Eager for novelty, but with COVID-19 restrictions returning across most of the peninsula, my family and I decided to visit one of the many blueberry-picking farms on the way to Nae-ri park, called, simply enough, Berry Good Farm.
Despite the bouncy name, the friendly Korean lady managing the property spoke only basic English. This was not a problem beyond the initial discourse whereby she asked us “experience”? We understood this to mean if we had experience picking fruit before, but her question actually related to whether we wanted the experience of harvesting the blueberries ourselves, or wished to purchase a pre-picked package. Say “yes”.
Berry Good Farm charges 20,000₩ for a picked kilo of their delicious, bulbous crop, providing cutesy baskets for the harvesting. And there’s plenty to gather. Several long rows of bushels extend until they meet the rice paddy, each offering attractive spherical bounties with a wondrous spectrum of blue and purple hues greater than Rocky Balboa’s eyes after fifteen rounds with Apollo Creed.
Thankfully, the tall, leafy vines provide some shade and heat relief from the beating sun, but sandals are not advised, lest you slip on the makeshift flooring. Hats, sunblock, and a water canteen should be part of your kit, especially for little ones.
Speaking of little ones, that was the main reason for our foray. Our almost 3-year old boy loved the whole experience (initially helped by the nice lady) from the practical act of picking his own fruit, to inspecting those which weren’t ripe (some supervision may be required), and of course, consuming his favorite healthy snack. As his parents, we were eager for him to see where blueberries came from, and engage in a different sort of outdoorsy activity at a time when indoors things are a little riskier.
Berry Good Farm’s experience isn’t going to take all day (we stayed about 45 minutes), and is perhaps best undertaken before or after heading to the park, having lunch nearby, or walking in the area, but it's certainly worth a visit.
There is a time-crunch on the berry-picking though: Berry Good Farm’s season runs from June 10th to July 31st - so get picking soon!
Berry Good Farm is located just off the bike path running along the Anseong River, and can be seen from the bridge near Naru cafe. It’s open from 9am to 7pm.
This article is written by Thomas David Dowling a PIEF Foreign Reporter
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