You might have thought the Fourth of July came early if you visited the Persimmon Hill Farm (persimmonhill.com) in Lampe, Mo., recently. I found a trip this past Friday quite a festive occasion, with hundreds of happy people outdoors enjoying picking their own blueberries. There was a high school cheerleading team getting some practice in, youth groups, families picnicking under shade trees, and people laughing and singing. Despite the crowds, there were plenty of ripe blueberries for sale.
It takes about 35 minutes to get to the farm from Eureka Springs, 25 minutes from Holiday Island. It’s a scenic drive going up Hwy. 23 to Hwy. 86 in Missouri where you turn right and travel about 11 miles to the turnoff for Persimmon Hill. Persimmon Hill’s early and mid-season varieties are ready to pick. They expect to have berries lasting until mid- to late July.
We focused on picking the Chandler variety that has unusually large and tasty berries. We strolled up and down the aisles, but some of these bushes were so loaded down you could easily have picked a gallon off one bush.
We got there around 10 a.m. It was overcast and cool for June. Hotter weather is in the forecast, so early trips are a good idea. They are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesdays through Sundays.
It took about an hour to pick the berries. A friendly fellow picker gave some good advice on how to hold a cluster of berries in your hand and roll off the berries instead of trying to pick them individually. She said it was faster and would do less damage to the bush.
Plastic pails are provided that you can tie around your neck or waist. And while fresh blueberries can’t be beat, you can put the berries in the freezer (don’t wash them first or they stick together) and pick out what you need while keeping the rest frozen. I have friends in Eureka Springs who get 10 gallons or more because they love having blueberries on hand for smoothies, mixing them with yogurt, or baking muffins or pie.
This is a great outing for kids to learn where food comes from, and how to pick it. My four-year-old grandson loved the berry picking and kept on task longer than we might have expected. A few blueberries got consumed during the picking… too irresistible! And when we went to pay for the berries, the farm store provides smoothies, blueberry muffins, cinnamon rolls, scones, tarts, jam, blueberry syrup, blueberry maple syrup, blueberry lemonade and even blueberry barbeque sauce.
You can buy blueberry muffins elsewhere that only have a few blueberries in them. But Persimmon Hill’s Blueberry Thunder Muffin is chock full of berries and appears to be a best seller.
A report published in the scientific journal Anti-Cancer Agents in Medical Chemistry said blueberries are among the more commonly consumed berries in the United States.
“Berries in general are rich in phenolic compounds, which are known for their high antioxidant capacity,” the study authors reported. “Specifically, evidence from in vitro, in vivo and a few clinical studies, suggest that blueberries and their active constituents show promise as effective anti-cancer agents, both in the form of functional foods and as nutritional supplements.”
A Harvard University report in 2021 stated that berries are among the top sources of vitamins, minerals, and disease-fighting nutrients, and they can help reduce the risk of many age-related conditions.
“On average, people who eat more berries seem to live a little bit longer,” according to Eric Rimm, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Studies co-authored by Harvard Chan School researchers have found that eating blueberries can lower the risk of type 2 diabetes; that eating foods high in anthocyanins (mostly blueberries and strawberries) can help people keep weight off; and that berry consumption can reduce the risk of heart attack and boost learning and memory.
Another benefit of buying this local product is that most blueberries in stores are sold in plastic containers that can’t be recycled. I would buy blueberries in the store more often, but I try to stay away from single-use plastics that are bad for the environment.
In addition to blueberries, Persimmon Hill also sells blackberries and elderberries that ripen later in the year. Those are also well regarded for their health benefits.
I haven’t been successful growing blueberries at home in the past but bought six healthy plants from Persimmon Hill Farm. This time I’m going to prepare raised beds with a mixture of topsoil, compost and peat moss covered with wood mulch. Like at Persimmon Hill, I will put in drip irrigation and have the soil tested to see if it needs soil amendments.
According to the Extension Service, the optimum pH for blueberry growth is 4.5 to 5.0, or up to 5.2 if in a clay soil. People often to grow blueberries in soils with a pH level that is much too high for them and are puzzled when the plants fail. Elemental sulfur can lower pH levels.
The Carroll County Extension office in Berryville provides free soil testing. Kendra Connell, Extension administrative specialist, said you can either bring in a lunch-size baggie of soil and she will transfer it to a soil test box, or you can pick up a test box outside of their offices at 909B Freeman Switch Rd. in Berryville. Connell said she will ask a few questions like what you plan on growing. It takes about two weeks to get the results.