The Berry Patch

The Berry Patch was a new adventure for us this summer. It is located in Cleveland, MO (South of Kansas City on State Line Road), which isn't too far out of town, but it's a fair drive if you're coming from the middle of the metro. We went to pick blueberries and found that there were plenty. The picking was easy and we soon found ourselves buying 9lbs of them!

This place is definitely kid-friendly. I don't recommend strollers unless you have one with large wheels because you have to walk a lot and nothing is paved. The blueberry and blackberry bushes are separated by mowed grass lanes to walk on, although the best picking is generally the furthest bushes to walk to. I took my newborn with me and wore her on my chest in a sling. This was a lot easier for me than dealing with a stroller. My two year-old and six year-old had a good time picking berries. My son did find that the long rows of tall bushes were great for running off and getting "lost" in so be prepared to keep a close eye on your toddlers!

The blackberry crop wasn't developed enough the day we went but we drove down and checked it out anyways. I probably wouldn't take a toddler blackberry picking if I didn't have to since they have the native thorned variety of bushes. You'll want to wear long sleeves and pants and bring work gloves if you want to pick more than just a handful of those. You'll also want to keep an eye out for poison ivy.

You'll need to check their website often during the growing season to see how the picking is and what their hours are. I recommend following them on Facebook to get current updates.

Other things I would consider if I went back would be to bring a picnic, if you plan to spend awhile there. I would also bring sunscreen because there is no shade in berry patches, and bottled water. They do sell bottled water, for a reasonable price, but it's cheaper yet to bring your own!

On a side note: When you first drive into The Berry Patch you'll see this dinosaur. My kids love dinosaurs, as most do, so they ran up to it and enjoyed looking at it. The owners of this place are creationists and display information to that effect, so be warned. They also use their website to promote the belief that "evolution is a myth." This "science" lesson caught me off guard.