Picking Saskatoons at Rhodes' Raspberries and Black Currents

Picking Saskatoons at Rhodes’ Raspberries and Black Currents

Picking Saskatoons at Rhodes' Rasberry and Black Currents

Picking Saskatoons at Rhodes’ Raspberries and Black Currents is an amazing experience. Two years ago, a friend asked if my son and I wanted to join her and her kids to pick up raspberries. I wasn’t sure how my son would do. He ended up being amazing and so was our time there. We have gone every year since. The first year was for raspberries. Last year we went to pick Saskatoons. Today, we returned to pick more Saskatoons. We will be back this summer to pick Raspberries as well. I’m glad my son is getting these great memories of berry picking. I’ll be honest, my memories of picking Saskatoons as a child are a bit different than my son will end up with. We used to pick wild Saskatoons outside my town. My memory of picking berries includes mosquitos. Lots and lots of mosquitos. I also have a random memory of my sister losing her glasses which meant we spent more time with the mosquitos searching for the glasses. I’m happy to say, you don’t have to worry about mosquitos at Rhodes’. We didn’t even need spray. It was a lovely day picking berries with no bugs bothering us.

Every time I go, I make sure to find the directions on my GPS, but it’s a pretty easy drive. From the west side of Saskatoon, it’s only about six minutes. It is just off Valley Road. There’s also plenty of parking once you pull in.

I’m thankful that we’ve been able to pull the wagon along with us every time. There is always plenty of room to pull the wagon while picking the berries. My son got out to help pick, but it helped us so we didn’t have to carry very many extra things. It makes it a lot easier to wrangle a five-year-old with free hands.

There are so many different options for rows to pick the Saskatoons. Even if the area is crowded, you can still usually find your own row. They are also really long. My kiddo and I worked up quite a sweat today walking all the way to the other side, but we had so much fun.

We each had a container, and my son decided we should have a competition to see which one of us could pick the most berries. He gets distracted easily so once he realized his mom was winning, he decided we should work together to fill his. He picked some, and then played a little on his own. It worked well and he was never bored. He enjoyed picking the berries, but he also enjoyed playing while I picked the berries.

You know you’ve done a good job when you’re fingers are stained purple by the end of your picking. We went in the morning and picked for a couple of hours. It was the perfect amount. Picking Saskatoons is not a big adventure, but my son and I both like it. It’s quality time, it’s fresh air, and it is showing him how we can pick our own food. Between the garden and picking fruit, he’s learning where food comes from.

After you’ve picked as much as you can, it’s time to pay. They weigh the berries for you, and you pay for what you’ve picked. Rhodes’ Raspberries and Black Currents also sell ice cream in tubs OR ice cream sandwiches. We had a raspberry ice cream sandwich and we LOVED it! (My son’s face is one of delight even if it doesn’t look like it.) Next time, we’ll grab a tub of ice cream.

We loved the entire experience. It’s something we only do once or twice a year, but we are never disappointed. The area is also gorgeous. I never get sick of the prairie landscape.