There&8217;s at least one cure for the summertime blues, and almost everything else.

Filled with powerful nutrients and vitamins, blueberries have been labeled as one of the &8220;world&8217;s healthiest foods.&8221; The USDA even proclaims July as &8220;National Blueberry Month,&8221; hoping people will eat more of the &8220;super berry.&8221;

And there are at least three farms in Shelby County where you can pick your own fresh blueberries.

Joyce and Bob Balch have been operating a you-pick blueberry farm in Sterrett for nearly 20 years. The two say that recent studies on the antioxidant strength of the berry and an increased interest in healthier eating habits have boosted business.

Scientists say antioxidants reduce canter, cardiovascular disease and can even improve memory.

&8220;They taste good and are not high in sugar,&8221; said Bob. &8220;They are proven to lower cholesterol and are good for diabetics who want something sweet.&8221;

Each summer, the Balchs see up to 2,000 cars pass through their farm heading to the couple&8217;s four acres of blueberry bushes.

&8220;People come from all cover the area,&8221; said Joyce. &8220;We also have dedicated customers who come back year-after-year.&8221;

Blueberries ripen around Fathers&8217; Day through the second week of August. The Balchs plant three kinds of berry, two that ripen early in the season and one that is ready in mid-July.

&8220;Something here is always ripening,&8221; said Bob. &8220;You are not picking old berries that have been hanging there for months.&8221;

Bob, a semi-retired structural engineer, says he got the idea for a blueberry patch from a co-worker in the mid-1980s. He learned more at seminars at Tuskegee and Auburn and soon learned that his farm was the ideal place to grow the berry. &8220;The soil was perfect for blue berries, which need pretty acidic ground.&8221;

Bob also picked the plant because of its annual regrowth.

&8220;It&8217;s something that once you plant &8212; if you just maintain &8212; you have a crop every year.&8221;

The Balchs have to prune the bushes on a regular basis and use an irrigation system to water the berries during dry spells.

Besides droughts, the couple also has to battle against birds, deer and other animals with a sweet tooth.

&8220;You just have to resigned to the fact that everything gets is fair share,&8221; said Joyce. &8220;We have to learn to share.&8221;

Leeds native Nancy Smith brings her sons Garrett and Noah, ages nine and seven, blueberry picking every few weeks.

&8220;We enjoy coming out here,&8221; said Smith. &8220;It&8217;s usually the boys&8217; idea to come.&8221;

The Balchs say berries picked now can be frozen and used later in winter. &8220;If frozen correctly, you can&8217;t tell the difference from fresh berries,&8221; said Joyce.

Balch Blueberry Farm will be open through the second weekend of August, Wednesday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Berries are $7 a gallon under the you-pick honor system. You can reach the farm by calling 672-2526.

Other blueberry farms in Shelby County include Lyon Farm in Wilsonville and Smith U-Pik Farms in Westover.

Lyon Farm is open every day except Wednesday, sunup to sundown. For more information, for more information call 669-9205.

Smith Farms is open Tuesday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information call 678-6994