Family Time : Strawberry Picking At Burley Berries & Blooms
At Burley Berries & Blooms, family, relationships and time spent together are paramount. Owners Megan and Ryan Burley and their two children spend their days preparing to welcome families to their Wyoming County farm to enjoy the finer points of rural living.
“It often feels that we’ve become very removed from where our food comes from,” explains Megan, “so my goal is to connect families with their food.”
She adds, “Our farm is a small u-pick fruit and flower farm in the heart of cow country. We produce and sell 11 different varieties of strawberries chosen specifically for our growing season, to meet the quality, taste, size and firmness our customers seek for their eating and preservation needs.”
The operation is entering into its fourth year of production with two acres of strawberries and one acre of cut flowers. Next year, the couple strives to add blueberries.
For Megan Burley, growing strawberries is a passion. While a student at Penn State University studying agriculture science with minors in horticulture and agronomy, she almost quit because she knew that she wanted to build a life growing berries.
Today, as a mother, her passion has grown into a way to educate her children about God, nature, communication and more. “I am farming for my children,” she says. “Farming can be discouraging, but it is worth it to see my children grow and develop in this way. This is how my husband and I both grew up, and it’s how we want our children to grow as well.”
Initially, Megan created a market plan and analysis of regional demographics. “I focused on women and families and learned that people in this area needed more family-friendly activities,” she explains. “I want moms to come to our farm and feel comfortable. I want them to learn about agriculture with their children and feel safe doing so. One of my favorite things to see is parents who get off of work and bring their little ones out to pick strawberries because it’s something they used to do when they were kids.”
Workshops creating unique wreaths, floral arrangements, flower crowns and crafts are other ways the Burleys hope to establish long-lasting relationships and experiences. Workshops are held on the farm and across the region at various partner establishments.
Strawberry picking season typically runs from the beginning of June until the second week in July. Watch the Burley Berries & Blooms Facebook page, Instagram and website for more information on the picking season, workshops or new product offerings.
> Burley’s Berries & Blooms: 6335 Rte 20A East, Warsaw, NY; 585-687-7050; burleyberries.wixsite.com/burley-berries
