Summer means summer fruits

This is already a couple weeks old, but we went back to the same berry farm yesterday to pick yet more berries, so it inspired me to get this entry done.

 Late December, the kids and I headed out to the Yarra Valley to pick some berries.  We had already missed cherry season, but we found this great farm that had blackberries, strawberries and blueberries for sale.

Mmmm . . . blueberries!

 Prices in the store are about $3/200g for strawberries if you get a special.  That works out to $15/kg for those who are metrically challenged.  Other berries are even more expensive.  This farm had strawberries for $6/kg, other berries a bit more.  The only catch of course, is that you have to pick them yourself. And you have to drive there - petrol cost, while better lately, is not insignificant.

We left early, because they were predicting highs of 102 F, and I didn't want to be in the fields when that happened.  The Yarra Valley is gorgeous - very mountainous and green, and full of places to pick fruit as well as vineyards and working farms.  It was an enjoyable drive.  The farm was small and easy to walk around.  We started with the blueberries, which were the hardest to pick, then went from there.

The Yarra valley is full of farms growing everything from berries, other fruits, vegetables, chickens, lambs, and poo.  Yes, we saw signs saying "Poo for sale - $2"

We ended up with almost 5 kg. of berries for less than $40.  The strawberries were so good the kids said they were better than candy.  I had to pry them out of the strawberry field because they kept picking perfect fruit and saying, "Hm.  This looks close to overripe.  I don't think it will make it home.  I guess I'll eat it."   Tummy aches all around an hour later.

I thought I'd need to bake to use them up, but they were all gone within a week.

Because of the heat we had to wear lots of sunscreen, big hats, and we each drank about a litre of water while at the farm.  Summer has definitely arrived.