6 Pick Your Own Produce Tips to help you plan for a successful U-pick trip!
It’s around this time of year, seeing the U-pick signs on the side of the road, that always bring me back to good times I had when I was a kid.
My mom was always bringing us to different farms throughout the season to snatch strawberries off the plant, climb ladders to pluck cherries, peaches or nectarines, and bring them home for everyone to try, eat, and make delicious foods to share in.
I always associate this with positive memories of times we had together as a family, special memories of being a kid, and the summer season.
In honor of this memory, here are some Pick Your Own Produce Tips to help you plan your own U-pick trip!
6 U-Pick(Pick-Your-Own Produce)Tips
Before you go:
1) Plan ahead:
Find a U-Pick farm to pick at:
If you need help locating a farm that offers u-pick near you, click here, or here, for some ideas.
Learn about what days and times that the u-pick field is open and what produce is available for U-pick.
Keep in mind:
Different farms may offer different u-pick produce offerings.
U-pick offerings can change at any time given how much produce is available, the weather, etc.
Be sure to check the website, different farms' social media accounts or call their u-pick hotlines the day you plan to go. This is especially important, because you want to be sure the field and produce you are hoping to pick is available and open!
Some farms may not offer containers for you to put your U-pick produce in, be sure to find out if this is something that will be provided to you, or if you will need to purchase or bring your own container with you when you u-pick.
Does the farm have a farm stand, or other activities to do too? Will you plan to stop and shop for other produce or plan to do other things while you are at the farm too?
Take inventory of the foods that you already have on hand, your storage space, and have some sense of a game plan for how you will use your fresh picked “you pick” and/or farm stand produce.
Will you preserve or freeze?
How will you use your u-pick produce throughout the week(s)?
This just helps you to get what you actually need for meals and snacks throughout the week, get a sense for how much to pick, or shop for, and also to help with preventing food from going to waste.
Make sure you have cash.
Not all farmers accept alternative payment methods, so your best bet is to go to the farmers market with cash on hand.
2) Bring a bag to tote your items you pick/purchase.
This just makes it easier to carry things in.
If you’re wanting to cut back on the plastic that you use, consider bringing some reusable produce bags too.
At the you farm/you pick field:
3) Talk with the farmers or people working at the farm!
They have a wealth of information and can share with you all about the farm, how they grow their food, all about what they are offering, how best to pick it, store it, the different kinds of varieties that are available, what it might taste like, and how you can use it too.
4) Have fun engaging with other pickers!
Find out their favorite ways to use the you pick produce or what they plan to do with their U-pick produce.
5) Be kind and respectful, follow all the rules of the farm:
This not only keeps you and others safe, it also respects the farmer and the crops they worked so hard to grow too.
6) Be mindful of the sun, stay hydrated and wear sun protection!!
The sun’s rays are strongest between 10a and 2p, so consider this while planning your trip: wear sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, sun protective clothing, etc., See here for some additional tips from the American Academy of Dermatology Association for how you can protect your skin.
Pack a water bottle filled with water to sip on.
Are there any U-pick your own produce tips that I may have missed? Please let me know by dropping them in the comments below.
What are some of your favorite ways to use U-Pick Produce?
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