2024 Ventura County, California Strawberry U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org
Find a pick-your-own farm near you! Then learn to can and freeze! Since 2002! We update continuously; Beware the copycat websites!
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Strawberry U-Pick Orchards in Ventura County, California in 2024, by county
Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for strawberries that we know of in this area.
Not all areas of a state have strawberries farms that are open to the public. If you know of any others, please tell us using the add a farm form!
Remember to always check with the farm's own website or Facebook page before you go - or call or email them if they don't have a website or Facebook page. Conditions at the farms and crops can change literally overnight, so if you want to avoid a wasted trip out there - check with the farm directly before you go! If I cannot reach them, I DON'T GO!
PLEASE report closed farms, broken links and incorrect info using the "Report Corrections" form below.
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Ventura County
McGrath Family Farm - CERTIFIED ORGANIC, beets, blackberries, sweet cherries, other berries, raspberries (red), raspberries (Spring, red), strawberries, tomatoes, winter squash, 1012 Ventura Boulevard, Camarillo, CA 93010. Phone: 805 983-0333. Email: McGrath.familyfarms@verizon.net. Open: from 9 to 6 daily, mid March through December 31st, call ahead to check availability. Directions: Headed south on 101 freeway exit Central Avenue in Camarillo and right turn on to Ventura Blvd. Market is on your left. Heading north on 101 freeway exit Central Avenue in Camarillo and go left over freeway overpass and right turn on to Ventura Blvd. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard. McGrath Family Farm Facebook page. . Alternate Phone: 805 485-4210Fax: 805 983-3388 We are certified organic for all crops! Sweet cherries, apparently they do not have sour or pie cherriesSchool tours welcome. Check our website for more information and for prices. We offer a Community Supported Agriculture program Spring Summer and Fall. Call for prices or visit our website. Farming on the coast of Southern California for 5 generations is the finest blessing this Irish American farm family could ever hope for- the deepest topsoil and the best climate produces a utopian garden farm. We are a sustainable farm that grows a high diversity of year-round organic fruits and vegetables for our communityCome shop the SEASONS at our roadside market! (UPDATED: March 29, 2023, JBS)
Underwood Family Farms Somis - blueberries, Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries 5696 Los Angeles Avenue, Somis, CA 93066. Phone: 805-386-4660. Open: PYO Blueberries from Memorial Day Weekend through mid-July, from 9 am to 4 pm; Daily. Directions: Located in Somis or at Tierra Rejada in Moorpark, where you can purchase their field-fresh produce and say hi to their farm animals. Click here for a map and directions. Fax: 805-386-3994 Tractor Rides to the Fields (9 am to 2 pm Weekends only), Free Parking. 1lb & 2 lb Containers Provided; Priced by the Pound. Underwood is a pick-your-own grower of a wide variety of fresh vegetables and fruits in Ventura County, California. They offer a wide variety of services and activities tailored for the entire family, including pick-your-own produce, birthday parties at their Farm Animal Center, school tours, gift baskets (shipped anywhere in the U.S.), and the Fall Harvest Festival in October. You can also visit them at one of their Farm Markets, . Or visit them at one of the 12 Certified Farmers' Markets that they participate in throughout the week. NOTE: There is admission fee to pick, so be sure you read this page on Underwood's website. Bring the entire family, young & old, for a fun, educational day "out on the farm." Children love it! For your convenience, we have a number of pull-wagons to transport your "prize pickings" and/or children from the field to the Farm Market area. There is no reservation required for pick-your-own. Only for educational, school farm tours Underwood Family Farms Moorpark (Tierra Rejada) - strawberries, tomatoes, vegetables3370 Sunset Valley Road, Moorpark, CA 93066. Phone: 805-529-3690Fax: 805-529-6037Pick Your Own Roma Tomatoes are available for picking on Labor Day Weekend - Saturday, September 2 & Sunday, September 3 from 6 am to 12 pm. The price is $.25/pound. Offers