From the Farm
April 07, 2010
Let’s go back to last week-end. While some were egg hunting, Paprika and I went for blueberry picking.
Not having the chance to own an [edible] garden, I really enjoy the pick your own experience: A way to be in contact with nature and to know the source of what feed us.
The Blueberry Farm is located in the Akatarawa valley, 45 minutes drive from Wellington, in a very quiet surrounding, along a river. And this organic farm seems to be a popular place with families.
Going there at this time of the year was like a pleasant sensory experience.
Smell the fresh air. Walk on a thick and damp grass. Hear children, bucket in hand, happily babbling while picking fruits. Peck like birds and taste the sweet -and sometimes slightly acid- berry. Look at the light on shrubs that already turned into a nice shade of red and collect lovely blue pearls delicately dangling from branches.
At the end, our bucket weighed more than 700g.
Posted along the driveway leading to the farm, little signs suggest many different ways to eat or prepare blueberries. We have already tried some of them, but the oven being still faulty, I won’t make the tart I wanted to…
Anyway, I’m coming back soon with something blue…
To learn more about the team behind the Blueberry farm, please read the article from Life and Leisure magazine.
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Revenons au week-end dernier. Alors que certains ont cherché les oeufs, Paprika et moi sommes allés faire la cueillette de myrtilles. N’ayant pas la chance d’avoir un jardin ou même un potager, j’apprécie vraiment la cueillette: Un bon moyen d’être à la fois en contact avec la nature et de connaître la source de ce qui nous nourrit.
La Blueberry Farm est située dans la vallée Akatarawa, à 45 minutes en voiture de Wellington, dans un environnement relaxant, le long d’une rivière. Et cette ferme bio semble être un endroit populaire auprès des familles.
S’y rendre à cette période de l’année a été une plaisante expérience sensorielle.
Sentir l’air frais. Marcher sur le gazon épais et humide. Entendre les enfants, seau à la main, babiller tout en cueillant les fruits. Picorer comme les oiseaux et gouter les baies sucrées -et parfois acidulées. Regarder la lumière sur les buissons, qui pour certains, avaient déjà un feuillage flamboyant et récolter les petites perles bleues délicatement suspendues aux branches.
Au final, notre seau pesait plus de 700g. Flanqués le long de l’allée qui mène à la ferme, des petits panneaux suggèrent différentes façons de manger et préparer les myrtilles. Nous avons déjà essayer certaines d’entre elles, mais mon four étant toujours hors service, je ne pourrai pas faire la tarte dont j’avais envie…
Peu importe, je reviens prochainement avec quelque chose de bleu…
Si vous souhaitez vous informer davantage sur l’équipe de la Blueberry Farm, je vous conseille de lire cet article du magazine Life and Leisure.
Comments
It is quite amazing to see blueberry plant so high (After spending childhood picking berries bending down). Great photos, and look forward to post with blueberry recipes! :-) Alessandra
Oh Vanille what a treat! You captured the farm so beautifully, can’t wait to see what you made with the blueberries. Bron
des bleuets déjà, c’est l’été chez-vous, elles sont belles ces photos!!!! Line
Thank you all for your comments ! Eglé, come over here ! You know you are welcome ! ;) Rosa, yes, Easter week-end was fun ! Hope yours too. Karin, as simple as it is, kids really like picking fruits ! Shaz, yes it’s a very charming and relaxing place… Cherie, thank you for coming around. Bron, thank you. ;) Line, nous sommes au début de l’automne en NZ et se sont les myrtilles de fin de saison, la cueillette s’arrête fin avril. Vanille
It makes me wanna cry. I want this spring rain to stop right now or simply (simply, huh?) time travel to the your place and eat all those juicy berries. Eh… Eglė
What a fantastic place! I hope you had a great Easter… Cheers, Rosa Rosa
What a wonderful idea. I have no idea if something like this is here in Holland, but I am sure going to find out. I think our little ones would love to go and pick fruit and vegetables! Karin
Such pretty berries, they look almost magical. SOunds What a dreamy day out, looking forward to seeing what you made :) shaz
Yes, these look like mutant bluberry bushes! I assume it’s the North American variety which is preferred among commercial growers. Easier to pick :) Elisa
Oh Lord, I miss New Zealand! cherie
*what a day. your everyday life is like a story from a book. with amazing illustrations. is that a chicken? cheers for many more wonderful autumn days, *heather** heather
Such a peaceful place. Your photographs and words effectively provided me a lovely break in a not so quiet Saturday. kellypea
Your blog is a wonder of lovely images. Love it! Thanks for the nice comment on my blog! Agneta, the swedish one ;) agneta
What a beautiful photos! I would like to be there! Ciao! Aniko
Alessandra & Elisa, there were even shrubs growing through and above the protective net ! Aniko, thank you. Agneta, thank you. Kellypea, happy that you enjoyed it ! Heather, the bird is a pukeko, NZ native bird, with a distinctive blue plumage. Vanille
Beautiful! Love the pictures. I’ve never been blueberry picking before. Y
I wish I simply could.. :) It’s not that easy :) Eglė
Your work and your blog is amazing, stunning stories and photographs. I’m so glad to have found you! From Me To You