A Very Berry Summer

Satisfy your summer fruit cravings by traveling to Virginia’s top three destinations for pick-your-own berries. From July to September, plump berries edge the grassy fields and scrubby paths of Virginia. Here, we look at three of our favorite spots to fix  your summer berry craving before the growing season ends. From fresh-of-the-bush berries to handcrafted wines and meads and delicious local food, these hot spots also deliver more than just your average pail full of fruit. So get out there and check off the last item on your summer bucket list: berry picking.

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3 Bird Berry Farm

1876 Brooksfield Rd, Blacksburg

540-552-4195

Located in Blacksburg, 3 Bird Berry Farm carries pesticide-free blueberries, blackberries and raspberries grown with organic fertilizer. Known for their luscious blueberries, 3 Bird Farm’s rolling fields carry all types of juicy fruits to be picked by you and your family. 3BirdsBerryFarm.com

The Market at Grelen

5091 Yager Rd, Somerset

540-672-7268

“We have been in business for 27 years and yet we are ever changing and growing,” says The Market at Grelen President and Creative Director Leslie Gregg. More than a pick-your-own berry farm, The Market at Grelen is also a cafe, event venue and garden shop in Somerset and located in near proximity to the area’s hiking trails. In the fields at the Market at Grelen, visitors will find juicy blackberries, blueberries and raspberries ripe for picking—and eating just as soon as that pail gets weighed. TheMarketAtGrelen.com 

Hill Top Berry Farm & Winery

2800 Berry Hill Rd, Nellysford

434-361-1266

Hill Top Berry Farm & Winery specializes in handcrafted drinks that aim to be “true to the fruit” and are distinctively made with fruits other than grapes, including blackberries, blueberries, strawberries and raspberries. Located on a hilltop in the Rockfish River Valley in Nellysford, the winery’s picnic area affords views of the Pilot Mountain. “What I am most proud of is the success of our family farm,” says co-owner Kimberly Allen Pugh. “We now have grown-ups who come to taste our wines that tell us they started out coming here years ago to pick berries with parents or grandparents. Over the years, we have met so many nice people who continue to be our customers.” HilltopBerryWine.com Save the Date:  Hill Top Berry Farm & Winery will host the 24th  annual Blackberry Harvest and Music Festival, which will take place on August 5.

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_{Additional reporting by Nicole Lang.}