a Farm Market, Animal Center, Pick Your Own Produce, Fall Festival at Underwood Family Farms in Moorpark (see below) Wagon Rides, Birthday Parties, Educational Tours. At Underwood Family Farms in Moorpark, you and your family can enjoy the true farm experience. Come pick your ownfruits and vegetables on our fully operational working farmIt's a great day outdoors for the entire family! You can also enjoy the convenience of shopping at ourFarm Marketfor the same field-fresh produce, jarred products, snacks, and ice-cold beverages.Educational Farm Toursbring school groups from far and wide to pick fruits and vegetables and learn about farm life. TheFarm Animal Centerhas farm animal displays, pony rides, activities and games. You can even host a child's birthday party by reservation. Weddings also take place in the walnut grove at the back of the farm.Fall Harvest Festival at Tierra Rejada Family Farms, OctoberPick-your-own pumpkin in our HUGE pumpkin patch, Clydesdale-drawn hay rides, antique and new farm equipment and machinery displays, fun photo ops, GIANT PUMPKIN display, and pick-your-own fruits and vegetables. Baby animal petting and grooming corral, Pony rides (UPDATED: April 27, 2015, JBS)
Strawberry
Strawberry Picking Tips, Recipes and Information
In the U.S. strawberries typically peak during April in Florida and Texas,
May in the deep South, and in early June in middle sections and later June in the
far North and Canada. Keep in mind that crops are ready at various times of the
month depending on which part of the state you are located. In order to produce
good local strawberries, producers depend on ideal spring weather conditions.
Before you leave to go to the farm:
Always call before you go to the farm - strawberries are affected by weather
(both rain and cooler temperature) more than most crops. And when they are
in season, a large turnout can pick a field clean before noon, so CALL
first!
Leave
early. On weekends, then fields may be picked clean by NOON!
Most growers furnish picking containers designed
for strawberries, but they may charge you for them; be sure to call before you go to see if you need to bring
containers.
If you use your own containers, remember that heaping
strawberries more than 5 inches deep will bruise the lower berries.
Plastic
dishpans, metal oven pans with 3 inch tall sides and large pots make good
containers. I like the Glad storage containers like the one at right.
Bring something to drink and a few snacks; you'd be surprised how you can
work up a thirst and appetite! And don't forget hats and sunscreen for the
sun. Bugs usually aren't a problem, but some deet might be good to bring
along if it has been rainy.
Tips on How to Pick Strawberries
Grasp the stem just above the berry between the
forefinger and the thumbnail and pull with a slight twisting motion.
With the stem broken about one-half inch from
the berry, allow it to roll into the palm of your hand.
Repeat these operations using both hands until
each holds 3 or 4 berries.
Carefully place - don't throw - the fruit into
your containers. Repeat the picking process with both hands.
Don't overfill your containers or try to pack
the berries down.
General Picking Tips
Whether you pick strawberries from your garden or at
a Pick-Your-Own farm, here are a few tips to keep in mind:
Be careful that your feet and knees do not
damage plants or fruit in or along the edge of the row.
Pick only the berries that are fully red. Part
the leaves with your hands to look for hidden berries ready for harvest.
To help the farmers, also remove from the plants
berries showing rot, sunburn, insect injury or other defects and place them
between the rows behind you. If they are left in the plants, the rot will
quickly spread to other berries.
Berries to be used immediately may be picked any
time, but if you plan to hold the fruit for a few days, try to pick in the
early morning or on cool, cloudy days. Berries picked during the heat of the
day become soft, are easily bruised and will not keep well.
Avoid placing the picked berries in the sunshine any
longer than necessary. It is better to put them in the shade of a tree or
shed than in the car trunk or on the car seat. Cool them as soon as possible
after picking. Strawberries may be kept fresh in the refrigerator for two or three, depending upon the initial quality of the berry. After a few
days in storage, however, the fruit loses its bright color and fresh flavor
and tends to shrivel.
