Hello friends,

There’s something special about picking your own food. And this is the season when the fruit harvests start to get serious. As in seriously fun!

Thanks to a dear San Francisco Bay Area friend who drives up to the Pacific Northwest every summer with her family in tow, blueberry picking at Bybee Farms in North Bend has become an annual tradition.

I think it’s the most beautiful place around to pick blueberries – nestled at the foot of scenic Mount Si.

There’s something deeply satisfying about filling your bucket one berry at a time. The pace is naturally slow. You wander the rows, taste-test berries, chat between bushes, and before you know it, you’ve spent an hour or two outside without ever feeling hurried. It’s one of those simple summer rituals that reminds me how much joy there is in seasonal living.

This year, my partner and I together picked about 7 pounds of blueberries!! Afterwards, we spread out a picnic blanket beneath one of the shade trees and enjoyed a relaxed lunch before heading home.

Some of the berries immediately became a batch of blueberry muffins (divine recipe below), with plenty left over for yogurt, oatmeal, pancakes, snacking, and future smoothies.

If you live in the Seattle area and are looking for something that’s both kid-friendly and adult-friendly, I highly recommend the experience. It’s only about a 45-minute drive from downtown Seattle, and picking costs just $3.60 (cash) or $3.75 (card) per pound. (They do take Venmo.) Bring a hat and your sunscreen. (Note that dogs are allowed on the grounds, but not in the blueberry fields.)

Whether you head out to a blueberry farm, pick wild blackberries along your favorite trail, indulge in Peach-o-rama (currently happening at Met Market), or enjoy another local harvest, I hope you find an excuse to spend a little time outside appreciating the fruits and treasures of the summer season. After all, this, too, is yoga.

With blueberry blessings,
Nicole

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Tis the Season for Blueberries

Nicole Bratt Yoga