A part of the farm-to-table movement, farm-gate sales extend to interactive \u201cYou-Pick\u201d farming operations which invite customers into the fields to do their own harvesting for a range of produce that includes strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, apples, pumpkins and more.<\/p>\n
You-Pick, in fact, is likely the best way to get the freshest fruits and vegetables right out of the field \u2013 virtually on the day they are at peak ripeness \u2013 and with premium quality.<\/p>\n
With lower labour costs, no packaging and handling costs and no transportation costs, You-Pick prices can be lower. And the produce is certainly fresher.<\/p>\n
But there is also a perhaps unmeasurable benefit in giving kids a chance to see where their food comes from, how it\u2019s grown and help them better understand \u2013 by getting their hands a bit dirty \u2013 how a farm operates.<\/p>\n
Here is a selection of \u201cYou-Pick\u201d farms in the area. Please respect the rules and processes the farms have established to ensure health and safety and in order that a regular and plentiful rotation of crops is available throughout specific seasons.<\/p>\n
It is also important to note that weather determines crop availability, so it is highly recommended before visiting that you check with individual venues for hours of opening and for what produce is available and when. Appropriate dress and footwear is also recommended.<\/p>\n
Les Fruits du Poirier<\/strong> Open Friday to Sunday, Les Fruits du Poirier is chock-full of berries (except the ubiquitous blueberries and strawberries, which they don\u2019t grow): an assortment of raspberries, haskaps, aronia, red currants, blackcurrants, Saskatoon berries and sea buckthorn (a hardy shrub bearing tart orange-yellow berries).<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re at the peak of flavour right now,\u201d says co-owner Robert Poirier at the time of writing in mid-June.<\/p>\n The berries you pick at Les Fruits du Poirier are sold by weight and grow out of Poirier\u2019s 24 \u201cpermaculture\u201d acres of farm that produce what they describe as \u201csuperfruits\u201d for You-Pick.<\/p>\n Les Jardins Lamoureux<\/strong> You-Pick strawberries right now with raspberries and blueberries coming this summer at the Hawkesbury farm (with kiosks of ready-picked in Vankleek Hill and Alexandria). There\u2019s a $5 fee per person (waived if you purchase three litres).<\/p>\n Domaine Cleroux<\/strong> Domaine Cleroux has about 800 fruit trees and features a 3,000-tap sugar shack, a kiosk with re-purposed 120-year-old ecclesiastical materials such as slate, wainscotting, tin ceilings, church benches and stained glass. The apple orchard produces Paula Red, Lobo, McIntosh, Honeycrisp and other varieties for weekend You-Pick starting in September. The apples are also used by Cleroux to make hard cider, apple butter, apple sauce, dried apple slices and apple juice.<\/p>\n Ferme Dagenais<\/strong> Later this summer, head to Ferme Dagenais, a biodynamic operation (organic practices and beyond) for You-Pick apples and pears. There are about six heritage apple varieties including Novamac (a McIntosh-style apple developed in Nova Scotia) and Purple Passion, an apple ideal for cooking, juicing and cider.<\/p>\n Also available for You-Pick are So Sweet and Northbrite pears. Honey from their on-farm bees is available. Bring suitable footwear. Refer to their website for a list of apple- and pear-picking dates.<\/p>\n Ferme MISA<\/strong> From June to early July (and possibly mid-July), MISA offers You-Pick June-bearing strawberries, sold by weight, from two acres of intensive-production rows. Check their Facebook page for daily updates and hours of opening.<\/p>\n Fraisi\u00e8re Duquette Strawberries<\/strong> Several June-bearing strawberry varieties take the season at Duquette from now until early July. Open until 7 p.m. or until picked out, whichever comes first. Priced by weight, with four litres of berries roughly $15. Picnic tables are available on-site. In the fall, You-Pick pumpkins will be available. Call ahead as hours vary depending on strawberry availability.