Avonsleigh Berries

Avonsleigh Berries has been run by the Edlinger family since 1980, on Avon Road at Avonsleigh near Emerald in the Dandenong Ranges. The farm grows blueberries and sour morello-style cherries without pesticides, making it one of the very few places near Melbourne where you can pick your own sour cherries for pies, jams and preserving.

What You Can Pick

• Blueberries - December to mid February
• Sour cherries - summer, available only to u-pickers and farm gate customers

Activities

• Farm gate sales of fresh berries through the season
• Emerald village and Puffing Billy country a few minutes away

Good to Know

Booking is essential for u-pick: ring three days to a week ahead, or use the booking request form on the website. U-pick runs from 27 December until the crop sells out, and prices are set each season and confirmed when you book. The farm runs along natural lines with no pesticides, and the sour cherries in particular draw preserving enthusiasts from across Melbourne every summer. Bring containers for the fruit and an esky for the drive home, as both blueberries and sour cherries freeze well; many visitors preserve their haul the same weekend while the fruit is at its peak.

Pro tip: sour cherries never reach shops fresh; this is your chance to stock the freezer for a year of pies.