Blackberry picking time in Oklahoma

One of the joys of summer is all the fresh fruit that's available in the stores. There's even more satisfaction in picking it yourself. <br/><br/>News on 6 reporter Rick Wells found a beautiful

Thursday, July 7th 2005, 9:46 am

By: News On 6

One of the joys of summer is all the fresh fruit that's available in the stores. There's even more satisfaction in picking it yourself.

News on 6 reporter Rick Wells found a beautiful blackberry picking spot southeast of Bixby, near Stone Bluff and even found some folks willing to share the secret of making the perfect pick.

7 year old Matti Anderson really knows how to pick blackberries. She knows how to eat them too. She and her little sister Lily are out here a couple days a week. Julie Anderson: "They love to pick a few berries then play and run around." Ryan Denton says they put in about 3,000 plants on 2 and a half acres three years ago.

Rick Wells: "You've sold twice as much this year as last." Ryan Denton: "Oh yeah, easily, easily we've sold that many." They opened it up to a pick your own operation last year because there were more berries than they could keep up with.

One customer was thinking about the cobbler these will make. "They're good with ice cream too."

Nancy Sowards has been coming out a couple of days a week says its good therapy. "It's during the summer time and it's something to do once a year that you never get to do the rest of the year." She picks for herself, others she leaves for folks who just want to buy some blackberries, and she knows how to find the good ones. "The big nice berries are on the inside of the bush, because people don't pick in there they pick on the outside." We agreed it's alot like finding good people; you have to look deep inside, past the thorns and under the leaves to find the best ones.

If you'd like to pick some blackberries, you can call the folks at Lone Bird at 918-482-3884.