Ann Arbor Strawberry Picking

Yes, there will be options for Ann Arbor Strawberry Picking in 2020! In addition to uncertainty around stay at home orders, the 2020 strawberry season was delayed by our cool spring! It typically starts at the end of May to early June. It is now Strawberry Season. Be sure to check with each farm before heading out.

Strawberry picking is a great activity with kids. The bushes are low to the ground. It is also pretty easy for young kids to tell when the berries are ripe.

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We have picked strawberries many times at Rowe’s Produce Farm in Ypsilanti. Slow Farm in Whitmore Lake is another great option – especially if you want organic strawberries. On June 3, Rowe’s estimated about 10 days until the crop was ready – maybe sooner maybe later. Slow Farm has not yet posted an estimated opening day. At both farms, it is recommended to call or check their Facebook for updated picking conditions. Particularly early and late in the season they cannot always offer a full day of picking or may need to close for a day to wait for more berries to ripen.

Expect modifications to strawberry picking procedures in 2020 to allow for social distancing. They may limit the number of people picking in a field at a time or have adjusted their check-in/out procedures.

Rowe’s Produce Farm

Rowe’s Produce Farm is opening for the season on June 13! They will be offering u-pick strawberry.

Over the years we picked strawberries at Rowe’s many times. I recommend a weekday if it works for your schedule. The one time we went on a weekend, there were very long lines to check out. Their Facebook page is a great source for updates on picking conditions and changes to procedures for 2020.

Updated Procedures for 2020

Rowe’s has introduced new procedures for 2020.

Employees will be wearing masks and gloves
Stay in your car at checkin. They will bring you boxes and provide directions on where to pick
Masks are not needed while picking as long as you maintain 6′ spacing
Keep your group together while picking to allow for social distancing. Consider leaving younger children who aren’t picking home.
Minimize number of people exiting vehicle at checkout.
Masks are required at checkout
You can handle the berries at checkout if you don’t want staff to handle them.

Location

Visit Rowe’s Produce Farm at 10570 Martz Rd, Ypsilanti. We typically take I-94 East of Ann Arbor to the Rawsonville Rd exit and head south to Martz Rd.

Hours

The regular hours at Rowe’s Produce Farm are 7a-8p daily (last field entry at 7:30p). However, strawberries are often limited in early days and at the end of the season. When berries are in short supply, they may close early or take a few days off to let the berries ripen. I suggest calling (or checking their Facebook status) to see if they still have strawberries available for the day.

For 2020, strawberries are $2.49/lb. Boxes for picking are provided free of charge when you check in at the barn to find out which fields are currently available for picking.

We have picked strawberries at Rowe’s several times through the years and my daughter loves helping to pick the berries. In Kindergarten my daughter stated that “Strawberry picking is almost as much fun as recess” – my Facebook memory feed reminds me of it every year.

What else is available?

Rowe’s usually has ingredients necessary for cooking with strawberries – pectin, glaze for pies, etc.

They also have u-pick peas. The peas are typically a few days behind strawberries. Containers are not provided for peas. The first year we picked our peas into a hat since we did not have a container with us. Bring your own bag, bucket, or bowl – or make do with what you have. Peas are not yet available for 2020.

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Slow Farm

Slow Farm is in Whitmore Lake. They started offering You Pick Strawberries in 2016. They offer certified organic strawberries. They are opening for u-pick on Monday, June 15. Strawberries are $5/lb. This year they only have one field of strawberries. Next year they will have acres.

Updated Procedures for 2020

Slow Farm has introduced new procedures for 2020:

Reserve your picking time in advance
You will be assigned a row to pick in
Masks are required on the farm
Keep 6′ from those not in your household
Keep your children with you

Location

Slow Farm is located at 4700 Whitmore Lake Rd, Ann Arbor. From Ann Arbor, Slow Farm is best reached by going north on Whitmore Lake Rd from M-14/Barton Drive. This year the strawberry patch is on the east side of the road, across the street from last year’s field.

Hours

During strawberry picking season Slow Farm is open 9a-5p Wednesday-Sunday. Be sure to verify picking conditions as they may need to close early/days to allow more berries to ripen. They will also close in case of lightning.

What else is available

They are currently offering u-pick asparagus. They will also be offering greens, beans, flowers, tomatoes, pumpkins, and squash. New to their farmstand are greens, sweet corn, melons, and popcorn.

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Spicer Orchards

Spicer Orchards offers a number of fruits for u-pick including strawberries. Strawberries are currently available for u-pick as of June 12.

Location

Spicer Orchards is in Fenton, right off of US-23. Their address is 10411 Clyde Rd, Fenton.

Hours

Spicer Orchard is currently open noon-6p. Once the strawberry season starts, they may extend their hours to include morning hours.

What else is available

Spicer Orchards also offers u-pick cherries, raspberries, blueberries, plums, and apples. These seasons don’t typically overlap with strawberries.

Other Locations

Do you know of other places to pick strawberries? I have heard that Spicer Orchards in Fenton offers strawberries. We have visited for cherries and apples in the past. But, they are too far of a drive for me when Rowe’s and Slow Farm are closer.

Strawberry Picking Tips

After strawberry picking a few times, we have a few tips to share for newbies.

What to bring:

Make sure to wear sunscreen
A hat is also a great idea
Long pants or tall socks/boots are a great idea
Where closed toe shoes or boots – not flip-flops or sandals
Bring water bottles – for hydration and to rinse a few berries for sampling
Insect repellent – we never had an issue with mosquitos at Rowe’s but I like to be prepared – especially with a bad tick season
Cash – As of a few years ago, they did have a credit card reader, but in my experience they are not always reliable

When to Pick:

Weekends are very crowded – At Rowe’s we once waited over an hour in our car to go through checkout on a Saturday.
Pick on a weekday
Mornings are cooler – and may be less crowded

2020 Social Distancing Suggestions

Stay home when you are sick
Make sure you have masks. You may not need them in the field, but have it for transactions and if you are picking in close proximity
Try to pick when it is less crowded
Check for any special policies this year.
- Do you need your own container?
- Are they only accepting credit/debit cards instead of cash?

Do you have any other tips to share? Add them in the comments

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Strawberry Recipes

I love having fresh berries around the house. In addition to eating the berries, I typically make strawberry jam. My husband loves Strawberry Pie. Plus, check out our recipes that use fresh strawberries:

Farmers Markets

Don’t want to pick your own strawberries, but still want fresh fruits? Check out one of the many farmers markets in the area.