island farm says its most abundant variety right now is Sweet Sunrise. As of June 1, the Hoods were just starting to turn pink. Columbia Farms will offer twilight picking every Wednesday starting June 14 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Later in the season, the farm will have raspberries, blueberries, marionberries, boysenberries, blackberries and black caps available for U-pick.
- 21024 NW Gillihan Rd, Portland, OR 97231
Powder Blueberry Farm – Gresham
Blueberry fans will need to wait for them to ripen before they pick them at Powder Blueberry Farm in Gresham. The farm typically opens the Wednesday after the Fourth of July, but it depends on the weather and how ripe the fruit is. In 2022, the farm opened July 14.
- 17632 SE McKinley Rd, Gresham, OR 97080
Washington County
Smith Berry Barn – Hillsboro
Smith Berry Barn in Hillsboro will start its U-pick strawberry season on June 6 with the Shuksan and Mary’s Peak varieties. Customers should check in at the U-pick stand before heading to the field to pick. They can bring their own containers or use boxes provided by the farm. Raspberries, blackberries and blueberries will be available to pick later in the season.
- 24500 SW Scholls Ferry Rd, Hillsboro, OR 97123
Roso U-pick Berries – Beaverton
Blueberry season arrives a bit earlier at Roso U-Pick Berry Farm. In years past, the farm opened for blueberry picking in mid-June. The season usually lasts until early August.
- 6295 SW 179th Ave, Beaverton, OR 97007
Lee Farms – Tualatin
Grab a bucket and head to the field for some strawberries at Lee Farms in Tualatin. U-picking opened the first weekend of June. The farm’s varieties include Shuksan, Sweet Sunrise and Mary’s Peak. Anyone hoping to turn their berries into jam is invited to sign up for a jam class at the farm. The class involves picking the berries and turning them into 10 jars of freezer jam that you can take home.
- 21975 SW 65th Ave, Tualatin, OR 97062
Clark County
Prairie Berry Farm – Brush Prairie
Southwest Washington residents don’t need to travel all the way to Oregon for berry picking. Prairie Berry Farm in Brush Prairie offers U-pick blueberries. The season usually runs from early July to mid-August. The farm also has blackberries, apples, pears and Asian pears.
- 17509 NE 182nd Ave, Brush Prairie, WA 98606
Munoz Berry Farm – Ridgefield
Unfortunately, Munoz Berry Farm said it won’t have U-pick strawberries in 2023 due to such a cold winter followed by an unusually dry spring. The farm said many of their strawberry plants didn’t fare well. However, the rest of the farm’s berries are doing fine and they anticipate having U-pick available for other berries starting around June 20. The farm sells strawberries, blueberries, golden raspberries, black raspberries, marionberries, loganberries and boysenberries.
- 2-98 S 78th Pl, Ridgefield, WA 98642