<\/p>\n Lalonde Raspberries<\/strong> A small You-Pick on Baseline Road just west of Lacasse Road. The Lalonde\u2019s anticipate the raspberries for You-Pick will be ready in the next several weeks. Bring your own You-Pick container, pick and pay by the pound.<\/p>\n Les Verges Villeneuve and Blueberry Farm<\/strong> Not quite open yet \u2013 start looking at their website in a week or so \u2013 Vergers Villeneuve in Saint-Pascal Babylon is anticipating an exceptional year when it comes to their fruit.<\/p>\n \u201cFor the first time ever, we had blueberries at the end of May. There was no frost,\u201d says Michel Villeneuve who owns and operates the farm with his wife Carrie McKay.<\/p>\n In the early weeks of July, cherries, blueberries and raspberries will be ready to roll out on the family-oriented farm. Then in mid-August to September 20 varieties of apples will be awaiting You-Pick along with Golden Spice and John pears, the latter being good fruit for making perry.<\/p>\n The farm also makes more than a dozen fruit wines \u2013 dry, sweet, dessert and sparkling \u2013 including a bottle that sources sea buckthorn berries from Les Fruits du Poirier.<\/p>\n \u201cBut when we open depends on Mother Nature,\u201d Villeneuve adds.<\/p>\n Pine Hill Orchard<\/strong> Come to Pine Hill for the You-Pick apples, plums and pears. The farm supplies the containers, and you fill them by volume: small, medium or large.<\/p>\n About 21 varieties of apples are grown on the orchard: while most apples fall from the tree (and not far from it), the historic Cortland is the last variety to ripen \u2013 and has the ability to stay on the tree through winter, according to owner-farmer Paul Doran. Six years ago, he started growing \u201cClapp\u2019s Favorite,\u201d a pear that was discovered in Massachusetts in the mid-1800s. At the beginning of September, you will also find Italian plums ready for You-Pick.<\/p>\n \u201cIn a perfect year,\u201d says Doran, \u201cwe have fruit starting on Labour Day and going until Thanksgiving.\u201d<\/p>\n Food writer Andrew Coppolino lives in Rockland. He is the author of \u201cFarm to Table\u201d and co-author of \u201cCooking with Shakespeare.\u201d Follow him on Instagram at @andrewcoppolino.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A part of the farm-to-table movement, farm-gate sales extend to interactive \u201cYou-Pick\u201d farming operations which invite customers into the fields to do their own harvesting for a range of produce that includes strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, apples, pumpkins and more. You-Pick, in fact, is likely the best way to get the freshest fruits and vegetables right […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":102394,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-102393","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-justice-faits-divers"],"acf":[],"featured_media_global":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\n2535 Concession Road 3, St-Eug\u00e8ne<\/strong>
\n(613) 402-3599 or (514) 792-3599<\/strong>
\nwww.lesfruitsdupoirier.com<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n1960 Highway 34, Hawkesbury<\/strong>
\n(613) 632-9600<\/strong>
\nwww.facebook.com\/lesjardinslamoureux<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n199 Route 300 East, Casselman<\/strong>
\n(613) 764-5543<\/strong>
\nhttps:\/\/domainecleroux.ca<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n1155 Stevens Road, Embrun<\/strong>
\n(613) 448-3167<\/strong>
\nwww.fermedagenais.com<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n669 County Road 8, Casselman<\/strong>
\n(613) 915-6953<\/strong>
\nwww.facebook.com\/p\/Ferme-MISA<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n2236 rue Champlain Road, Clarence Creek<\/strong>
\n(613) 488-3284<\/strong>
\nwww.duquettestrawberries.com<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n1115 Baseline Rd, Clarence Creek<\/strong>
\n(613) 488-2845<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n1341 Rollin Road, Saint-Pascal Baylon<\/strong>
\n(613) 488-3077<\/strong>
\nwww.vergersvilleneuve.com<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n1818 St F\u00e9lix Road, Bourget<\/strong>
\n(613) 487-2064<\/strong>
\nwww.vergersdespins-pinehillorchards.com<\/strong><\/p>\n