Latest news with #pickyourown
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
‘It's difficult': Local farmers explain why this year's strawberry season has been unlike any other
FAIRPORT, N.Y. (WROC) – Strawberry season in upstate New York is just around the corner, with prime picking conditions expected in the next week. However, due to frequent rain showers, preparing for the season has not been easy for many farmers. Co-Manager at Chase Farms Market in Fairport, Christine McGough, explained a major challenge they're facing this season. 'Once the berries are ready, we have to be able to harvest them,' McGough said. 'So, if we're experiencing constant rain and weather that make people not want to come out, or we're not even able to get our crew out because it's that rainy, it's difficult.' She explained that strawberries typically cannot be picked in the rain, as the conditions present a risk for disease to spread among the fruit plants. It also presents other product quality concerns. Aside from this, McGough pointed out the business's dependence on their self-pick strawberry option. 'Pick-your-own is a huge part of our business. Everyone loves to come out and pick strawberries, not so much if it's a downpouring,' McGough said. there is one positive that has come from the unusual spring weather conditions, as Co-Manager Don Chase explained. 'Strawberries are a crop that likes the colder weather,' Chase said. 'So they're coming along very nice.' Now, the team at Chase Farms Market, along with many other strawberry farmers in the Rochester area, is keeping their fingers crossed for optimal picking conditions as the berries become ready for harvest. 'What I'm hoping for is that these rain showers move out and we get more summer-like weather.' Chase and McGough say Chase Farms Market will open for strawberry season in around a week and a half, while planning to harvest ready-to-eat berries any opportunity they get leading up to it. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Pick your own produce: Where to go in and around Cumberland County
There's something satisfying about plucking a sun-ripened strawberry straight from the field or filling a bucket with blueberries you picked yourself. In Cumberland County and the surrounding areas, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy that experience. In and around Fayetteville, several farms offer pick-your-own experiences throughout the growing season, giving locals a chance to connect with their food, support small businesses and enjoy a day outdoors. From blueberries to corn, here are some pick-your-own farms to visit this season if you're looking to harvest your own produce. William's Produce is an Autryville-based farm that offers pick-your-own strawberries six days a week. Address: 2840 Maxwell Road, Autryville Phone: 910-567-6719 Hours: Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Closed on Sundays. On the web: Search "Williams' Produce" on Facebook. Gross Farms, located in Sanford about 50 minutes from Fayetteville, will continue its pick-your-own strawberry season through June 7, according to the farm's Facebook page. The cost is $18 per bucket, and visitors must arrive before 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday to pick your fruit. Address: 1606 Pickett Road, Sanford Phone: 919-498-6727 Hours: Open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and closed on Sundays. On the web: Search "Gross Farms" on Facebook. At White Hill Farms Strawberry & Produce in Cameron, about an hour's drive from Fayetteville, you can pick your own blackberries starting the first week of June, according to owner Anna Jackson. Address: 5020 South Plank Road, Cameron Phone: 910-783-8552 Hours: Open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. On the web: Millstone Creek Orchards, located about an hour and a half from downtown Fayetteville in Ramseur, is an 84-acre family-run farm that offers pick-your-own blackberries for $25 a bucket, according to its website. Address: 506 Parks Crossroads Church Road, Ramseur Phone: 336-824-5263 Hours: Open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. On the web: With strawberry season coming to a close, Barry's Strawberry Farm has transitioned into an honor system, where patrons can pick their own strawberries and leave the money in a box on the fruit stand for their purchase, according to the farm's voicemail. Address: 4047 Cox Mill Road, Sanford Phone: 919-258-3606 Hours: Open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., according to a May Facebook post. On the web: Search "Barry's Strawberry Farm" on Facebook. The Gillis Hill Road Produce strawberry season ended early this year due to heavy rainfall in April and May, but the farm is launching its first-ever pick-your-own experience for cucumbers, squash and zucchini starting in mid-June, according to owner Jessica Gillis Lee. She said a variety of pre-picked fruits and vegetables are also available at the open-air market. Address: 2899 Gillis Hill Road, Fayetteville Phone: 910-308-9342 Hours: Open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and closed on Sundays. On the web: Search "Gillis Hill Road Produce" on Facebook. Carter Blueberry Farm is a family-owned and operated farm that has been in the blueberry business since 1970. The 6-acre farm opens seasonally, with blueberry picking typically beginning in late June or early July, according to its website. Prices are $2 per pound, with a 10% discount for military members and first responders, the website said. Address: 4120 Clinton Road, Fayetteville Phone: 910-308-0063 Hours: For the 2025 season, updated information will be available by mid to late June on the company's website. On the web: Bruce Brothers Farms in Stedman is a family-owned produce farm offering seasonal fruits and vegetables like pick-your-own strawberries for $13 a bucket, with other vegetables like potatoes, tomatoes and spring onions also available. Address: 6267 Blake Road, Stedman Phone: 910-483-5007 Hours: Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Closed on Sundays. On the web: Search "Bruce Brothers Farms, Inc." on Facebook. Bullard Farms in Stedman offers pick-your-own watermelon and sweet corn, typically from July 1 to Aug. 1, according to owner Collins Bullard. Address: 2280 Stedman Cedar Creek Road, Stedman Phone: 910-303-3795 Hours: Seasonal from July 1 to Aug 1, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Reporter Lizmary Evans covers dining, retail, entertainment and culture for The Fayetteville Observer. You can reach her at LEvans@ This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Pick-your-own farms near Fayetteville, Cumberland County
CTV News
5 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Pick-your-own peony farm blooming as agritourism grows in Chatham-Kent
