Plains self-pick farm a ‘berry’ special place

Nestled among the pine trees and shrubbery across the road from the Clark Fork River 16 miles downstream from Plains is a berry special place.

That’s where you’ll find the MPDP U-Pik Fruit-N-Berry farm, a tiny slice of heaven disguised as a Mom and Pop operation.

“This is a small operation, but it’s a piece of Heaven to us,” said Mike Pacovsky, who along with his wife Deanna have been growing and selling a wide range of berries and fruits from the property around their home for the past five years. “We sell them by the gallon and you pick what you want.”

The mini-farm features berries such as wild strawberries, gooseberries, black raspberries and big, plump blueberries. There are also plums, currents and five different kinds of grapes contained and well cared for within the fenced area that is their garden.

The fences come in handy, they say, but are not fool-proof.

“The other day a deer got into the enclosure and raised hell with some strawberries and some of the few vegetables we grow here,” said Deanna with a laugh and smile. “I love the deer but they can be a pest. I don’t have much nice to say about them right now.”

Berries aren’t the only thing that flourishes on the property. Humor has taken root as well.

“As you walk through here, you will notices cages around some of the strawberries,” said Mike, an affable character who navigates among the rows of the garden in a powered wheelchair. “We had to cage the wild strawberries so they don’t run away.”

Actually, the wire cages around some of the strawberries serve as a deterrent to the occasional deer that finds its way into the garden area. And it’s not just deer that have come looking for the tasty treats they grow.

“See that plum tree?” Mike said, pointing out a tree that had been split in half and left still standing but fruitless. “A bear did that. I was watching it from the porch one night and wanted to shoot it but Deanna wouldn’t let me because we didn’t have a bear tag.”

The couple purchased the property on which they now live 23 years ago. Deanna grew up in Kalispell while Mike hails from Bainville, a small town eight miles from the North Dakota border in northeast Montana.

Having been raised on rural lands, the Pacovskys were looking for a place to settle in a grow their own, just like the one they found along River Road West. One of the first things they did when they moved into their new home was begin carving out space for a garden.

“We had to bring in a lot of soil,” Mike said. “The ground here among the trees is pretty rocky so I figured we needed to help it out a bit.”

They started with an orchard ordered through the mail and planted as twigs. The trees and berries took hold and so too has their small business.

“We probably average around 100 pickers a season,” Mike said. “I have a book that helps me grow things better. I’ve learned a lot about the soil and what it needs to grow good things.”

Pickers who arrive at the site are asked to bring their own containers. If no one is home, they can still pick and pay for the berries on the honor system by weighing what they picked and leaving money in a container inside a booth near the entrance to the garden area.

“It’s the honor system around here,” said Mike. “Ninety-nine percent of the people are good about everything. One time we did have about $300 taken from the stand when we weren’t here, but I figured they must have needed it more than I do.”

Other than the strawberries, grapes have become a popular item for pickers.

“We make wine from a lot of them,” Deanna said. “And grape pies are a big hit too. One variety we grow tastes just like grape jelly from the jar.”

Pickers wanting to visit the farm are urged to call ahead to make sure there are berries ready to go. The fruits can often be picked clean by customers on any given day.

For more information, call 826-4019. Prices range from $5 a gallon for grapes to $12 a gallon for strawberries and blueberries.

“People pick ‘em and we let em grow,” said Deanna as she moved sprinklers throughout the garden area. “This definitely is a small mom and pop operation but we enjoy doing this and making what we grow available to the public.”