Ritchie Blackberry Farm, 100 N. Mt. Vernon Rd. Yale, Oklahoma.

	Stick your right hand in and this is what you get. This was taken June 28, 2008. This and the next picture show you just a little of what you can pick standing in one spot.
	Stick you left hand in and this is what you get.
	This is a close-up of the Triple Crown Blackberries blooming. We have 3 different varieties of thornless blackberrie, Apache, Ouachita, and Triple Crown. The Apache variety is more up right and produces big long berries. The Ouachita and Triple Crowns are similiar, but the Ouachita plants are more up right, and produce a little earlier than the Triple Crowns. The Triple Crowns are more trailing but HEAVY producers. They all produce an abundance of excellent juicy fruit during June and July.
	This is a picture looking across the trellises. You can literally see the head of the Ritchie family just visible above the last row.
	This shows the Triple Crown Blackberries still green in early June 2008, but they were heavy with ripe fruit by July. There are lots of all three varities.
	This shows the apache blackberries turning red. They should be ripe by the 2nd or 3rd week of June.
	This is a close-up of the Triple Crown Blackberries showing the 3 stages of ripening on the same plant.
	A few blackberries on a checkered table cloth to show the size.
	One of our thornless blackberries laying on one of our brochures, along with 8 native thorny blackberries picked nearby.
	DeEtta came to pick and pick and pick!
	Lucille and DeEtta came together to pick. Lucille says she froze her berries on a cookie sheet and she takes a few out, thaws them and they are just as good as fresh picked.
	We package our berries in pints and quarts for resale in stores and at farmers' markets.
	There were several people who braved the rain and came to pick 4 gallons for $40 on the 4th of July. The rain was pretty steady all morning, but there was no lightening and it was cool.
	In the evening on July 4, 2009 we had a bonfire and fireworks. Seven of the grandkids were there and they loved it.
	A pan full of berries taken out on the deck table.
	One of our pickers was counting up their quarts picked.
	After the wine party the family relaxed under the tent. It was nice weather, and the guest liked the open field.
	This is a teaser of things to come in a few years. These are cherries picked from one of our Cherry trees. We have transplanted 10 of these cherry trees to the farm and have planted 30 other cherry trees in 2008. We hope to have you pick cherries, both pie cherries and dark red cherries in 3 or 4 years. We have also planted 16 pear trees and 12 plum trees.

Pricing

Farmer's Market price is $4.00 / pint and $7.00 / quart, $26.00/ 1 Gallon, $48.00/ 2 Gallons, $22.00/ each additional gallon.

You Pick price is $3.00 / pint and $5.00 / quart, $16.00/1 Gallon, $30.00/ 2 Gallons, $15/ each additional gallon.

Pre-picked price at the farm is $3.50 / pint and $6.00 / quart, $20.00/1 Gallon, $38.00/ 2 Gallons, $19/ each additional gallon.

Wholesale pricing will be determined by the quantity sold. Call for more information.

YOU PICK schedule.

Customers are allowed to come and pick their own fruit at the farm on Monday, Wednesday, Friday,and Saturday between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and noon. Other times can be arranged if you will contact us first. We try to avoid the heat of the day for picking. The field is mowed, and there are no thorns, chiggers or snakes. The plants are trellised so there is very little bending. If for some reason we cannot have a scheduled picking the farm gates will be closed. Please respect the signs and do not enter when no one is available to assist you. Thank you for your cooperation.

Directions to the Farm.

We are located between Yale and Stillwater North of highway 51 on Mt. Vernon Road. Mt. Vernon is 3 miles west of the highway 51 and highway 18 intersection and approximately 13 miles east of Stillwater. There is a Mt. Vernon Street sign on the south side of 51 but you turn North and there is no street sign on the North. The farm is 1/2 mile north of 51 on the west side of Mt. Vernon Rd. There is a sign near the farm gate. There are 2 highway signs, green on the front and silver on the back, one on either side of highway 51, that make Mt. Vernon Rd. easy to find. They are directly across 51 from each other and can be seen from quite a distance. When headed west the green sign on your right says Leaving Pawnee Nation. Turn NORTH on Mt. Vernon just BEFORE the sign. When headed east the green highway sign on your right says Entering Pawnee Nation. Mt. Vernon is the next immediate road going north. Be sure to turn north just EAST of the 2 signs.

If you are coming from Tulsa, you can take the Cimarron expressway, i.e. 412 through Sand Springs, go west to the Keystone Dam exit, after crossing the dam, go west on Highway 51.

If you are coming from Stillwater take 6th street east and you will be on highway 51.

If you are coming from the north or south take highway 18 to the intersection of 18 and 51 and turn west. Mt. Vernon Road is 3 miles west of the intersection.

Oklahoma Farmers' Markets Where You can find Us.

Monday 4:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Pearl Farmers' Market, 6th and Peoria Tulsa, Oklahoma

Tuesday 10:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Downtown Tulsa Farmers' Market, 3rd and Boston Williams Green Tulsa, Oklahoma

Thursday 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Perhaps the Cushing Farmers' Market, Cleveland and Broadway, Cushing, Oklahoma

Saturday 8:00 a.m. - noon Perhaps the Tahlequah Farmers' Market 2111 Mahaney Ave Lutheran Church Tahlequah, Oklahoma

Saturday 8:00 a/m. - noon Bartlesville, Oklahoma Frank Phillips Park, Keeler at FPB

Blackberry Wine.

Jonathan Ritchie experimented making blackberry wine during the late summer and fall of 2008. He used several different recipes, including blackberry champagne type effervescent wine. The family sampled the various recipes and liked several of them. It is no secret that our family doesn't normally drink alcohol, so it is hard for us to tell what is good and what isn't. We have given away several samples to friends and family, and they all seem to like it. All have said they would buy it. Grandpa and Grandma like it best mixed with a little grapefruit juice--- gives it a tangy taste. It also was good to hear that red wine helps ward off Alzheimers disease. At our age we need all the help we can get. We will probably be getting a winery license this fall. If you are interested in trying our wine, send us an email or call one of the numbers below.

Frozen Blackberries.

We are currently building a commercial kitchen where we will have a walk-in refrigerator and walk-in freezer. We are planning on selling frozen berries as long as the crop holds out. We have frozen lots of berries, and if you take out a few at a time and let them thaw, they taste just like fresh berries. They don't go mushy like strawberries.