>> Interviewer: They come for the berries.
They come for the treats.
They come for the experience.
Whatever the reason, folks from all over Northeast Texas come to Moss Springs Berry Farm to pick
blackberries and meet the farmer that grows them.
>> Eric Lum: I try to spend a little time with every family that comes in.
And I'll help them pick a few berries and answer their questions and talk to them about
what to pick and what not to pick.
It's just a neat experience to interact with them and get to see them see where produce
comes from, to understand that there's a vine out there that's growing the berry that they
saw at Sam's or Walmart or Brookshire's or somewhere like that.
>> Interviewer: Moss Springs Berry Farm is you pick, we pick.
The Lum family encourages folks to come pick their own blackberries, but if you can't,
they'll pick them for you.
Eric grows Ouachita thornless blackberries.
The fruit only lasts about four weeks.
So in the month of June this field is full of moms, dads, kids, and grandparents all
getting a feel for agriculture.
>> Sandy Tutt: It feels more personal.
It's an experience for me.
It's an experience for the kids.
It's like you're going back to your roots.
You know, it's teaching them things.
They're only two and three and 11.
And the fact that my two year old knows to pick the black ones instead of the red ones,
you know, he's learning.
>> Interviewer: Around 250 people have grabbed a little white basket and walked the rows
of this East Texas orchard this year.
They've picked about 3,000 pounds of blackberries.
When they're done picking, they head to the shed.
Blackberry sherbert, blackberry yogurt pops and blackberry lemonade await.
It's just part of the Lum family's Texas hospitality.
>> Belinda Lum: We encourage people to come out, both young and old.
We've had ages here today from two to 90.
What I love the most about it, it's just being out there and listening to the interaction
between the kids, the moms, the dads, the grandparents.
Nobody has their phone out.
Both hands are busy picking, and they're talking and interacting.
>> Eric Lum: What I enjoy seeing is when that little bitty child comes back, and they're
purple.
You know, their whole mouth is purple.
Their hands are purple.
Bless their hearts, their dresses are purple or whatever they have on, but they thoroughly
enjoy it.
And we enjoy having them.
>> It's a giant berry.
>> Interviewer: Eric retired as a County Extension Agent in Bowie County.
He planted his first blackberry plant in 2003.
He provides about 500 pounds of berries to a local winery, but most of his blackberries
go to his loyal customers.
For 12 years Eric and his family have helped people in Northeast Texas enjoy the fruits
of their labor.
For TFB News, Ed Wolff, New Boston.
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