Not once, but twice.
It wasn’t on the calendar.
There was no plan, no packed bag, no rush. Just a couple quiet summer mornings, the kind that asked for a detour and something simple.

Our little boy picking blueberries in Lyndonville, NY. This has become a favorite some activity of ours and it's a great activity for a small child.
The two of us on our first trip picking blueberries in WNY. This was an entirely new experience for us over the summer.


Last week, Roux and I found ourselves at Empire Orchards in Lyndonville after seeing a few posts from friends online. Hard to believe that my u-pick experience consists of only apples after a lifetime of living in farm country, but my curiosity was piqued and I figured it would be a wonderful way to spend a morning with a little human among rows of berries. Funny how we sometimes forget to experience the world for ourselves, but when it comes to creating memories for our littles, we’re all in.

I can say this: the experience was enchanting from start to finish, and honestly is my new favorite summer activity.

Roux wandered with the kind of curiosity only small children carry — equal parts determined and distracted. He picked a few, ate a few more, and carried on like he was exactly where he belonged. His fingers turned purple, and he jumped from bush to bush delighted with every plump bunch he found.

There’s something sacred about blueberry picking. It asks nothing of you but to pay attention — to color, to ripeness, to the way the branches part when you lean in. It’s slow work in the best way. We filled our bucket with intention and joy, ending the morning with 3 pounds of perfectly ripe berries. Roux and I left completely satisfied with both our haul and our time together; something new, something simple, something utterly delicious and quintessentially “summer”.

Quite the haul of blueberries from this local blueberry farm in WNY. About 5 miles north of Medina and 5 miles south of Lake Ontario, this blueberry farm is the perfect family excursion, and one that only takes a small amount of time.

Fast forward to yesterday morning after a beautiful breakfast on the water in Point Breeze and a quick stop by Rush’s Farm stand to grab corn for dinner, Roux asked for another detour to show Scott the orchards. I read that the last day of U-Pick was August 10th (today!) so I happily obliged and rerouted to Lyndonville. Again, met with warmth and sunshine and rows of loaded bushes, we grabbed an even bigger bucket as three could undoubtedly work faster than two. This time Roux took the role of expert and coached Scott how to look inward to find the best, and now I witnessed the same enchantment in Scott that Roux had days prior. Scott had never picked blueberries either, and he too found the magic in the orchard that we had.

21 weeks pregnant and packing blueberries with the family.
The two of us picking blueberries at Empire Orchards in Lyndonville, NY. This adventure is one that we'll probably do frequently in years to come.
Family photo in the blueberry fields of Empire Orchards. Two trips in the same number of weeks, and it's quickly becoming a favorite WNY activity of ours.

This time, we left with over 7 lbs of berries, and I’m searching and scanning my cookbook collection to get to work. Scott immediately got working on mocktail ideas, and so I’m sure you’ll see blueberries dotting our images for weeks to come. I also had the most delightful conversation with owner Mary Kersch, including her incredible green thumb and future landscaping plans for Fox Cross. She’s simply lovely.

Trying to find the best blueberries possible with the warm sun beating down. Summer days are great for many things, picking blueberries at Empire Orchards are some of them.
Our toddler showing his father how to pick blueberries. It took over 40 years for either of us to do it. He's not 4 and has done it twice.

Today is their last day of U-Pick, though you can be sure to get their blueberries at area farm markets over the course of the month. If you want to take a quick trip and have a few minutes of nostalgic summer fun, details are below.

Happy Sunday, friends. Enjoy your day, whatever you do.

Empire Orchards

11376 South Townline Rd., Lyndonville, NY, United States, New York

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Today is the last day to pick – August 10th, 2025 – 10am-3pm