We first heard about going cherry picking from friends of our last year, but the season is so short, we didn't make it in time. This year, however, we kept a close eye on the calendar and the websites to make sure we were there. It was our first time doing it and we all had a blast. We went to Levering Orchard in Ararat, Virginia because they were the first one to start picking this season. They have 32 acres of trees and 44 varieties of cherries! They put ladders out in all the trees that are ripe so you know which ones to pick from.
The kids were so excited to get to climb the ladders.
Ezra decided the best place to find cherries was in the bucket.
Olivia was so brave and scrambled right up the ladders, reaching some beautiful cherries.
There were plenty to pick, even from the ground.
Ezra finally had his fill and wanted to try his hand at climbing.
Even Mommy got into the act.
Our bountiful harvest of 10 lbs!
Then came the pitting. We bought a great pitter from Sur La Table and set Olivia to work. It took a while, but when we were done, we canned enough cherries to have them all through this year until the season comes around again next June.
