a new source for strawberries
If it's time to celebrate strawberries, it must be time to pick them too! Only, we're down on Parlee Farms, where we've picked for the last, oh I don't know, 15 years. Too much of a farm-themed amusement park now. So we had to find another place. Happily, a friend told us about Farmer Dave's in Dracut, and even better invited us out there to pick together! It was lovely.
perfect picking weather
Farmer Dave's is clearly growing, and I wouldn't rule out them reaching Parlee levels of horror at some point in the next ten years. But for now the farm is perfect—for us, at least. The farmers who directed us to the strawberry fields were very apologetic about the smallness of the berries, and the weeds, but when we got out there the picking was fine. Great, even! We filled the ten pints we'd asked for initially and went back for six more. The kids were great helpers for the first two thirds of the picking, then they started fading; but that was fine, because that freed them up to watch the toddler in the group over at the playground the farm has recently added.
with butterfly wings
The berries were expensive, of course, but unlike Parlee Farmer Dave's takes food stamps and HIP, so that helped. And even if they hadn't, it would have felt worth it. Supporting a small farm, getting spray-free local berries... seems good! And just think of all the jam we'll make!
the haul