Buzz and Berry Patch opened for the blueberry-picking season last week in Battle Ground, and the patch founders have given their seal of approval to the current owners.
Daniell Elmore is in her second season as the owner of the berry patch, located just outside of Battle Ground city limits. When she took over, she asked former property owner John Morrow to mentor her in her new blueberry endeavors. Morrow and his wife, Laura, previously owned Morrow’s BlueBerry Patch, and now Elmore has “added the personality to the farm,” John Morrow said proudly.
When Elmore and her husband, Danny, bought the property over a year ago, they debated turning it into a sports area for their children but opted to enjoy a new journey with blueberries.
John and Laura Morrow planted the blueberry bushes in 2010 after buying the property in 2008. After restoring the soil with three tons of manure-free compost, sand and bark dust, along with coffee grounds, they planted five different types of blueberries: blue crop, early blue, Spartan, Duke and Draper varieties. The variety gives customers blueberries with different flavors and different ripening times during the blueberry season, Elmore said.
“John and Laura basically got this place functional, and I didn’t have to do much of the hard labor. I came in and just made it look cute,” Elmore said. “... Last year was our first season, like, we had literally a month before we had to open knowing nothing about it, and so John and Laura walked us through all of how to manage this and treat it like a business but then also enjoy the process.”
After the first year thoroughly exhausted her, Elmore told her husband to give her a year to decide if the patch was something they wanted to do again.
“And so far, it’s been a ball,” Elmore said. “I had so much fun because we raised our kids and they’re out in college, you know. They’re doing their life now, and so what do you do as the next phase of life? … We bought a blueberry patch.”
In addition to people picking blueberries, Elmore envisions the space as an opportunity for the community to gather — to have picnics, host book clubs and simply enjoy the patch.
On opening day, Thursday, June 27, dozens of families brought their children to the blueberry patch to pick the delicious variety of berries.
“The people come in and they have a blueberry flavor in their mouth already, and when you walk with them through the patch and [they] taste all five different varieties, it’s just like a new day,” John Morrow said. “And now I’ve got more reason to go blueberry picking, and it’s just really interesting to watch young and old. It’s terrific because it’s a good experience for families …”
When it comes to picking the blueberries, Elmore said to look for the ones with the bluest bottoms; ones showing pink are not quite ripe and will not become ripe once picked.
John Morrow, a retired film producer who primarily worked in Africa, considered the blueberry endeavor strictly a business, calling the farm a second master’s degree. He has enjoyed mentoring Elmore in the blueberry universe, however, and loves watching her transform the farm into a community gathering space.
In the offseason, the work does not stop as the patch is pruned by hand. John Morrow offered classes on pruning blueberries this past winter.
While most blueberry farms close Sunday and Monday, Elmore decided to close on Wednesdays and Sundays, allowing locals a Monday blueberry picking option.
Elmore offers honey, craft goods and will soon have apples and pears at the farm, as well.
Buzz and Berry Patch is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday and Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday, at 24201 NE 142nd Ave., Battle Ground. It can be found on Facebook and Instagram under the farm’s name and can also be reached at 360-784-2147 or buzzandberrypatch@gmail.com.
Most Popular
Comments / 0