BUY LOCAL, EAT LOCAL

Klicker Berries and More

Around Walla Walla, summer, strawberries, and Klickers are synonymous. The Klicker family has been growing strawberries in the Walla Walla Valley since 1918. Having picked too many strawberries from their mother's garden patch in the Blue Mountains, brothers Del and Jake Klicker hitched a wagon and drove 15 miles to town where they sold the vine-ripened mountain berries for a premium price. They quickly discovered that the berry business paid better than the family Klicker Springs Hotel business. And the rest is history, as they say.

Klicker Berries, as they are referred to locally, can be purchased whole with the stem in tact or pre-sliced and unsweetened by the bucket. Depending upon what you plan to do with them, Klicker strawberries are indeed a natural sweet treat of every Walla Walla summer.

In addition to strawberries, Klicker's also grows and sells blueberries along with other locally grown fruit including raspberries, peaches, apricots, and melons. Combined with giant, shortcake biscuits from John's Wheatland Bakery, the berries and stone fruits make a great summer dessert or even breakfast. Why not?

And while you're there, why not pick up some fresh, locally grown veggies. Sweet corn, green beans, and zucchini are in season right now with plenty of vine ripened tomatoes arriving soon. 

And of course, don't forget the Walla Walla sweet onions grown only here in the Walla Walla Valley.

You can buy them singly . . . 

or by the bag. 

Either way, they're the sweetest onions you'll ever taste.

BLUEBERRY-LICIOUS

Learning on the Land--It's the Berries

Lampson Blueberries was the site for Saturday's Learning on the Land series with Blue Mountain Land Trust. The acreage is located on Walla Walla River Road, only two miles from the turnoff at Highway 11 at the south end of Milton-Freewater. Clark Lampson and his wife are the owners and growers of over 20 varieties of blueberries which are sold exclusively as U-Pick during the short 30-day summer season.

Nestled along the Walla Walla River, several acres of blueberry bushes thrive in the NE Oregon sun. 

The Lampsons have learned through research along with trial and error which varieties do best in the specific climate 

of hot, dry summers and potentially cold winters.

Samples of 12 varieties were available for tasting as each has a slightly different taste with some being very sweet while others are definitely more tart. 

When coming to U-Pick, the Lampsons try to direct you to the size and flavor of berry that you prefer. 

Of course, that all depends upon which berries are ready for picking that day. 

Depending upon the variety, blueberries ripen differently. 

On some bushes, the blueberries ripen one or two at a time, making picking a little more challenging for the blueberry connoisseur.

Whereas with other varieties, the berries ripen in a group, making blueberry picking easy for kids and those who want instant blueberry gratification. 

All I know is that I have yet to meet a blueberry I don't like.