Great Summer Activity with Kids: Visit a U-Pick Farm

Nothing is more satisfying than growing your own food, but, due to space limitations, fewer and fewer people are able to do that so we have to depend on what we can buy from the local grocery store, or, in the summer, from produce stands or nearby farms.

In our area, there are several farms within driving distance that cater to people like me. By that, I mean people who love to find fresh produce at competitive prices, but who also like to be given the opportunity to pick their own right from the field if they choose.

Usually, these farms have large areas out in front with all kinds of in-season fruits and veggies for sale. If you are in a hurry, or have physical problems that prohibit you from picking your own from the field, the produce out front is a good buy and usually a bit cheaper than in the stores, but, if you possibly can, take time-with the children to pick your own.

Nothing beats crawling along a row of strawberries, pulling back the leaves to find those luscious sweet berries and see them start to fill your bucket. The kids will love it, too-at least for a short while, but the fact that there seems to be no rule against eating as you pick, will keep them interested for a little longer. When the containers are full, you head up to the cashier who will weigh your harvest and charge the appropriate amount. I usually joke and ask if they want to weight the children, too, so I can pay for the berries they have eaten, but so far, no one has taken me up on it. (Lest you worry about pesticides, the farm we go to is an organic farm-no pesticides, and we all know that a little dirt never hurt anyone.)

In several weeks, we will go back for thornless Marion berries. After the thornless type came in, I wouldn't think of U-Picking in a Marion berry patch where the berries had thorns. Thornless ones are so-o-o much easier to pick. And yummy, too.

Three of the farms I visit also have other attractions that make a trip to the farm an adventure for the kids and grandkids in the family.

One such attraction is feeding the goats. For a quarter, you can crank enough pellets out of a machine to keep a little one busy for an hour feeding one pellet at a time to the goat of his or her choice. (Great photo opportunity, too, so don't forget the camera.)

Another attraction one ambitious farm has provided is a small playground complete with a merry-go-round and swings. A small concession stand where the kids can purchase shaved ice treats or soft drinks adds allure to the place for the kids and a little extra cash in the farm owner's pocket.

All three farms offer hayrides on Halloween weekend, and free pumpkins to school kids who come on field trips every year. (They ride out to the pumpkin patch in wagons and get to pick out their own pumpkins.

One farm we visit has a miniature gold panning sluice set up and for a small fee, a child can get the feel of panning for gold dust. Beside the sluice is a huge box of pretty rocks for sale-this farm doesn't miss many opportunities to make money even when it is only a few cents at a time.

Harvest time isn't just in the fall. Harvest time for many crops begins much earlier in the year. Right now, in Oregon, it is harvest time for strawberries, which will be followed in a short time by Marion berries, cherries, peaches and apples. Other garden crops such as peas, beans, cucumbers, carrots, beets, and corn are also maturing in between and, in many cases, at the same time as the fruits mentioned earlier.

With all the other activities competing for our time, it is easy to wake up when summer is over and bemoan the fact that we haven't once been out to the farm, so don't wait and miss the harvest. Grab some containers along with a couple of kids and head to the nearest U-Pick farm in your own area.