AFTON, NY – It’s blueberry season and our Food and Farm Showcase is taking us to a u-pick patch that’s under new ownership.

Stone Hill Farm in Afton has between 1500 and 2,000 bushes spread across 5 acres.

They feature 15 different varieties of blueberries that ripen in phases beginning the first week of July and extending through the end of August.

While the u-pick operation has been in existence for about 35 years, this is the first year under the ownership of Yulia Reuveni and her her husband and daughter.

“Organically grown blueberries. We do not use pesticides or herbicides or use any chemicals. We do fertilize with soybean meal. We’re trying to provide to our community the best possible to keep our community healthy and happy,” says Reuveni.

Reuveni says they have a few pinwheels out to try to discourage the birds but in the end, there are enough berries to accommodate what the deer and birds eat.

She says it can be a lot of work pruning, mowing and fertilizing, but she enjoys it.

“Even the blueberry branches are whimsical. They’re curved in a certain way so I even enjoy pruning them. If you take a look, they’re all curved a little bit and they look just like they’re from a fairy tale,” says Reuveni.

Stone Hill Farm is open 7 days a week from 9 until 8.

It has some limited camping available and the Reuveni family is looking to grow other types of berries next season.

For more information, go to Stone-Hill-Blueberry-Farm.com.