Last year we held a virtual discussion on how to deal with Pick-your-own in the age of COVID. This year we will revisit this topic with several growers sharing what they did that worked, maybe didn’t work as well as expected or at all, will keep this year, or will drop because it may not […]
pick your own
Connecticut Grown Strawberries Ripe for Picking
Fresh from the field, Connecticut Grown strawberries are now ripening and ready to eat. Strawberries are the first fruit available in Connecticut and signal the arrival of summer for many residents who look forward to visiting one of the state’s pick-your-own farms. “Visiting a Connecticut strawberry patch to pick your own is a wholesome, family […]
Strawberry Season in Connecticut!
By Diane Wright Hirsch Senior Extension Educator, Food Safety One of the best things about early summer in Connecticut is strawberry season. It just makes no sense to buy California berries at the supermarket in June or July. I once saw a post on a local farm’s Facebook page where a customer shared a […]
Why Farmers Are Pleading: Leave Your Dogs Home
By Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH UConn Extension Educator – Food Safety Over the years I have worked with many fruit and vegetable farmers, as they have become the focus of new food safety regulations. Some of these farms sell their product through pick-your-own (PYO) operations, some at an on-farm stand; others have CSA (community supported […]
Pick Your Own Apples – Avoid Those with Bird Droppings
By Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH Extension Educator/Food Safety Connecticut has an abundance of farms that open their gates to those who want to pick their own raspberries, apples, vegetables and other seasonal offerings. I have picked raspberries well into October in the past, though I am not sure how the hot summer and early fall have […]