Don’t settle for that sad little interloper strawberry growing through the cracks in the concrete walkway on the side of your house.
This is the City of Salem, folks, and chances are good that your urban patch, unless you have raised beds, has been rained on by the three dozen stray cats that lurk through your yard after hours.
This weekend, weather permitting, I am giving myself over to the selection, care, and nurturing of Oregon strawberries. And since there is nothing more delicious than sitting, knees in the dry straw and dirt, plucking a strawberry from a patch with a SNAP, and letting it fall apart in your mouth, I’m picking my own.
[Insert weigh-me-before-and-after-I-go-in-joke-here]
Here are some of the nearby farms that offer this. I have called to confirm each of these are offering pick-your-own right now:
Open for pick-your-own as of June 16
6925 Joseph SE, Salem, OR 97301
Phone: 503-362-5942
Purdy Enterprises
Open right now for pick-your-own
14435 E Marquam Rd NE, Mt. Angel, OR
503-845-6822
Harpole’s Produce
8071 Mount Angel Hwy NE, Silverton
503-873-4182
(with Strawberry Festival this weekend!)
17673 French Prairie Road, Saint Paul, OR
503-633-8445
If you have a special patch that you dig in and you wouldn’t mind sharing it with the hundreds of people that scroll this site, please pass it along in the comments.
Stay tuned for pics of real strawberries.
Daum’s out on Wallace Road!
I picked 20# of fabulous berries and my picking partner got 9# at Daum’s Farm out just north of W. Salem Tuesday — it was heaven. My gorgeous berries cost me all of $16. Lot of work cleaning and trimming them down and getting them on the sheets for the initial freezing before freezer bags, but oh, man, my oatmeal will be happy all winter.
Wow — 20# of berries for $16!? That’s awesome! I hear some freezer jam calling my name…
I also strongly suggest anyone with any desire and even the most modest of skill in caring for a plant have a small cluster of strawberries. It can be on your porch, balcony, deck, or just beside your front door. A few plants tucked together in a pot. Simple.
There’s just something so special about picking from your own plant and popping right into your mouth. (With two dogs in the back yard, no cats dare tread there.)
Yes, good advice, all. My neighbor has some raised beds made out of half of a wine barrel (he works at Arcane). That seems like a nice solution.
I’m going out several times to pick my own this summer, planning on trying a couple of different farms before I set my allegiances.
Emily,
We went to Fordyce Farms. The Strawberries were 85cents/lb
http://www.fordycefarm.com/
7023 Sunnyview Rd NE
Salem, Oregon 97305
(503) 362-5105
This family run farm is a fun place to go with little guys since they offer a wide variety of produce to pick and they also have a garden to explore as well. I’ve also heard from friends that they only spray once at the start of the year before the berries grow. I don’t know about you but I’m all for minimal chemicals on my food!