Picking fruit is one of my favourite activities in the summer. Driving out to a farm, spending the day with friends picking and eating fruit, and then having fruit for days, is such a lovely experience. Starting with strawberries in the spring to cherries in late June, and now blueberries in August!

Washington State is now planted with an estimated 23,500 acres of blueberries, with roughly 55% attributed to blueberry farms in Western Washington. Washington State also leads as the largest region anywhere growing fresh organic blueberries. For the next few months, there will be plenty of ways to enjoy the annually expanding crop in our state (over 1,000 acres added since last year), thanks to the dedicated growers and the Washington Blueberry Commission. Locals can tap into the amazing crops in several ways in order to enjoy the summer fruit, support local growers, etc.

Washington is exceptional for having one of the longest blueberry-growing seasons in North America, with harvest stretching into October. Whatcom County is the largest blueberry-producing county in the country, followed closely by Benton County, which has seen a large amount of growth in recent years.

• U-Pick Farms in Western Washington are open! U-Pick farms are listed here.
• Recipes from local chefs, including Blueberry Cornbread Muffins by Flora Bakehouse and Dahlia Bakery Pastry Chef Brittany Bardeleben’s Blueberry Crisp.
• Blueberry Recipe Contest. Katherine, winner of our 2021 Kids’ Blueberry Recipe Contest for kids 12-18 won with her recipe for Blueberry, Lemon, and Lavender Entremet Cake.