Photo: Jay Willet/WBZ NewsRadio
WINCHESTER, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — The Wright Locke Farm in Winchester is just about ready for raspberry season, but after five decades of “U-Pick Raspberries,” the practice is retiring at the farm.
“We’re not doing ‘pick-your-own’ this year, because we allocated so much more of our farm space to other products,” farmer Connor Kuerbis said.
Kuerbis added that the farm has expanded to grow over 50 different kinds of vegetables on its two acres of growing fields. From leafy greens and blueberries, to root vegetables and onions, Wright-Locke has it all.
“We don’t have the capacity to have everybody come pick their own because we’re growing so many other products,” Kuerbis told WBZ NewsRadio.
Photo: Jay Willet/WBZ NewsRadio
Another reason is because of fruit flies. The Spotted Wing Drosophila of East Asia are often found laying eggs on ripe raspberries, making a mess of an otherwise perfect batch.
“You have to get in there and weed them at the start of the season,” farmer Steve Lee said on raspberry maintenance.
Raspberry harvesting season for the farm usually starts late August, and fresh ones will still be available at Wright-Locke's farm stand and for online orders. Flower picking will still be open as long as they still have them
WBZ NewsRadio's Jay Willett (@JayWillettWBZ) reports.
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