Strawberry Fields

Yesterday evening I was able to take the kiddos on a field trip to a Strawberry Farm.  The weather was perfect; overcast, warm, but not hot.  We were lucky enough to have a private picking with the daughter of the farmer, a former student of Gary's at Sodus Central School.  She welcomed us in her cutie-pie cowgirl boots and piled us all in her truck to make the trek out to the fields.

"Look over there!  More berries!"

Searching for the "perfect berry"

Strawberry picking is one of my fondest memories as a child.  As school began to wind down, my mom would pick a date and we would travel to a strawberry farm.  I remember searching the PennySaver to find a farm that allowed "U-Pick."  We wanted to have the experience.  Of course the literal fruit of our labor was delicious, but it was about being together, finding the perfect berry, and of course the excitement of eating a berry right off the bush!

Strawberry selfie

I am so happy I have been able to continue this tradition with my kids.  Some years it is not strawberries, but perhaps cherries or apples.  We are lucky to live in an area that has an abundance of fruit farms.  PJ doesn't even like strawberries, but he enjoys the time out in the fields.  Isaac loves the taste of all fruit and berries, so he is in heaven when we pick!  And this was Evelyn's first time - as you will see, she very much enjoyed it!

Strawberries 2014

Julie teaching PJ about different types of berries

The boys learned the "perfect way to pick" from the expert!

She was smitten with her double stacked quarts!

Do you see the little hand sneaking into the quart?

Now to get busy in the kitchen with my berries...