U-pick update

Strawberries will be open this week Thursday 10am-2pm, and Friday 3pm-7pm. After that, we will make a decision about Saturday. Strawberry season is very short! First come first serve.

Field conditions as of today… we checked nearly every plant and here is our assessment and advice:

• Smaller berries, bigger flavor! Why? Generally, the first flush of fruit is the largest, prettiest and easiest to pick. The second flush is usually smaller, AND typically sweeter as the plants near the end of their production. That’s just what strawberries do. Grocery stores can not duplicate the flavor of a second flush, they just want to sell you the big, glamour berries. Our little jewels are fleeting! Although It may take a bit longer and more effort to fill your containers, you will be rewarded with handfuls of farm fresh, candy sweet berries that only come around 3 weeks out of the year.

• Walk a whole row, AND start at the end. The best berries are at the end of the row. Pick in 1 row versus skipping around. Stay focused! You will fill your containers faster this way. Not all rows will be open as some varieties are finished sooner than others. Please stay in a row marked with a flag

• Get down on eye level - it is more a crawl and pick versus a stand/stroll and pick. Bring something to kneel on and be more comfortable! You will see plenty of good, ripe berries the closer you are to the ground and the plants. Brush the plant back and forth and look inside.

BEFORE DRIVING TO THE FARM TO PICK… PLEASE CHECK OUR SOCIAL MEDIA @WALKINGBIRDFARM AND WEBSITE FARM NEWS PAGE FOR THE LATEST UPDATES. Field conditions change daily based on demand and weather. We do our best to give everyone 24 hours notice of changes to the schedule.

Thank you for visiting us! We are blessed. And we look forward to seeing you on the farm for more picking.