Pick Your Own Fruits and Vegetables

If it's June, it's strawberry picking season in Connecticut. While the season is short (early June through early July), this year's crop is abundant and flavorful, according to the Connecticut Department of Agriculture.

"We are seeing some beautiful berries this season," said Connecticut Agriculture Commissioner Steven Reviczky, in a news release. Strawberries this year have good size, juiciness and flavor, thanks to cooperation from Mother Nature, said Reviczky. Heavy snow helped protect the plants which resulted in bumper crops, according to the Connecticut Farm Bureau Association.

Pick-your-own farms are a great option for purchasing native strawberries. Pick as much or as little as you need. Low-growing plants and brightly colored fruit make it easy for young children to go berry picking.

In our area, the closest place to pick-your-own strawberries is at The Pickin' Patch in Avon. Located at 276 Nod Road (at the bottom of Avon Mountain off Route 44), the family-owned business has a large selection of small fruits and vegetables. There's also a stand open through October with flowers and small plants.

Visitors to The Pickin' Patch are given cardboard boxes to fill up with the berries and then shown the way to the fields, which are about a five-minute walk from the parking lot. Wear boots or old shoes as the fields have been muddy. A floppy hat will help shield you from the sun; remember, you are out in the fields with no shade.

The Pickin' Patch is open daily, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m., but employees suggest you always call ahead to check on hours of operation. Last week, for example, due to the extreme heat, the business closed down at 3 p.m. For daily picking conditions and hours, listen to the automated message when you call The Pickin' Patch at 860-677-9552.

In addition to strawberries, right now The Pickin' Patch also offers pick-your-own spinach and rhubarb. Look forward to early raspberries (early to mid-July), blueberries (late July through August) and sweet corn (late July until the frost). Fall raspberries should be ready in August. (See list below.)

Around the state, farmers markets have begun to open these past few weeks, and strawberries are among the first of the produce crops sold at these markets. Most of the markets run weekly and continue through October.

According to a list provided by the Connecticut Department of Agriculture, other sites for pick-your-own strawberries in Hartford County include Dondero Orchards in Glastonbury; Easy Pickin's Orchard in Enfield; and Rose's Berry Farm in Glastonbury. Visit www.CTGrown.gov for more information.

Other area farms have pick-your-own options only for specific fruits — mainly apples — available in the fall. They include: Clark Farm at Bushy Hill Orchard in Granby; Karabin Farms in Southington; Lost Acres Orchard in North Granby; Rogers Orchards-Shuttle Meadow Farm in Southington; and Rogers Orchards-Sunnymont Farm in Southington.

Dzen Tree Farms in South Windsor offers three acres of pick-your-own blueberries, with the picking season in early July.

The website www.pickyourown.org lists seasonal fruits and vegetables for Connecticut. They are listed below:

Beans — mid-May through early September

Squashes — May through December

Broccoli, Cabbages and Greens — May through December

Early Raspberries — early to mid-July

Blueberries — late July through August

Sweet Corn — late July until the frost

Peppers — August until the frost

Tomatoes — August until the frost

Fall Raspberries — late August until the frost

Pumpkins — late September through October