You have explained exactly why I do not generally pick fruit that I have to pay for. At Eastern Market last weekend, I bought 10 lbs of blueberries for $30. There were no additional costs since I would have been there buying groceries anyway. I invested my time canning the berries, which is by far the easiest canning I have ever done. 10 lbs yields slightly more than 10 pint jars. They are a great dessert topping in the winter when local fruit is non-existent at the market, and jars of blueberries make nice Christmas gifts.

The farmer mentioned that I may have bought the last blueberries from his farm this year because all the fruit is ripening ahead of schedule.