Calling all bakers to the Ashe County Farmers Market this Saturday.

The ACFM is holding their annual berry pie contest, and the competition will surely be sweet and hot. All Ashe County residents are encouraged to try their hand at baking a berry creation, but there are some rules to remember.

Bakers can submit pies or cobblers, and any berry may be used in the ingredients. The berries should be of Ashe County origin though. All crusts must be homemade, not store-bought. Disposable pie pans are recommended, and a copy of the recipe is to be submitted along with the pie or cobbler between 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

Wondering where to find Ashe County berries? It's easy; blackberries can be found in many backyards or on rural roadsides.

For super-tasting, natural blueberries, try a pick-your-own patch. There are several small "secret" ones to choose from if you know whom to ask. Or you can make a trip out to the well-known Old Orchard Creek Farm, which is near Big Horse Creek outside of Lansing.

Walter Clark and Johnny Burleson, the farm owners, invite everyone to come on out and pick to their heart's content. Eating while picking is allowed.

The thousands of blueberry bushes at Old Orchard Creek are about 40 years old, so they produce some of the biggest, juiciest blueberries this side of Alaska. It's easy to pick handfuls at a time, as they fall off into waiting buckets.

Old Orchard Creek Farm is open for picking seven days a week from 8 to 6 p.m. and is located at 410 Swansie Shepherd Road near Lansing. For more information about blueberry picking, go to www.oldorchardcreek.com or call (336) 384-2774.

For more information about the berry pie and cobbler contest, click to www.ashefarmersmarket.com or call Market Manager John Smyre at (910) 309-1932.

The Ashe County Farmers Market is open every Saturday from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. and each Wednesday from 2 to 6 p.m.

by Vicki Randolph

4 Seasons Vacations offers NC Mountain Cabins with Great Views with Cabins on the New River and with amenities such as hot tubs, game tables, creek side, close to attractions and to the Blue Ridge Parkway. We offer cabins in NC Mountains near Boone NC, West Jefferson, Jefferson, Todd, Fleetwood, Crumpler, Lansing, and Glendale Springs.