“Let food be
thy medicine and medicine be thy food” - Hippocrates
Pick your own
A great
way to get some fresh locally grown food. It can be a fun time out too.
Pick your
own farms are specialised farms that grow produce specifically for the
pick your own market, and are open for several months in the season.
There are also some smaller smallholding farms that allow some public
access for pick-your-own. Look out too for apple orchards. These
may be open to the public for just a few weeks in the year, and are
often involved in apple days in September and October. You may be lucky
and find pears, plums and other fruit farms too!
If you're
travelling by car, why not take a few friends too so that your trip is
more eco-friendly!
It's best
to pick produce when it's not been raining for a few days. The produce
will store better if it's not wet, so do pick a good day.
Check
what's available before you go. Usually this information is on the
website for the pick your own that you are going to. If not, then ring
them up!
Make a
list of what you intend to come back with. This avoids over picking, as
it's easy to get caught up in the picking and come back with far too
much! I know, because I've done it!
Decide if
you are going to pick anything for freezing. If you are, then make sure
that the freezer has the required space and that you have sufficient
bags or containers to store the produce in once it has been frozen.
Follow the
rules and notices on the farm. They will tell you what is ripe now and
where to pick.
Armed with
a farm map, pick the
produce that travels best first. That would be root crops like onions.
Pick the
very soft fruits like Tayberries right at the very end. They just don't
survive if you are walking around the farm with them.
When you
return home, work with the most delicate produce first. If you are going
to freeze anything, then start this going immediately. Don't forget to
mark the dates on the freezer bags or containers.
Links
Hertfordshire
Hawkswick
Lodge Farm, PICK YOUR OWN SOFT FRUITS, Open June - August, Harpenden Road,
St. Albans, Hertfordshire, AL3 6JG, Tel: 01727 831224
Parkside Farm "Pick your own fruit and vegetables at Parkside Farm in
Enfield, Middlesex. Parkside Farm is set amidst the beautiful rolling
countryside just to the north of Enfield, and is easily accessible from the
M25 (J24 3 miles)"
