Today we did something I’ve been wanting to do with Miss G for a long while… We went strawberry picking! After asking local parents for their favourite strawberry farm recommendations, we decided to head out to Langley to visit Krause Berry Farms. Promises of giant fields filled with berries, a gorgeous market selling fresh produce and baked goods, playground fun for kiddos, wine tasting for adults, and a farm animal petting area sounded too good to pass up.
We arrived early and the farm was already bustling with visitors. We got our buckets weighed, put down our loonie deposit for a wagon, and headed out to the furthest corner of the strawberry patch.
The berries were plentiful and our buckets filled quickly, though strawberry picking isn’t easy work. It was hot (really hot) out and by the time we were about halfway through our hour and a half long picking session, Grae and I gave up on crouching and full-on sat down in the strawberry field (slightly less glamourous, but oh so much more comfy!)
While my little helper was interested in berry picking and very patient about it all, she didn’t so much want to pick the strawberries herself. She did pick a few here and there, but sitting beside you while you filled her bucket for her was much more her style. That and sneaking a semi-clean strawberry into her mouth every once and a while…
With two extra-large sand pails full of ripe strawberries, we decided to have them weighed, pay for them, and check out the rest of the farm.
First stop – the playground. Grae loved the tractor-shaped play apparatus, and even though it was cooking by this time, it did provide some shady spots to play in.
Next up, we visited the market. Oh my goodness, this may just be my favourite part of the farm. Not only can you purchase all kinds of local produce both from the farm and from other local farmers, but the bakery is stocked full of delicious breads, shortcakes, cookies, and cakes too. Plus there’s a fudgery stocked with over 40 different kinds of fudge and all sorts of canned goods and fun kitchen gadgets too!
After a quick stop to see the animals out back (there weren’t that many and the enclosures didn’t really allow for easy petting, but G enjoyed it anyways), we stopped to take a couple of photos along the raspberry bushes. By this time, we were all hot, sweaty, and tired, and Gracen was feeling straight up silly. For one reason or another, she decided that the only way she’d have her photo taken was if her tongue was out, and by that time, I really didn’t blame her. Sometimes joining the crazy is just more fun. ☺
It was a lovely day and I’m already trying to figure out if we’ll have time to make another trip out when Krause’s u-pick blueberries are ready in mid-July… Though next time we’d do things a little differently as by the time we got home, most of our berries were already pretty mushy.
Notes to self:
1) Stacking fresh, ripe strawberries in big, tall buckets leads to severe strawberry smushing – bring big, shallow containers next time instead.
2) Locking your berries in a hot vehicle on a 30 degree day doesn’t help the situation – next time, play first, pick last.
♥
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