From our food contributor, Diana Bauman.
The U-Pick Season has begun.
It’s during this time of the year that my entire family gets excited to hit the u-pick farms and indulge in the juiciest, sweetest candy that we’ve been dreaming about since the summer before.
You see, in my family we intentionally eat fresh fruit in its season.
Sure, we can buy fresh berries in the winter months, but they’re void of flavor and anything good that it was created to have.
So instead we wait patiently, salivating for that first juicy bite of the sweetest strawberry picked in June.
Or the pucker of a tart cherry, ready to be made perfectly sweet when made into pies or jam.
As the strawberries dwindle down from large, juicy berries that can fit into the palm of your hand to the smallest of cones, still sweet and great for jam, blueberries and raspberries surge into season in the sweltering heat of July and August.
Again, my family hits the u-pick farms to gather as many buckets of fruit that we can that will eventually be made into jam, pies, and sprinkled in our pancakes throughout the winter.
As much as we enjoy the flavors in freshly picked fruit grown locally by family farmers, we really enjoy that we not only save money by picking our own fruit and purchasing it in bulk but also that we’re able to get the following 5 things for FREE.
1. You Can Get a FREE Sense of Community!
To my family, community is important.
Supporting one another in our endeavors and celebrating with each other in everything good that nature provides teaches us to respect and be mindful of creation and in each other.
2. You Can Capture FREE Memories That Will Last a Lifetime!
One of the things that I most enjoy about heading out to the u-pick farms is the opportunity to spend intentional time with my family.
As most children do, they come up with their own stories, their own thoughts on what they can make with the fruits of their labor, and all sorts of other sweet sayings that I’ve been able to capture in my memory… forever.
3. You Can Get a FREE Family Outing with FREE Berries As You Pick!
Visiting a u-pick farm with your family makes a great FREE outing.
The kids have fun and what they enjoy the most is being able to eat berries as they pick.
Now, I’m not sure exactly what the written rule is about eating while you’re picking but seriously, when you have kids, it’s going to happen… and they’re going to love it!
4. You Can Get a Tan and a Great Workout for FREE!
It’s true, you can get a free tan and great workout while picking fruit.
Squats while your picking, heavy buckets and trays filled with fruit works the biceps, and on top of that, you’ll be doing a lot of walking up and down rows.
After an hour, I’d say you just had a great workout and you’ll be tan to boot!
5. You Can Get a FREE Therapy Session!
There is nothing that relaxes me more than being outdoors in the natural world.
Visiting a u-pick farm can be meditative and therapeutic and in my opinion, is a great way to de-stress from the busyness in our lives.
I’ve been known to leave the kids with a sitter in order to pick some berries alone to unwind and enjoy a bit of peace and quiet while picking berries for my family.
In order to find a local u-pick farm near you, visit localharvest.org or visit your farmers market and ask some of the local vendors.
I’m sure they’ll be able to steer you in the right direction.
Have you ever visited a u-pick farm? Tell me, what’s your favorite fruit to pick at u-pick farms.
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