TLC Blueberry Orchards is now under new ownership. The new owners Doug and Sharleen Schmidt have re-named their orchard TLC Buffy’s Blueberry Orchard. Buffy was Sharleen’s nickname while working as a hairstylist in Northern Virginia for 37 years and since Buffy’s blueberries have a nice ring to them they decided to carry the name to the orchard.
TLC Buffy’s Blueberry Orchard is loaded with berries that began to ripen in July. There are twelve varieties of blueberries in the field and the plants will produce berries through September and possibly into October. The hours of business will be from 7 am. to Noon, Wednesday thru Sunday. Select times are available for groups picking a minimum of 20 pounds. Call 540-330-5144 For more information or to schedule special picking times. If you pick the berries the price is $4.00/lb. If you call ahead for a certain quantity already picked, the price is $6.00/lb. There are 4 acres of blueberries that are pesticide free. Because of this, we cannot use chemicals to control pests or poison ivy. It is recommended to wear long sleeves and long pants and to spray your legs or pant legs to prevent chigger and tick bites. Sharleen has bug spray available if you forget yours.
The property also hosts a resident Emu named Harvey, 10 chickens, and 7 Guinea hens. A rustic barn and blackberry picking in season, are added attractions at the orchard. The orchard can be made available for special events. Contact Doug or Sharleen for additional information.
TLC Buffy’s Blueberries is located on Capital Hill Road off Route 608 in Moneta, Virginia. To find them with your GPS enter the address 1038 capital rd. Moneta, VA. 24104. The orchard is the first entrance on the right after turning on Capital Hill Rd. The 1038 address is the yellow house on the corner of 608 and capital hill rd. After turning on Capital Hill Rd Follow the signs to the entrance of the orchard. https://www.facebook.com/Buffys-Blueberries-218629711870021/
A Few Blueberry Benefits:
– blueberries are rich in antioxidants and are believed to be beneficial for brain function, memory, eye health, anti-aging, nervous system, and immune system.
– Blueberries can be frozen without doing damage to the fragile antioxidants they contain. Freezing blueberries at temperatures of 0°F (-17°C) for no more than 6 months, showed no significant lowering of overall antioxidant concentrations in research.
– Blueberries are a good source of Vitamin C and fiber and are also high in manganese. (Vitamin C is necessary for the growth and repair of tissues, the immune system, inflammation response, wound healing, and, much more. Manganese helps the body process cholesterol and nutrients such as carbohydrates and protein.)
– They are low in fat and sodium, have just 80 calories per cup and recent studies have found that blueberries have a positive impact on blood sugar regulation in type 2 diabetes.
– Organic is better: Studies of organically grown versus non-organically grown blueberries have given impressive results for the organically grown berries. Organically grown blueberries turned out to have significantly higher concentrations of total phenol antioxidants and total anthocyanin antioxidants than conventionally grown blueberries, as well as significantly higher total antioxidant capacity.