Our Berries
At Piopio Berry Orchard we grow strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and Blackberries. Which means we can offer tasty Piopio Orchard berries from late October right through till April!
Strawberries
Every winter we replant our strawberry plants. We predominantly grow the Camarosa variety, which seems to thrive in the Piopio Mairoa Ash soil.
We also grow strawberries in tunnel houses, which extends our strawberry season until late April.
Our season: late October to late April.
Nutrition
It is difficult to believe that something as delicious as strawberries can also be filled with nutrients. Strawberries are a good source of Folate and Potassium, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C and Manganese.
Blueberries
We grow a range of varieties in our orchard, which means we can harvest continuously from December to April. Blueberries seem to thrive on Piopio’s regular rainfall, cool winters and warm summer days.
Nutrition
Blueberries are nature's antioxidant powerhouse and contain higher antioxidant levels than just about every other fruit and vegetable. Antioxidants prevent cell damage that occurs from every day wear and tear. It is believed a diet high in antioxidants helps avoid such health problems as cancers and heart disease. It also promotes good eyesight, urinary tract health and brain function. Often referred to as 'brain berries', several leading scientists suggest eating half a cup of blueberries a day to protect and promote brain function. Recent findings have also indicated that blueberries can assist in stabilising blood sugars, which makes them useful for diabetics.
Our season: December to April
Raspberries
We grow the Old Fashioned Summer and Autumn varieties. Raspberries are very sensitive berries which is why they can be hard to come across fresh. They are tricky to grow and as they have a short shelf life, lots of retailers are reluctant to sell them. To ensure our customers get the best raspberries we pick them fresh every day. Anything we have left at the end of the day goes straight into the freezer.
Raspberries like cold winters, and they don’t like dry summers where weeds can take over. To protect these precious berries, we hand weed around our raspberries plants.
Our season: December to April
Visiting us
We would love to see you at the Orchard.
We are open daily 9.00am to 6.00pm from Labour Weekend, until early May.
Not only is our store packed full of delicious berries, we also sell berry ice creams, coffee, berry smoothies, jam and homemade berry muffins.
Berry Availability (weather dependant):
Strawberries: October to early March
Blueberries: December to April
Raspberries: December to April
Blackberries: December to February
Orders
After berries for a special occasion or Christmas Day?
Call or email us to place an order
07 8778490 or shop@piopioberries.co.nz
Please note, delivery is not available, all orders must be picked up from the orchard.