Has anyone picked up and great local strawberries yet? I’d like to get some tomorrow. Don’t mind taking a ride as I’ve got nothing but time on my hands right now and it is supposed to be nice weather. My usual MO is to go to a pick your own farm and decide to buy a pre-picked quart or 2 once I get there.
1 Like
Nice, I wish I am there to enjoy those strawberries.
1 Like
Hi @uni. Sounds like we use the same MO for getting strawberries. This last week I found out that the first strawberries are in the field near my house, but the farmer hasn’t opened for pick your own. She’s working with the state to figure out how she might do so in this time of corona. Sigh.
If there’s a farm you have visited for PYO/pre-picked before, maybe check their Facebook posts? That’s how I am getting intel.
I’m know Small Farm in Stow had them last week or so. I follow them on Instagram and the farm looks great but haven’t visited them yet (they are relatively new, the head farmer, Elena, was a farmer at Lex Farm.
Lex Farm had them, too, but I missed out on them. Last year’s crop was indescribably delicious.
1 Like
I picked up a quart at Mann’s Orchards in Methuen last week. Small but delicious.
The CSA we joined will have them in rotation next week. But I have not seen anyone posting for PYO.
1 Like
picked up a couple of pints from kimball’s at the union square farmers market yesterday.
1 Like
We arrived at Smolak admittedly a bit late last Saturday (11 a.m.-ish). The small field was already pretty well picked out, and our family of four obsessive-compulsive perfectionist pickers wound up with two quarts of barely adequate berries. So we are on the lookout, also!
1 Like
I think people are looking for any reason to get outside. Strawberriy picking included!
Have not done any PYO but did buy a couple of quarts at Mann’s Orchard in Methuen and while small they were very good.
Also picked up a bonus quart from our CSA Heron Pond Farm and they were really good.
They are in South Hampton NH. Not sure they do PYO but they will be at the Portsmouth NH
Farmers Market, which might make for a nice ride.
3 Likes
And for anyone doing PYO or wanting local strawberries this season, I would get out there now. I saw a note from the farm in my neighborhood that she expects this heat wave will pretty much end the strawberries. Yeah, I’d err on the side of avoiding disappointment.
3 Likes
Man, farmers can’t ever catch a break.
2 Likes
OTOH, the sunny days have been good for growing provided that the fields can be watered. I could never be a farmer but I sure am a fan.
2 Likes
We took a ride out to Tougas Family Farm in Northboro last weekend. We got their by 9a and it was already very busy when we arrived. The berries looked good, however they were 50/50, some sweet some tart. The cider and strawberry donuts were good and they had the feed-the-animals open for the kids. A nice spot overall. We’re taking a ride up to the NH sea coast later so we’ll see if there are any berries along the way.
5 Likes
second this recommendation. i picked up a quart from kimball’s at the union square farmers market in somerville. they said another week for sure, but not much beyond that.
3 Likes
I got the “CSA type box” from Tim Maslow’s Fishyfishfishfish outfit (ref: Strip T’s) yesterday. It had fantastic strawberries – deep red all the way through, juicy and sweet.
6 Likes
Wilson Farm’s strawberries are in, according to their weekly mailing. Evidentally, they pick 1,500-2000 quarts a day! Their berries are decent, but we’re not usually blown away by them. That said, I may pick up a quart this coming week if they aren’t too busy.
3 Likes
Never stopped on our trip to NH. We passed a few places but didn’t feel like dealing with lines, masks, etc. I picked up a few quarts from Kimball Farm at the Harvard Sq farmers market on Sunday. The berries are small but delicious.
3 Likes
I actually prefer small berries when they are fully ripe, even if they do take a little more work to slice.
This morning, I stopped by Wilson Farm in Lexington for the first time since the quarantine. It wasn’t too crazy and everyone was wearing masks, but social distancing wasn’t too great. They had lots of pints and quarts of their own ripe berries, which are tasty but not super intense. The smell was pretty intoxicating, though. We’ll have them sliced and lightly sugared with some unsweetened whipped cream for dessert.
8 Likes
Yesterday’s fleeting storms gave an unexpected reprieve to these late-season strawberries. Otherwise the berries have been rotting in the field because of the extreme heat.
Bigger than the early season kind.
Now’s probably the moment to go for your last chance, last dance with local strawberries.
4 Likes
Unless you are in mid-coast Maine. Beth’s Farm Market in Warren, ME inexplicably picks them pretty much all summer, I think a combination of the cooler climate up there and different varieties. And you can get a freshly-made strawberry shortcake the size of your head.
4 Likes
