MOSINEE - The Lewer family has grown raspberries for more than 20 years. What they created as a family, they want others to enjoy as a family.

"We have heard that it's really hard to find places to pick (berries) and take their children," said Dani Banks, daughter of Lakeview Berry Farm owners Fran and Dennis Lewer. "To us, it doesn't matter if they're strapped on their parent's back or they're 2-year-olds just running around eating berries. We try to accommodate everybody."

Lakeview Berry Farm, overlooking the Eau Plaine flowage in Marathon County, started as a family garden and grew into nearly 30 acres of prepicked and pick-your-own raspberries, an acre of blueberries and several acres of strawberries. The doors were opened to customers 12 years ago.

"We first had (berries) in the garden, and they did so well, (Dennis) planted a small field, and we started selling them," Fran said. "We actually still have some customers who are coming today who were our very first."

Customers are surprised to find the beautiful view of forested hillsides, meadows and the flowage, Banks said.

"If it doesn't bring them here, it brings them back because it's peaceful," she said.

The berry farm was part of a much larger dairy farm before the Big Eau Plaine River was dammed to form the flowage. Dennis began developing the fields one at a time as he learned about cultivating berries from books, his daughter said.

And in turn, the family teaches their visitors.

"Most people when they first come, we list off the raspberries and they say, 'Wow, we didn't think we had a choice. We were just coming raspberry picking,' " Banks said.

The family cultivates six varieties of red raspberries and several varieties of other colors of raspberries that start ripening in June and continue through fall.

Some visitors just go into the rows and start picking, but others want to know about the health aspects, how to pick, what the berries taste like and how to prepare them.

"The health factor is huge, especially with the black raspberries and the blueberries," Banks said. "They have the most antioxidants of all the berries. We have a lot of people traveling around the state for them just for that reason."

Visitors can pick their own raspberries for $3.50 a pound. Blackberries are $4.50 a pound in season. Banks said the pick-your-own business has been strong this summer.

"We think because of the economy, more people are trying the pick-your-own," Banks said. "It's $2 a pound cheaper to pick your own."

Even people who have their own berry patches come to Lakeview because they can't produce enough at home, she said. Getting them locally is also a factor in their popularity, she said.

"It's the freshness. It's the taste. You can't beat the flavor of a berry out of the field versus a berry out of a grocery store from across the country," she said.

Families are encouraged to bring a picnic, and children are welcome to do anything except throw berries.

"That's a real no-no because that spreads disease," Fran said.

It's not even a problem if youngsters fill up on berries, she said. There are plenty.

Everybody jokes that children should be weighed before they leave, but eating berries is part of the experience, Banks said.

There are plenty of berries for the ever-present wildlife too.

"We figure wildlife probably gets a quarter of the crop," Dennis said.

Birdhouse gourds hang from cables to attract birds that keep unwanted insects in control. They are also popular with the neighbors.

"You open up the window in the morning and you've got your own orchestra," Dennis said.

Beneficial honeybees and bumblebees are thick on the berry blossoms.

"We've never had a shortage of bees. You can kind of hear the humming. You get used to that," Banks said.

As the days shorten, the berry supply keeps on going but the number of visitors slows down.

"I don't know if they just don't believe that you can pick red raspberries in September and October," Banks said.

Everbearing varieties continue producing until they freeze. The season has been known to last into November.

Banks said the family is looking at ways to attract visitors later in the season, including growing late sweet corn and pumpkins.

Banks said the farm is open from 8 a.m. to dark until the crop freezes.

"We just want to make it easy for people to come on their schedules," she said.

Sara Bredesen can be reached at 715-360-7253 or stbrede@gmail.com.