Pick Your Own Update: 7/26/20 Pick Your Own is CLOSED at this time ~ Apples Coming in August 2020!
Update 7/26/2020: BlackBerries are CLOSED for some time to ripen a bit. Check back for availability later this week.
A colleague included W.A.L.S.T.I.B in his blog post this week. I have to admit, I had no idea what that meant but for those of you who are Grateful Dead fans, you may know this stands for: What a Long Strange Trip It’s Been. It has been a long, strange 2020 and as we arrive in July at the halfway point, we are happy to be open and welcoming guests to our 12 acre play area for some fresh air and family fun on the farm.
We thank you for visiting and following these guidelines while at the farm:
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- Maintain at least 6 feet of social distance from other family groups in all areas.
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- Wear a mask in our common spaces such as restrooms & farm market.
- Wash your hands frequently in either of our 2 restroom facilities.
- Bring a blanket & hand sanitizer to picnic at the farm.
- Parents, please take responsibility to help your children wash their hands & maintain proper social distancing while at the farm.
The Farm Market is filling up with freshly picked produce including white peaches, purple plums, apricots, tomatoes, summer squash and zucchini and is Open Daily 9am-5pm.
More of that long, strange trip that is 2020 has kept our Pick your Own closed most of the spring. The combination of the devastation the Great Mother’s Day Weekend Freeze and COVID 19 requirements for social distancing, has kept our fields closed until July 10th when we open for Blackberry picking. We are picking the orchard fruit that survived the freeze for purchase in our farm market and have lovely white peaches, apricots and plums in the Market at this time. We also have a good potato and apple crop which we anticipate being available in late August ~ hopefully for pick your own!
What’s in Season Now? Pick your Own Seasons
In case you were wondering…
Can I bring my dog?
Yes, we love dogs! (Check out our Dog Picnic Area.) But we want everyone to be comfortable, so please keep them on a leash. Be sure your dog is ok with crowds and children if you’re coming on a festival day. Also, please clean up after your pet in all areas of the farm.
Do I have to pay admission if I only want to U-Pick?
Yes, there’s an admission fee for U-Pick. Here’s why:
- For your safety, everyone takes a wagon ride to the fields. That way, we know who’s there and can clear the field in case of bad weather.
- Most people want to spend time visiting the animals, playing Cow Pie Putt Putt, or enjoying other attractions, which are included in your admission fee.
Admission is less than the cost of a movie ticket, and you get a whole day of fun! But if you don’t have time to make a day of it, you can get the same fresh produce and other goodies at the Farm Market without paying admission.
Do I have to ride the wagon to the U-Pick fields?
Yes. We do ask that you take the wagon ride to the U-Pick fields so we know how many people are in the fields and can bring people out in case of bad weather. We have express rides at 9:15 am and regular rides throughout the day.
Plus, your wagon drivers know many fascinating facts about the farm and can direct you to the best places to U-pick.
What time are the wagon rides?
We run wagon rides regularly, but times vary throughout the season depending on the number of guests. If you want to know exact times, give us a call the day you plan to come, and we’ll let you know the schedule.
Do we need to bring our own containers?
No. We have re-usable containers you can use for U-Pick. However, if you have a favorite ͞picking bucket, bring it along!
Just make sure you have your containers weighed when you first pay admission, so we can deduct the weight from the final purchase cost.
We encourage you to bring a cooler to protect the freshness of your produce.
Is the produce organic?
We’re not certified organic, but we do grow many crops without synthetic chemicals. We minimize any use of chemicals with sustainable growing practices, such as plasticulture, companion planting, shade planting, crop rotation, cover crop plantings, and lots of hand weeding.
(By the way, if you want to learn more about these techniques, come and ask us. We love to talk about our farming innovations!)
- All our strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries are grown without synthetic chemicals.
- We do not apply glyphosate in any of our veggie fields.
- We use an Integrated Pest Management program (IPM) in our orchards and fields. We constantly scan the crops for signs of pest damage and treat only when a crop is threatened. Most veggies are pesticide free and our orchard fruits are generally treated in bud and as needed to ensure yields and quality.
- The CSA garden is free of synthetic fertilizers and herbicides. It’s treated only when pest pressure arises.
