After Shelby County Reporter staff writer Ginny McCarley wrote a story last week outlining the best places in the county to pick homegrown, fresh blueberries, it proved to be extremely popular among our readers.

With the arrival of the summer months, local farms have opened to the public, giving Shelby County residents a chance to enjoy – literally – the fruits of the farmers’ labor.

Across the county, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy locally grown, delicious offerings.

Take a trip to Columbiana’s Mountain Meadows Farm this summer, and $15 will get you as many blueberries or blackberries as you can fit into a gallon. Those looking for blackberries should act quickly, as they will only be available through mid-July.

Mountain Meadows Farm is open Wednesday through Friday from 6 a.m.–noon and 5 p.m.-8 p.m., Saturday from 6 a.m.-8p.m., and Sunday from 1 p.m.-8 p.m. For more information, visit Mountainmeadowsfarmal.com.

A little further down the road, Lyon Farms on Highway 56 in Wilsonville just opened to the public for the summer, and is charging $10 a gallon for blueberries.

“We furnish you a pail or a basket and when you finish up you carry it right home with you,” owner John Lyon told McCarley, noting pickers get to wander through two-and-a-half acres of blueberry bushes while they fill their pails.

Lyon Farms is open Thursday through Sunday from 7 a.m.-3 p.m.

Also in southern Shelby County, the popular Morgan Creek Winery in Harpersville will offer more than just wine. Starting on June 23, the winery opened its blueberry fields to the public.

Morgan Creek charges $12 per gallon and $7 for half gallons of customer-picked blueberries.

Regardless of which farm you choose to visit, all of them will offer you a unique chance to enjoy a taste of summer right off of the vine.

The editorial is the opinion of the Shelby County Reporter editorial board.