We’re opening up our strawberry patch for u-pick for the next three weekends. The berry patch is behind our farmstand this year, so we can give you a wide range of hours and days to come do your picking. Here’s how it works:
Come out to our Redman ranch (200 Lee Rd., at Riverside Drive, just off Highway 1, next to the Chevron station) on Saturday or Sunday between 11 AM and 5 PM. U-pick days are August 10th, 11th, 17th, 18th, 24th, and 25th.
Park at the farmstand and check in with Mike (our Farmstand Manager) so he knows you’re there. Have him weigh any containers you bring to pick into so he can subtract that weight when he weighs you out at the end.
When you go out into the field, look for the signs designating the U-pick area. It’s important to stay in the designated area. The other parts of the field will be picked by our crew for CSA shares, farmstand, and market sales.
Please stay within the furrows and don’t walk on top of the strawberry beds themselves. If you want to get to the next row, walk to end of the row you’re in to get to the next rather than stepping or trying to jump over the bed. Be careful not to step on the drip irrigation lines at the end of the rows. Please supervise children and help them avoid stepping on or tripping over the drip lines.
Pick only ripe fruit—it should be red all the way around. To pick, grab the berry with forefinger and middle finger around the stem and flick the berry back and in toward the plant with your thumb. The berry should snap right off. The thing not to do is to pull the berry towards you, as this pulling can damage the roots of the plant. Help young children so they develop a technique that won’t harm the plants.
You can pick as much as you want, but please pay for your berries before you eat them or tip us at the end for the amount you ate in the field. Strawberries cost $1.75/lb. When you are through picking, bring your berries back into the farmstand to weigh your fruit and pay. Feel free to pick up any other items at the stand that you like while you’re there. Then it’s time to take the berries home and make your jam or strawberry desserts. There are many good jam recipes out there, or just use the directions that come with the boxes of pectin.
Freeze any berries you are not going to use within a few days. To freeze, wash the berries, cut off the stem end, cut the large ones in half, and pack them in freezer bags. Frozen berries are great for smoothies, desserts, or future jam making.
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