There are three ways to help out at the farm, and get a deal.......

In the pre-season........
1. By pruning berry bushes.  Every 2 hours of pruning earns a 5% discount off of your pick-your-own (PYO) berries in 2010, up to a maximum of 50% off for 20 hours of help. Your discount will apply to all types of berries in 2010, for as long as they last. Pruning can go until late May in the case of raspberries. Please note that your discount applies only to PYO berries, not to pre-picked berries or other store merchandise.

Write to Rob and Patricia via the Contact Us page if you are interested, or call 802-767-9385

During the season......
2. By picking Berries for Berries.  If you pass our Quality Test* and if the fruit is abundant, you may keep one third of what you pick (2 parts to us, 1 part to you). This offer applies to raspberries and blueberries, but not necessarily to blackberries which in general ripen too slowly for us to have excess.

3. By picking Berries for pay.  If you pass the Quality Test* and the fruit is abundant, we pay $1.50 per half-pint for raspberries and $1.50 per pound for blueberries. We pay by check, once per week.

Please check the Ripening Calendar to see when the fruit should be ripe.

If you would like to pick for us, as in 2 and 3 above, please call ahead to arrange it -- 802-767-3989 at the farm, or 802-767-9385 after hours or pre-season. These picking deals will generally be available as long as the weather is fine. But if we have an excess of picked fruit already or if the harvest is not abundant at that time, we may not be able to offer these deals.

Please also note that picking raspberries is not permitted under wet conditions as doing so tends to encourage the spread of mold.

So what is *The Quality Test:?
     You will be asked to pick a small quantity of fruit--a tray in the case of raspberries, a half-gallon bucket in the case of blueberries. If the fruit you bring in is ripe, and is entirely free of squished berries, stems, leaves or other debris you may continue. If you do not pass the test, you must buy what you picked at the retail price. It's the Pottery Barn rule: "if you break it, you buy it".  Picking quality berries is not that hard to do, but it requires care and patience. Berries must be picked one by one to avoid causing damage.

If you are interested, call 802-767-3989 during the season at the farm or 802-767-9385 after hours or in the off-season. You can also write to us via the Contact Us page.