Written by Brandy Centolanza
Nothing tastes quite as good as fresh fruits and veggies in the summer. Local farms offer the opportunity to pick your own produce, so bring the kids and let them savor the experience.
College Run Farms, SURRY
Children will enjoy the ferry ride to Surry to visit this farm, most popular in the spring for strawberries. Throughout July and August, the farm will have blueberries and sweet corn ready to pick. “When people visit our farm, they will enjoy the simple pleasure of picking their own produce,” says Jordan Berryman, co-owner. “It is a rewarding experience, being able to participate in the labor that goes into your family’s meal. It makes your food more meaningful when you take part in the process. That is why people should choose a pick-your-own farm for their produce needs. They know exactly where and how their food is grown because they see the farm with their own eyes, harvest the crops with their own hands, and have the opportunity to come face-to-face with the farmer and his family.” A visit can be educational, insists Berryman. “Children especially benefit from the pick-your-own farm experience because it teaches them where and how their food is grown,” Berryman says. “Many kids have only seen the source of their food at the grocery store and have no idea that corn, as an example, grows on stalks in a field before it arrives at the grocers. And how many kids can say that they went into the field, pulled an ear of corn from the stalk, and then helped their parents shuck the corn for dinner that night?” College Run Farms is open daily, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Cost for blueberries is $2 per pint. For more information, visit collegerunfarms.com.
Bush Neck Farm, JAMES CITY COUNTY
Located off of Jolly Pond Road in James City County, Bush Neck Farm has fresh blueberries, peaches and apples available for picking. “Most people like to come out and pick the fruit right off the tree when it is fully ripe and fully developed,” says owner David Brown. “That’s something that is pretty hard to do in a store. A lot of people like to bring their children so that they can show them how the fruits grow.” Blueberry and peach seasons last through Labor Day, while apples can be picked clear through Thanksgiving. While most people consider apple a fall fruit, there are several varieties available through the summer, including lodi, pristine and yellow transparent, which Brown describes as being “in a class by itself. It makes the best applesauce.” Bush Neck Farm is open Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Cost is $1 per pound for apples and peaches and $2 per pound for blueberries. For more information, call (757) 258-0114.
Henley Farms, VIRGINIA BEACH
This farm, located in the Pungo section of Virginia Beach, is popular for strawberries in the spring, though it also features a variety of fruits and vegetables for picking in July and August. During the summer, visitors can pick blackberries, green beans, tomatoes and sweet corn. Fall crops include pumpkin, butter beans, broccoli and cabbage. The family-run farm has been in business for nearly 50 years. “Food just tastes a whole lot better when it is fresh,” says Barbara Henley, co-owner. A market with pre-picked produce is also on site. Bring your own containers. Henley Farm is open daily, 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Call for price information, (757) 426-7501.
Chesterfield Berry Farm, CHESTERFIELD
This farm in Chesterfield County has three pick-your-own seasons: strawberries in the spring, blackberries in the summer and pumpkins in the fall. “When you pick something fresh, it keeps more of its vitamins and freshness than something that you get at the store that may have been picked two weeks ago,” points out Shannon Mangnuson, whose parents own the farm. “It’s also great for kids to come out here and see the atmosphere and what it takes to grow the food. We get a lot of city kids here who have never seen anything like this before.” Two festivals are planned for the summer to celebrate the blackberry season, and, starting mid-September through the end of October, family-friendly events will take place each weekend to honor the pumpkin season. Birthday parties and school tours are available and produce is available for sale at the farm market. Blackberries can be picked by the pound. Check website for prices and hours, chesterfieldberryfarm.com.
For additional information on pick-your-own farms in Virginia, visit pickyourown.org