Last week I was in a little health food store, they were selling blackberry’s for $4.00 a quart. I showed this to my sister, I told her “we should sell yours”, I was thinking how easy it would be to bring in a little extra income from this endeavor.
Then this morning I went out to pick berry’s in my sis’s yard. I wear high boots to protect my feet from the possible snakes lurking in the bushes, I also put on a minted spray that the misquiotes don’t appear to like, (so far the ants don’t either), and I stand carefully in spots to keep the thorny bushes from eating my skin. All in all, the overall experience is less than serene. Don’t get me wrong, even though picking berry’s can be a little hazardous, I love the fruit and it is very worthwhile. But, as I stood there sweating and getting pricked over and over, I realized that the $4.00 quart of berries is a cheap price to pay for one who is selling them. It took me about 15 minutes too begin to really feel the heat and all the time one has to be careful of the possiblity of a large swarm of ants, or worse the hungry snake who for sure is hidden there as they love this type of fruit. By the way, Kay tells me to leave the bottom fruit for him, that way he will leave us alone, I find that a great trade off. (smiling)
Birds also love this grove of berries, and I could hear one inside the bush griping at me, I guess that he felt I had gathered enough, for I was getting the ripest ones (there is an art to knowing how to gather the best sweetest ones), also the ones hidden inside the bush are hard for me to get with out really getting stabbed by the little prickly thorns, and I am sure the bird like to eat the ones easiest to get to also.
So anyway, here is a pot of my fruit gathering this morning, this could maybe be worth $8.00 retail. That means the seller probably got $4.00 for this pot of berries, truck farmers EARN their living, no ifs and buts on that for sure…..
Picking berries is so worthwhile; however, I recommend letting the professionals handle the berry patches. They know how to keep it groomed, and there are better vines that have been developed that don’t have the thorns. Follow this link to a great family farm, one with all the comforts a berry picker would dream of: http://www.berryfarm.com/
Updated after my good friend Aubrey Enoch’s comment. (08-15-09)
Jimmieanna's Blog 
You need to come to Enoch”s Berry Farm where the blackberry bushes don’t have thorns.
ha, that is funny Aubrey! I am always honored and joyful when you read my blogs, this one however really gave me a smile. I had to go back and add the original photo that I had put with it. Of course, the Enoch Berry Farm is not at all as the little bush that I battled at my sisters. And I am going to edit my post, and add your http://www.berryfarm.com/ to my post. Indeed I do need to come down and enjoy the”thorn free” experience of the combination of man and nature at its best. Smiles back at you!!! jimmieanna