Super Eco

Photo credit: mwri, flickr

It's strawberry time across most of the U.S. Strawberries are easy to pick (only a little backbreaking) and for a few hours' work you'll be rewarded with heaps of the reddest, juiciest, most delicious strawberries you've ever tasted. (Hint: the tiny ones are the sweetest) Don't worry about picking too many: they disappear fast! And you can always pick extra and make your own jam (easier than you think).

Pick-your-own season is here. You probably live near more farms than you realize, farms that welcome you in with sun-ripened green arms, offering fabulous fresh produce for far less than you'd pay at the store for that quality. Common PYO crops are berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries), apples, and pumpkins.

PYO farms often use organic growing practices, too, so it's a total win-win for everyone: you get high-quality, relatively inexpensive produce, the farmer gets his crop picked and sold, and you support local farming and sustainable agriculture. Plus, picking is a delicious and fun day out for the family!

Find a comprehensive list of PYO farms by state and county here (also includes lists of farms outside the U.S.). The site also has a harvest calendar that gives you a good idea of when various crops are ready for picking; contact your local farms to be sure.