8 September 2007 in Suomussalmi in Finland.

On 8 September competitors will meet in eastern Finland in the village of Suomussalmi to compete in the berry picking world championships.

Following the free registration competitors are given buckets and transferred to the competition field. They then have an hour to pick as many lingonberries as possible. The berries are weighed and the best three pickers in each class receive cash prizes.

The various classes include teams of adults or children, individual adults using picking tools or using the traditional picking by hand method.

People pick berries throughout Finland during August and September. Some are kept for personal use to make jams, juices or to be used as an accompaniment to certain meats. However many are sold to large organisations for similar uses; jams, juices or to be frozen.

For further details of berry picking in Finland click here.