We wanted to try a new berry farm and took a Saturday day trip away from the busy-ness of the DC area to Westmoreland Berry Farm. We packed our coolers, sunscreen and water and headed down 95 past Fredericksburg to Westmoreland Berry Farm. Before heading out we visited their Facebook page to see what was being offered for pick-your-own-produce that day.
When our GPS said we were 10 minutes away, we saw the signs for the farm and followed them through farmland and orchards. Our first stop was a large store where you pick up small plastic baskets which are free. Here, you are given instructions about where to pick your berries.
Our family went to pick blueberries and blackberries. We drove about 200 yards to a flag that indicated where the berries were located. Unlike other berry farms we have visited, Westmoreland did not have anyone directing us to a particular area to pick. We were able to spread out and there was NO ONE else picking in the fields.
We began with the blueberries. It was still early in the season but we were able to fill our buckets quickly. The fields were not as maintained as other berry farms we had been to recently – grass was longer, some weeds, water hoses laid about – but this farm feels more laid back. The blackberries were so early in the season; we couldn’t find enough to fill our basket.
We finished picking and went up to the building to weigh our berries and pay. We also took time to look at the animals, play and eat. There is a goat walk that was not working correctly, but the goats still ate the feed (25 cents a cup). There were also baby goats in a separate shaded area.
The playground, swings, corn hole and farm equipment were really fun for the children. There is a huge shaded patio with rocking chairs and picnic tables that overlooks the farmland and allows parents to watch their children from afar. Plenty of high chairs were available.
The farm requests that all food be purchased on site. There is a full service window similar to a snack bar which provides reasonably priced food, treats and drinks. Hamburgers ($5.99), hotdogs ($2.99), sundaes ($4.49), pie a la mode ($4.99), shortcake ($4.69), drinks ($.99), chips ($1.19), and more are available. The large store sells a lot of merchandise including pies ($12/pie), jams, locally grown produce, honey, Virginia peanuts, pottery, and small toys.
Overall, this was an easy berry farm to visit. There was not much activity going on while we visited but we were told the fall festival is popular. The traffic on Saturday was atrocious and took us three hours to get here from Northern Virginia, so we’d recommend timing your visit to a better time/day.
The farm opens at 10 a.m. so it is hard to beat the beach traffic on a Saturday. If you are taking a trip to the Northern Neck, this is a great place to stop. But if you are going for a day trip, it might be too far to visit.
Photos by Andrea Verwys.
