Farmer's Market Online® Guide to Blackberries

Triple Crown Thornless Blackberry

Fresh Blackberries For Sale

Look for these sweet Zone 5-9 caneberries in markets beginning in June, from California to Virginia. Further north, the crop matures late June through August and September.

Blackberry Prices

Average price for fresh berries is six dollars a pound, a couple dollars less at pick your own fields.

Oregon is the largest producer with over 20,000 tons on 6,000 acres.

Nutrition

A good source of vitamin C and potassium, full of antioxidants and fiber.

Selecting

Choose berries shiny and firm, not soft and mushy; use within a week, or freeze for up to a year.

Preparation

It is best to wash blackberries immediately before eating, because water will begin to disintegrate them if they are washed and then left to sit.

Growing a Profitable Crop

Improved production techniques and new, more winter-hardy varieties, have made blackberries a more viable option for commercial growers. While yields are highly dependent on the type of production system used and the varieties grown, most growers can get at least $3 per pound or $5 per quart for blackberries.

Using a rotatable cross-arm trellis allows blackberry canes (stems) to be put on a training wire horizontally and grown about a foot above soil level. In cooler months, the entire trellis can be rotated down close to the ground level and the plants can be covered with thick row covers for winter protection, allowing farmers to grow more varieties that traditionally haven't been winter hardy.

Growers can generate a gross revenue of $45,000 per acre using this system, although it can be costly to set up.