Harvold Berry Farm was started in 1950's under Harvold Farms and continues as a 3rd generation family farm growing not only strawberries and raspberries, but also sweetcorn, pickling cucumbers, green beans, squashes, pumpkins, and sunflowers nearly 180 acres. We are a 2 person operation that hires local students or retirees during the summer to help with our upick operations where students will gain valuable customer service skills.
Our farm is U-pick and ready picked sweetcorn; you will not be gleaning behind commercial pickers. Strawberry varieties are Puget Crimson and Mary’s Peak. Raspberries variety is Tulameen.
Harvest Time for strawberries is mid-June through first week of July. Strawberries are usually very plentiful in beginning of season. Raspberry harvest approximately first week of July until mid-August and are often picked out early in the day. Arrive in morning or check Facebook before you drive out.
Mid to late August our veggies start this includes green beans and pickling cucumbers. Sweetcorn is ready picked that morning for purchase at farm stand on farm. Our sunflowers will start blooming late August into early October with sunflower seed head available in October.
Crop Rotation
We rotate many of our fields on an annual or biannual basis so the soil can receive nutrients naturally. For example, after we harvest a strawberry field for three to five years, we remove it and plant clover, wheat, or other crops - many of which add nitrogen back into the soil. This crop rotation method allows us to suppress weeds, fungus, and bug pests naturally. Crop rotation also adds more organic material to our soil each year. We test the PH of our soil regularly so we know if we need to add more natural elements (such as lime) to help maintain our soil's health.
Pests and Disease
Our farm is not organic, though many organic farmers also use pesticides and sprays. Here is the national list of sprays approved for organic produce here.
Despite our best efforts, weather and mother nature sometimes have different ideas in mind. At Harvold Berry Farm U-Pick we follow an Integrated Pest Management Plan as defined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This means we use a combination of pest control methods using the mildest, least toxic products that we can in order to achieve a good, healthy crop so that we limit our impact on the environment. We deal with disease and pests on a case-by-case basis and only spray when it is absolutely necessary to save our crop. We only use products that are approved by the USDA and FDA for food and produce. Therefore, all our produce is safe to eat right out of the field. Sprays are also diluted in water prior to application. For example, a pesticide is applied at a rate of 4 oz per acre. This is equivalent to 1/3 soda can of chemical per one football field. You can read more about Integrated Pest Management here.
If you want to know more about what chemicals we may be using go to WSU Extension website and search for type of crop.
At Harvold Berry Farm and Veggies, our mission is to provide our customers with the freshest, highest quality produce. We're committed to sustainable farming practices that protect our land for future generations. We believe that by supporting local agriculture, we can help build stronger and healthier communities.
Our team at Harvold Berry Farm and Veggies is made up of dedicated farmer and support staff who are passionate about what they do. We work hard every day to ensure that our crops are healthy and abundant. We're proud to be a part of the local farming community and we're always happy to share our knowledge and experience with others.
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