U-Pick Closed for 2007. Check Farm Markets for Remaining Markets

Some Favorite Farm and Market Photographs

2007

A huge Thanks Much to Mike and Cher, who took these wonderful aerial photographs of the farm while out flying.

The barn with the blue roof and house and berry shack is Bob and Audrey's retirement home. At the bottom of the picture on the right is the "cabin". Our original summer home. When the cabin was built in 1965, the dirt road had grass growing in the middle of it and the road was not plowed in the winter, which made for fantastic sledding. Now the road is chipped, wide enough for two vehicles and plowed year-round. Each weekend and vacation we loaded up the truck and left East Aurora to drive 41 miles south to Humphrey and the cabin. It was a great way to grow up. Founder Bob Childs first experimented with blueberries in 1960 while living in South Buffalo. In 1968 we planted a small plot of blueberries next to the cabin. In the 70's, prior to farmers markets starting we sold the blueberries via the East Aurora Pennysaver. Customers placed their order, we picked them and the customers drove to the house to pick the berries up. In 1975, the Childs family and some of the East Aurora neighborhood kids, who came up on weekends, planted the third  plot of blueberries, this time 500 bushes, pictured at the top middle of the picture. The rows you see in the picture have close to 5000 bushes now.

 The cabin was given to the youngest daughter, Nancy who with husband Jim and children Jake and Kate, enjoy the weekend get away much as we did growing up. The blueberry farm is run by Bob, Audrey, Carrie and Daniel--who formed a partnership in 1986. Carrie and Daniel have a house below the cabin and out of sight of this picture. All told there are 45 varieties of blueberry bushes, more than even the experimental stations have. We have been told we have more varieties than any other farm by some blueberry experts but that has never been verified. Many of the newer varieties of blueberries have an excellent shelf life, which is what many of the distributors of the fruit want. The flavor has been somewhat sacrificed to achieve the longer shelf life, which is why farm markets still rein supreme for flavor and quality. The best tasting blueberries, hand-picked and taken right to market.

From this angle you can see almost right in the middle, Peter and Rita's house--who have started a fruit winery. Peter has a plot of blueberries on some other acreage that is just starting to bear. Pete planted his blueberries in 1994 and was able to start marketing them in 2003  by participating in the Rochester Public Market.

Class Tour

The Scio Chapter of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Club kicked off the school year by touring Childs Blueberry Farm in Humphrey. Thirty-seven members picked $225 worth of blueberries which they donated to the school cafeteria and school home economics department. During the tour, given by Bob & Daniel Childs (Scio teacher and FBLA advisor), students learned about the irrigation system, integrated pest management techniques, raspberries as a catch crop for pests like Japanese beetles, proper woodlot management, chestnuts as a cash crop and new blueberry plantings.  After lunch, students returned to classes for the second half of the day.

Members listen to Bob Childs as the concepts of direct selling are explained as opposed to selling to a middle man. Quality is also emphasized as the single most key to long-term success.

Click HERE for more photographs of this field trip by the Scio FBLA.

Here is customer submitted recipe for blueberry crisp. Some East Aurora Alumni may recognize the handwriting from chalkboards.

Olean Farmers Market

Childs Blueberries Representatives: Harry and Deb Ginnery

8-2 Saturdays.

Located by Bradner Stadium in Veterans Park.

June 2006 Berry Update

Baby Blueberries and a few white blossoms as of 6-14-2006. By July 8th we will be picking. Soon our berries will look like three pictures down!

Chelsea Childs helping her Grandfather set up the U-Pick Tent. Friend Angie holds a post.

Bea works with us helping to sort the berries. Husband Jerry will sometimes pick wild blueberries which Bob likes to sell at market for $5 a pint.

Trusty Australian Shepard, JoJo riding shotgun in the blueberry mobile...1995

Pumpkinville--another Humphrey, NY business. Pictured--Tom and Chelsea Childs

When Tom Childs was 4 years old, he wrote the Bills quarterback a little note in 4 year old penmanship, "Dear Mr. Kelly, I think you are good. Tom"  That year, the Bills won the division for the first time and it was gravy after that. Jim Kelly sent Tom back this picture and note and it says it all. Thanks Mr. Kelly! Tom is now 21 years old.

