U-Pick Farms

U-Pick farms are a great way to get loads of extremely fresh produce on the cheap.


Finding U-Pick Farms

Finding farms is fairly easy with Google at your disposal, but sometimes the information is out of date.  Always call to verify that the farm is open and to get an idea of what they charge for their produce.  If you are curious about their growing practices (pesticides and other chemicals), now is the time to ask. Don't forget to ask if they only accept cash!  If you can't find anything online, ask around at church, on Facebook, and at your local farmer's markets.  Also pay attention to the little signs that say 'Blueberries/other produce' and include a phone number - we went picking this weekend and the farm was advertising for miles with tiny signs on the side of the road.  This website is a good place to start your search.


Picking tips

Most u-pick farms charge by the pound, so take the extra time to thoroughly inspect your produce for blemishes and pick carefully (so as not to take leaves and twigs).  This will lessen your sorting time at home and reduce the total you will owe when forking over your hard-earned cash.  If you have kids, this is a fantastic way to get them out of the house and teach them where food really comes from - my kids love to go picking!  Go early and don't forget sunscreen and hats.

When you get back home

Carefully unload your bounty into the kitchen sink, fill with water, and pour in one cup of vinegar.  The vinegar is to remove any chemical residue on the produce (I have not done actual tests on this, I do this with store-bought as well).  Let sit for 5 minutes, then rinse well with fresh water and spread out on towels to dry.

This is what 8.5 pounds of blueberries looks like.  The pile was 3-4 inches tall in places.

How to store?

I'm a big fan of dehydrating.  You don't need a fancy dehydrator with a $200 price tag.  I bought my $30 dehydrator 3 or 4 years ago and it has served me well. It doesn't have a timer or the ability to set the temperature so I check the produce every few hours until it's done.  Freezing is another quick and easy way to put food up, but check this website first for proper procedures - you don't want to go through all the work only to end up with something not worth the effort.

What are you going to do with all of your...?

As stated previously, I like to dehydrate produce when I can.  For blueberries, this makes it easy to add them to granola or pancake/waffle mix.  I have also canned some amazing blueberry syrup, yum!  If you need more ideas, check out allrecipes.com.

What does it mean to you?

What does the word ‘homesteading’ mean to you?  To me it means growing and putting up your own food, cooking from scratch, possibly tending your own meat, milk, and fiber animals, all while living as frugally and as ‘green’ as possible.

That general idea usually includes a few acres and a quaint little farm house, while I only have a two-bedroom apartment with a small balcony.  That’s ok, a lot of people have less and for me, it’s about the spirit of the word too.  This is a temporary situation, and I plan to bloom where I’m planted.  Don’t let living in an apartment or in suburbia stop you.  There are tons of things you can start doing now - no need to wait for that perfect property to come along.

Getting Re-started

My homesteading journey started about seven years ago.  That’s when I started thinking about gardening, canning, learning to sew, crochet, and knit and, in general, producing more for my family.
Since that time I have learned a lot..mostly the hard way.  Due to life circumstances, I have had to put homesteading on hold for the last year and a half.  And, to make things more difficult, my family and I are currently living in an apartment.  I could just wait it out until I am finally able to purchase the perfect piece of property, but that’s not my style.  No, I don’t have any land to garden but that doesn’t mean I can’t can, grow some herbs, and maybe even raise some quail.  Stay tuned…