SWEET MEMORIES

“‘Berry’ Sweet Rewards” in the May/June 2022 issue brought back a lot of memories. Today, to cook a blackberry pie, we go to the freezer and pick up a package of berries. I grow the thornless berries on the part of our farm I reserve for fruit trees and berries. That was not always the case, however.

Growing up, blackberry picking meant following the rules set by my aunt, one of my father’s older sisters. Early on a Monday morning, meaning 5:30 a.m. in order to beat the heat, she would arrive at our house to pick up my mother and me to drive 4 miles down the road to my grandfather’s farm. Before leaving our house, everyone was inspected for proper attire, including heavy pants of some sort to fend