The Sandpoint Eater: Berry fun

By Marcia Pilgeram
Reader Columnist

I’ve been hosting my progeny here for more than a month. The last brood belonged to my youngest daughter, Casey, and her two adorable littles: Sam and Runa. There’s no shortage of fun to be had when they’re here, and a favorite outing for our three-generation entourage is to visit Shingle Mill Blueberry Farm, operated by three generations of the Omodt family. 

From my house in Ponderpoint, it’s less than a 10-minute drive to the well-tended farm, where you’re sure to be greeted by an obliging Omodt family member. After a quick rundown of rules, we grabbed a wagon and a stack of buckets. Sam and Runa’s excitement was ripe for our berry-picking adventure! 

I’ve been hauling blueberry-loving grandchildren there for 10-plus years, and have watched the Omodts’ labor of love grow into a lush and thriving (and hopefully lucrative) U-pick operation of 5,600 berry bushes, offering six varieties.  

The farm is teeming with healthy crops and happy customers. The Omodts make it look easy, but coming from a ranching and farming operation, I know the blood, sweat and tears — not to mention money — that go into raising a seasonal crop. It’s hard to believe this picture-perfect rural farm is just minutes from Sandpoint. If I didn’t live so close, I’d be tempted to stay on the farm in their new “Stay on the Farm, Blueberry Bungalow.” The bungalow is a yurt, operated by matriarch Patty Omodt. I’ll keep in mind for next summer’s overflow of visitors, that’s for sure.

This is the Omodt family’s busiest “all-hands” time of year, with adults and kids alike splitting duties between the farm’s U-pick operation of ripe berries (with a very short life cycle), and managing their popular stall of berries and baked goods at our local farmers’ market twice a week. 

And that’s not all. As they continue to build their family legacy, I just learned that next year we’ll have the opportunity to pick several varieties of strawberries. Stay tuned. 

Not all of the blueberries make it into a bucket, as evidenced by adults critiquing the various flavors, and lip-smacking kids polishing off handfuls of warm berries in adjacent rows. And why not? Even the signage at the entrance encourages us to eat a few. There are more than enough berries for a bit of tasting along the way, that’s for sure. 

Occasionally, when I’m there, I pick nary a berry that makes it to the scale. Instead, I mosey slowly among the rows, sampling the plumpest of sweet berries, while eavesdropping on sticky-lipped chattering youngsters, eating their way alongside their wagon-pulling mothers, who are busy swapping recipes and preservation tips with friends and strangers alike.  

More than just a fun outing, hauling home those sweet U-pick berries reap great rewards. Blueberries are really good for us. They’re packed with antioxidants and fight inflammation, helping our cells stay young and spry. Studies show blueberries may help boost memory and brain function (yes, please). They’re full of fiber, too. They were once called “star berries” by Indigenous Americans because of their five-pointed blossoms.  

Most blueberries consumed in the U.S. end up in muffins. However, around our parts, many of us prefer huckleberries for our choice of a muffin berry. Not to worry, there is no shortage of uses for Shingle Mill Farm blueberries. In fact, Panhandle Cone and Coffee has introduced a new flavor, bursting with two of my favorite flavors: lemon and roasted blueberry swirl (it may be seasonal, so head on down for a scoop or two soon). 

I made sure to pick enough for a frozen stash of several gallons, stockpiled for smoothies, yogurt toppers and winter pie-making sessions. But this time of year, I love them best fresh, in salads and dressings, like my favorite: blueberry and mango salad with candied pecans. 

I hope you and yours will like it, too!

Blueberry mango salad with candied pecans and blueberry vinaigrette

This salad tastes like summer! If you have time to pickle the red onion and candy the pecans, by all means do so. But if you’re tossing it together at the last minute, it’s still going to taste great. Delicious topped with cold, grilled chicken slices, too. Serves 4.