Summer in southern Manitoba is about to get a whole lot sweeter as Riverbend Orchards prepares to open its berry fields for the season on Monday, July 7th.
Philip and Karen Ronald have been offering locals the chance to enjoy fresh, homegrown fruit straight from the source for 16 seasons. Philip says they specialize in saskatoons, a berry variety that keeps on giving.
"We don't get picked out, so the only thing that closes our business is if we have a weather event," he explains. "With strawberries, if you run out of berries, you have to let the new berries ripen before you can start picking again. With the berries we grow, once they're ready, they continue to be ready until the season ends."
This continuous supply means visitors don’t have to worry about arriving early in the day to get their hands on the berries.
While opening day varies slightly from year to year, the fruit always ripens around the same time.
“With the saskatoon berries, I think the earliest we've ever picked was July 1st. On a very cool year, you might be July 10th or something like that," he notes.
Despite a dry spring, the Ronalds are optimistic about this year’s crop.
“Our plants are very mature, around 25 years old, so they have a very efficient root system. They do a great job of mining moisture from the soil. It seemed like there was enough snow cover this winter that hydrated the ground well, and even though we haven't had a lot of rain this spring, the plants look incredibly healthy, and the fruit looks very good," he adds.
In addition to saskatoons, the Ronalds also grow haskaps, a berry with roots in Japanese tradition.
“Haskap is a Japanese word. It means a little present at the end of the branch. We've always liked to use that word, but it's a little difficult to pronounce. The other word you can use is honeyberry," he continues.
Both types of berries will be available for U-pick starting next week.
“The first week is always the busiest because there are a lot of people who have been waiting. I've had lots of phone calls, asking when we open for the year,” he notes.
Those looking for convenience can also purchase pre-picked berries, both fresh and frozen.
"We get our harvester out, and we start to bring the berries in by machine so we can clean the field up. All of that fruit is available for sale, which is great if people don't have the time or the energy to do the U-pick."
The orchard also prides itself on being family-friendly.
“Kids love coming by, and we encourage families to come out. We're not set up for tourism per se, but we try to be very family friendly.”
Facilities include on-site Porta-potty access, and payments are accepted by cash, credit, and debit.
“When the customer arrives, we give them a free 4-litre cardboard basket that they can fill up. There's no limit, so they can come back and get another one if they want,” he says.
Prices are $25 for four litres of haskaps and $20 for saskatoons. For those looking to plan ahead, Riverbend Orchards operates an online store where customers can pre-order and have their berries ready upon arrival.
The Ronalds farm is located at 100 Old Bridge Road and will be open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, starting next week.
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