In Ohio we belonged to a wonderful CSA and got boxes full of produce every week. We haven’t joined one here, but this year I’ve made a goal to find farms where we can pick our own produce and do as much of that picking as we can. I think its important for my kids to learn where real food comes from and that it takes hard work to get it. I’m hoping to find some orchards in the fall where we can pick fruit too.
A couple of weeks ago, after swimming lessons and lunch and a little rest, I took the kids out to Berry Patch Farms on the opening day of strawberry picking. They opened at 8 AM, but we had to go in the heat of the afternoon after people had been combing through the 7 acres of strawberries all day. I had a baby on my back whose left shoe must have fallen off in the garage as we were leaving our house, so he had to stay on my back. There was a big thunder storm the weekend before, so the tractor couldn’t give us a ride out to the field because of the mud. We had to hike, the organic fields were full of thistles, and the strawberries full of holes from hail damage. As you can imagine, that led to a lot of whining on the boys’ part. I don’t think Jonah picked a single strawberry because he was too hot and they were too hard to find. Brenna was a splendid picker, though. She combed through the plants and found the best berries there were. After her and I (with a baby on my back who wasn’t super excited about all the bending over) filled up 3 little containers full, we called it a day and good education on how expensive food really is and how hard it is to be a farmer.
I wasn’t satisfied with the amount of berries we had, and promptly gobbled up, after that outing. We needed more, so Brenna and I got up early Saturday morning to comb through the fields on their final day open.
We got there before the sun was high and hot, and the hail damaged berries were long gone.
In half the time we spent picking on our last trip we filled an entire flat.
Brenna had fun searching for the tiniest ripe berries she could find.
I needed the quiet time out there finding sweet treasures with my girl.
When we got home, Barry and I made homemade strawberry freezer jam– one of my very most favoritest foods ever.
yumm we have some of that here too! we can share some of ours when you come
Im growing pickling cucumbers in our raised bed and theres tons of the flowers! I even bought a white tomato plant! wel the fruit is white not the plant.. supposed be a flavor crossed between pineapple and some other fruit. hmmmm. sounded different.. (got it at my work) perhaps I could bring you all for a viewing of our flower farm of distinction.. 
I remember bringing Jean and Barry strawberry picking at Warren’s Farm in Barrington, NH many summers ago. Barry used to eat as much as he picked. We also made lots of jam.