At the Genesee Valley Batavia Farmers Market (Fridays, 8 a.m.), we see a "Blueberry Poster Child" enjoying fresh Childs Blueberries. 

One is not enough!

A beautiful Sunday afternoon cooking dinner in the picnic area during the busy U-Pick season.

A Thursday Market at North Tonawanda, NY off Colvin at Robinson Street.

June 14, 2006. Green will turn to blue in the next month.

Black Currents are so popular with visitors from England. Red currants are tart but make fabulous jelly, syrup and wine. Currently, a Raspberry Currant sweet wine has been gracing my table and is it delicious. Raspberry Currant Jam is considered the by some to be the best of all jams. The Brits drink currant juice, which incidentally has five times the vitamin C, for breakfast the same as those of us from the States drink orange juice.

Notice the samples out front of red raspberries, blueberries and red currants. You can also make out the stems of the calla lilies for sale, limited time, at the East Aurora market.

A nice full pint of Childs Blueberries ready for sale. Nothing to throw away there!

Daniel & Carrie, Cathy & David at an Olean Social event. Who is that masked women?

The newest planting of blueberries...

Bob and Audrey Childs loading the truck at 4 a.m. for the Downtown Buffalo Market on Thursdays.

Chelsea helping Grandma and Grandpa load for market. Arg, a teenager up at 4 a.m.?

Son Thomas (whom some might remember from the label of Blueberry Maple Syrup (pictured below)) has returned Childs Blueberries to the Batavia Genesee Valley Farmers Market behind Batavia Downs in the Kmart Plaza. 

Mr. and Mrs. Rozanski posing with their purchase of BLUEBERRY WINE. They were the first customers to purchase the newly offered wine from our winery since Childs Blueberries received permission from the Village Board to sell wine at the East Aurora market. On a side note, Mr. Lou Rozanski did a great job coaching East Aurora Alumni, Peter and Daniel Childs in wrestling with Stork Raymond in the 70's. 

Jean Rikki was the first person to purchase the 2005 BLUEBERRY COOKBOOKLET and thus made a donation to Roswell Cancer Institute.  Customers can write a check made out to Roswell Cancer Institute and take a cookbook. Mr. Childs forwards the check to Roswell. For more details, go to the "Recipes" link above

Audrey Childs at the Buffalo Downtown Market

2000-Carrie bagging pints. The old blue van finally was retired after this season with 285,000 miles on it.

Calla Lilies for sale at East Aurora Farmers Market!

The "Miracle Berry" article from Prevention Magazine pointed out the many health benefits of blueberries. In the back ground are pints of Childs Blueberries pictures at market.

Thomas Childs standing under the giant sunflower grown by his Uncle Pete in 1992.

Cousin Steve and Thomas after a big catch.

Thomas (pictured on the syrup) is 19 now.

English Springer Spaniel puppy, Blaze at 14 weeks.

Blazes Dad, Bennie at 11 years.

Everything Nice^tm  is the name of the syrup because it has only "nice" things in it.

Limited availability, because it is not mass produced, in Blueberry Maple, Red Raspberry Maple, Peach Maple and Strawberry Maple Syrup. It is delicious. Patent Pending.

Store bought loss leader berries pictured next to our berries ended up costing more than our regular pint price plus our berries were ready to use, fresh and right from a farmer you know!

First Place at the Dresser-Rand car show in Olean. Carrie's 1999 Convertible 30th Anniversary Firebird Tran Am 6 speed w/ the corvette Engine...only 175 six speed convertibles manufactured. This is number 0006 off the production line and is primarily in storage until retirement when Carrie will bring it to Car Shows for Sunday fun. If I put a Childs Blueberry sign on the car, will it become a tax write-off?

Audrey's Rhubarb, Blueberry and Raspberry Syrups and Jams and Jellies sold at Tonawanda Market

Aunt Carmen's Blueberry Sheet Pie is made totally from scratch the old fashion way and is sold at markets for $1 per slice.