Vermont families celebrate summer by picking berries at area farmstands
Pick-your-own berries is a fun way for families to get outside and spend time together in the summer, and this week, there’s plenty of options.
Pick-your-own berries is a fun way for families to get outside and spend time together in the summer, and this week, there’s plenty of options.
Pick-your-own berries is a fun way for families to get outside and spend time together in the summer, and this week, there’s plenty of options.
Local farm stands across Vermont state are bursting with berries.
And on Friday, those who opted to pick their own berries had a lot of options to choose from.
This week, Paul Mazza’s Fruit and Vegetable Stand in Essex Junction has ripe strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and black raspberries – an uncommon occurrence to have all four for more than a couple of days.
“This year, we've been lucky enough to have just about a week of overlap, which is super fun,” said Farm Stand Manager Kaity Mazza.
However, that doesn’t mean the fun has to end after this week for families looking to pick fresh berries. Several local farms have other family-friendly activities, and some people we spoke with said spending time on the farm is a good way to spend time appreciating their local communities.
“I really love to see all the little kids out here picking and getting to see their food where it grows, and get to know their local farmer,” Mazza said. “I think that’s really special.”
For some families, berry picking is also a tradition. Kay and Chris Drake are from Michigan, but their granddaughter Alice lives in Essex Junction. They brought her last year for the first time when she was just a year old.
“Every time we come out and visit, we’re going to take her out to the berry patch,” said Chris, who pointed to Alice’s berry-stained fingers as an indicator of how much fun she was having.
The Cota family said they went berry picking Friday to explore Vermont and it’s something they do every year – all over the area. They said the current berry variety is great for their daughter Zoey, who said she likes raspberries best of all.
“We look forward to it every year. We just explore and check out what’s available,” said Sheena Cota. “It’s nice to try out different farms and support local communities.”