For interesting and fun strawberry facts and
trivia from the California Strawberry Commission,
click
here!
When you get home
DON'T wash the berries until you are ready to use them. Washing
makes them more prone to spoiling.
Pour them out into shallow pans and remove any mushed, soft or rotting
berries
Put a couple of days supply into the fridge, wash and cut the caps
(green tops) off the others and freeze them up! (Unless you're going to make
jam right away) See this
page about how to freeze strawberries.
If you like the strawberries you picked, ask the farm what variety they
planted, and not the weather conditions the week or two before. The flavor
of a strawberry is affected by the variety, the weather and the degree of
ripeness when picked.
Picking the best strawberries:
Select firm, fully red berries. Strawberries DO NOT continue ripen after
they are picked! In the photo, only the berry on the far right is
completely ripe.
Strawberry festivals: Most areas that grow strawberries have a strawberry festival, at which you
can taste all kinds of fresh strawberry foods, pies, jams, cakes - and most
commonly, fresh strawberry shortcake. To find out where and when there
is one near you, see this
page for a list of strawberry festivals, sorted by state!
Strawberries measurements: government agriculture
websites tell us that 1 quart = 2 pints = 4 cups and is about the
same as 1 liter and 1 quart of fresh strawberries weighs 1 lbs to 1.25 lbs (or
450 to 600 g).
Of course, the weight
varies on variety and weather conditions. 1 quart is normally
enough for 4
servings, although I'll admit my son can eat 1 pint by himself!
How much to pick? In general, 1 quart of fresh, whole, just-picked strawberries =
approximately 3.5 cups hulled, whole berries. In other words, removing
the caps/hulls and the occasional mushy berry means you lose 1/4 cup to 1/2 (it depends how much fruit you remove with the hull) or
about 7 to 12% of every quart you pick.
One cup of strawberries contains only about 50 calories
U-pick strawberries are much healthier than store-bought. Consumer
reports says store bought strawberries have so many pesticide and fungicide
residues on they, that they don't recommend you eat them at all!
U-pick strawberry farms typically sell berries by the
pound. 1 lbs of fresh strawberries is about 2/3 of a quart.
It takes about 10 to 15 minutes to pick a quart, if the berries
are reasonably plentiful
The strawberry plant adapts to wide variety of soil conditions, but does
not tolerate drought well, and the berries quickly rot if the weather is
rainy. For this reason, the plants are usually grown on raised beds through
plastic mulch!
Cultivation of strawberries began in Europe in the 1300's, but the berry
only became very popular in the early 1900's in California.
Do the math and be careful not to over-purchase
as strawberries quickly mold when left at room temperature, and only last a
couple of days in the refrigerator.
You can easily freeze berries that you cannot use right away - just
wash, cut the hulls off and pop them into a ziplock bag, removing as much
air as possible. Those vacuum food sealers REALLY do a good job of
this! The berries will keep for many months frozen without air.
Strawberries are the only fruit with seeds on the outside.
Strawberries were originally called strewberries because the fruit was
'strewn' amongst the leaves of the plant.
California is king of strawberry productions because: California
produces 75 percent of the nation's strawberry crops; one billion pounds
of strawberries each year. If all the strawberries produced in
California in one year were laid berry to berry, they would go around
the world 15 times. Each acre of land in California in strawberry
production produces an average of 21 tons of strawberries annually, with
a total of 23,000 acres of strawberries planted in California each year.
More conversions
1 pint (2 cups) of fresh whole strawberries
= about 8 oz (1/2 lb) of strawberries
= 2.25 cups of sliced strawberries
= 1
cup pureed strawberries
= 12-14 large strawberries
2 quarts of fresh strawberries are needed for a 9" pie
A 10 oz package of frozen berries is about the same as 1 cup of sliced
fresh strawberries