A 10-acre sea of pastel petals is drawing visitors from across southern Ontario to a rural corner of Chatham-Kent — and it's part of a growing trend turning local farms into tourist destinations. Fleur de Roy, a peony farm in Dover Centre, officially opened to the public for the first time Friday with a pick-your-own experience that owners say is unlike anything else in the province. 'This is our opening day and it's the first year that we are opening the field up to our clients and customers for pick your own,' said co-owner Valerie Chort. The farm, co-owned by Chort and nephew Charles Rougeau, was previously focused on wholesale production for florists. But a business pivot last year planted the seeds for something new. Fleur de Roy peony farm Fleur de Roy, a peony farm in Dover Centre, on May 30, 2025. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor) 'Historically, we had set this up as a business model that provided peonies for the cut flower market, and we sold to wholesalers and florists,' said Chort. 'Then we changed up the business model and said, perhaps this year we will do something that's unique.' She said the decision to welcome the public was inspired in part by the farm's size and potential community impact, noting there were likely more than 150,000 peony stems to see. 'Because we're the only pick-your-own flower farm in all of Ontario that's this large, we said, 'Why not do this and bring the community together of Dover Centre, Mitchell's Bay, and offer this to our clients,'' she said. The result is a three-hour 'Peony Bloom Experience,' where guests can wander the blooming rows and cut their own flowers to take home. Fleur de Roy peony farm Fleur de Roy, a peony farm in Dover Centre, on May 30, 2025. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor) Visitors on opening day came from Windsor, Toronto, Kingsville, Oakville, Hamilton and Guelph, according to Chort. 'This is where you see how much people love peonies and are interested in peony flowers,' she said. Rougeau said seeing guests engage with the blooms has been rewarding. 'I really like it because I can finally see the joy that flowers bring to people,' he said. The short season and nostalgia associated with the fragrant flower are a big part of the draw, Chort explained. 'It brings back a lot of memories. It's generational. A peony plant will last between 50 to 100 years,' she said. 'It's only available for, you know, two weeks out of June. So people need to rush and enjoy it that way.' Chatham-Kent Tourism's Shannon Paiva said the opening is part of a larger trend in the municipality, following popular outdoor experiences like Hat Trick Farms' tulip displays and sunflower walks at Puddleford Tree Farm. Fleur de Roy peony farm Fleur de Roy, a peony farm in Dover Centre, on May 30, 2025. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor) 'I would say it's a growing trend, for sure,' said Paiva. 'What I love is that this is another opportunity where we're opening and welcoming that world of peonies — 10 acres of peonies — to you in a responsible, ethical way.' For Chort and Rougeau, seeing the fields in full bloom — something they used to avoid in commercial production — has taken on new meaning. 'It's a nightmare when you're doing it for commercial,' said Chort. 'You do not want to see a field this way because a plant that's opened is not sellable to a florist or a wholesaler… We never thought that we could actually see it this way, but here we are.' She said they hope the experience becomes an annual draw for the region. 'We're really excited to be able to make this area a real hub for the community,' said Chort. 'And I think that's going to grow year over year.' For guests concerned about ants — a common sight on blooming peonies — Chort had a simple tip. 'They don't harm the peonies. They're attracted by the sugar,' she said. 'If you're worried about bringing ants in the house, all you need to do is dunk your peony in water and the ants will float away.' The pick-your-own experience at Fleur de Roy runs until mid-June, weather permitting and booking online in advance is recommended.
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Shropshire pick-your-own fruit farm's earliest season in 50 years
Recent weeks of hot weather have given one fruit farm their earliest season in more than 50 Fruit Farm, near Woore on the Shropshire-Staffordshire border, has even been able to open its pick-your-own strawberry fields two weeks earlier than to the Met Office, this year's spring is so far the driest in more than a century. "The last six weeks have been lovely, but we are starting to get short of water," fruit farmer John Roberts said. Founded in 1972, Bearstone Fruit Farm boasts more than seven acres of strawberries and grows raspberries, gooseberries, blackcurrants, tayberries and jostaberries - alongside various vegetables. But this is the first time Bearstone has opened its gates to visitors before the Whitsun bank 70, who owns the farm and has been working there since he was 16, said the crops were "10 to 14 days earlier" than usual, which he credited to the recent "glorious weather"."June, I think, was the last early season we had [previously]," he added. "It tends to average out, because we'll start early and we'll probably finish early," John noted that because Bearstone's strawberries are grown "traditionally" in the ground - not in a substrate or polytunnel - they are slightly more influenced by the whims of Mother Nature."We can't manipulate the season; it's just as nature intended, really." This spring is on track to be the driest in more than a century, according to the Met farmers have said that record sunshine and low rainfall are leaving their crops struggling to the sunshine bringing early fruit, Bearstone is hoping for some respite from the hot Roberts, John's son, said strawberries prefer "cool weather at night, with a bit of rain, and then some nice sun in the day." "If it's very hot, it shortens the [berry] season," Tim explained, adding that the farm is hoping for cooler temperatures to extend the lifespan of the said it has been a "strong start" to the season and that "the potential for fantastic crops is there."The sun means that the berries are "particularly sweet this year", Tim added. With visitors already pouring into Bearstone to take advantage of the early crop, John and his family are hoping to make the most of only being open for one day so far, John said they have "already had quite a pleasing number of people already come and pick [strawberries]".But some of the crops "really need a dose of rain now", he admitted."According to the forecast, we're getting some soon - fingers crossed." Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
