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If it’s June, it’s time to pick blueberries—and huckleberries and blackberries! Planting and growing blueberries is a labor of love with a juicy payback. Harvests at Byne Blueberry Farms in Waynesboro continue to grow, and owners Dick and Linda Byne give you some great advice on growing blueberry bushes (see “True blue,” page 34).

At Rockin’ S Farm in Cherokee County, owners Tim and Nichelle Stewart grow an array of berries, tree fruits and vegetables. After harvesting, they can and preserve up to 1,000 jars of their produce a year, selling much of their bounty to local restaurants and at farmers markets. Read this cover story, “Well preserved,” on page 36 for some great canning recipes and tips.

June is also when most of us—with kids—go on vacation. Stretch your vacation dollar and stay in Georgia; see what getaways you can enjoy for next to nothing in “Georgia on a budget,” page 24.

Finally, discover what our readers consider was their best Georgia vacation in our essay contest, “Travels across the state,” page 18. Where do our readers enjoy vacationing? They go to the North Georgia mountains, from BabyLand General to Brasstown Bald, and they enjoy camping and state parks. They like whitewater canoeing and climbing around forts and lighthouses at one of our Golden Isles. They view historic sites and watch history re-created, and they view sunsets from Atlanta’s Sun Dial Restaurant and the top of Stone Mountain. Doesn’t this make you want to get packing?

Enjoy your summertime!

Ann Orowski
Editor

ON THE COVER THIS MONTH:

Tim and Nichelle Stewart keep up a time-honored tradtition of canning jams, jellies, pickles, fruits and other foods grown at their Rockin' S Farm in Canton. (Photo by Phillip Vullo.)