One of my favorite activities to do in summer is go fruit picking. June is strawberry picking season and we took full advantage of it! Central Ohio has a few farms that do u-pick for strawberry season, and one of our favorites is Doran’s Farm Market in New Albany. It isn’t too far of a drive and they have a nice big strawberry field.
There are other u-picks that aren’t too far away from Columbus, just be sure to call ahead about picking possibilities. Some farms will be picked out and have to wait for fruit to come on before another picking day. Many times these farms will have berries that can be purchased at their market, but just call ahead. Personally, I wait because I like the experience of picking them fresh off the vine with my kids.
A few things to know about picking at a farm:
- Bring cash, just in case – but most take credit nowadays.
- Put on sunscreen.
- Bring plenty of water – if you go on a warm day, it seems twice as warm in the berry patch.
- They will have boxes for you to use to gather the fruit. I think the boxes are like $2.50 or $3. You can bring your own stuff, too.
- Get the kids their own little boxes – give them the chore of filling it and then bringing to put in your big box. Keep them busy.
- Bathrooms are generally port-o-potties. Plan accordingly.
- If you are traveling a great distance than about half an hour, you may want to bring a cooler to put your fruit in. Just so it doesn’t totally wilt before you get home. Berries can be fragile.
- Freshly picked berries don’t last a super long time. I froze a few batches of mine within two days of picking.
- Make jam! I was going to, but I didn’t get around to it.
