Yesterday we headed out to pick strawberries. 

We went to Bush’s Fern View Farms in Veneta (just outside of Eugene.) Bush’s has our very favorite strawberries (a variety called Shushkins) that are so incredibly good. We’ve been going to their no-spray field (they also have a field that is sprayed) every June, for years, to pick strawberries. Last year they didn’t have a no-spray field and we nearly cried. We went to another farm to pick. We’ve picked strawberries at several other farms and didn’t like their strawberries as much. This year I called Bush’s to ask if they had a no-spray field this year (I didn’t want to get my hopes up) and to my surprise and delight, they said they did! We were so glad! Not only do they have our favorite tasting strawberries, but they have the most incredible deals we’ve ever seen.

Bracken loved it.
He was picking with us last year, but was in the pack and not as involved with the process. This year he dove right in to berry picking. I was amazed that some berries made it into his bucket and that every single berry didn’t go straight to his mouth.

Step One: Get your bucket ready.

Step Two and Three: Pick your berry and eat it.

Examining berry..

Devouring berry…

Sharing berry…

Shmushing berry…

Coming to share some (juicy) love with mama..

Showing his excitement when his dada walked up…
(I was so happy I captured this moment.)

Bracken went back and forth between Jeff and I, happy as a toddler in strawberry heaven.

It was overcast most of the time we were there. We had the entire non-spray field to ourselves. The sprayed field was full of people. Either we’re the only ones who knew about it or the only ones who cared. Who knows? You can tell a distinct difference between the fields. The non-spray field was full of weeds, which we didn’t mind.

Another thing I love about strawberry picking at Bush’s are the scooters.

You can sit on them while you pick, then scoot down the aisle to the next spot. It reminded me of when I went strawberry picking when I was pregnant with Bracken, uncomfortable and exhausted from squatting for so long while I picked. I would have liked this scooter a lot that time!

I sat comfortably on the scooter for awhile, picking berries. I love the sound strawberries make when you pick them at the peak of ripeness, it’s like a satisfying “popping” sound.  Then Bracken had his turn with the scooter, pushing it down the rows and having a grand ol’ time.

They charge $8.50 a bucket for u-pluck strawberries at Bush’s. This picture shows you how big a bucket is.

After picking, we emptied all our full buckets into boxes in the back of our truck. We headed home feeling so grateful for the abundance of strawberries. When we got home, I spent a long time in the kitchen, listening to music, and taking the green parts off to freeze the berries, while Jeff and Bracken worked in the garden. Then Jeff worked on strawberries and we smiled as we watched the freezer fill up. Jeff could eat frozen strawberries all day long (actually pretty much any kind of frozen fruit.) We love strawberries dried too (which we discovered last year), but we eat them up too quickly that way. Maybe if we pick a bunch more strawberries this year we’ll dry some.
Today it’s been hot outside and coming in to snack on cold strawberries from the fridge has been such a treat.

Have you been strawberry picking this year?