**This Post was written in 2019. As such, the content and exhibits in the review below may be outdated. Please look out for updated content on this location in the near future!
Strawberry picking is one of my favorite summer traditions. Before having my son, I was a crazy strawberry picker too. I would go out early on a Saturday and fill like four of those huge cartons. Then I would spend my weekend making jam. But like everything after kids, that tradition has definitely been toned down. Jam making is a thing of the past. And if I can fill a quart size carton, I consider myself lucky! But even though strawberry picking is nothing like it used to be, I still love going out with my son every June for PYO strawberries!
This year we decided to try out a local farm that one might consider a “hidden gem” in Enfield. If you drive down Route 5 in Enfield in June, you probably have seen those signs for “U-PICK Strawberies” and wondered, what is that all about? Well, let me tell you!
U-Pick Strawberries at Starvish Farms is tucked away off Route 5. It’s located on Pleasant Road, just past the 91 overpass.
Here’s a map on Google to make it a little easier to understand. They also have directions on their website here.
When you head down Pleasant Road, you’ll come to a fork in the road. You will want to stay towards the left.
Then, watch for the signs for the farm. It’s a small dirt driveway. Follow the signs down the dirt path, and it will bring you to the main parking area for the strawberry field.
It’s a small farm but the field is full of strawberry plants that are ready to be picked!
U-Pick Strawberries at Starvish Farm usually opens in June (they are at the mercy of the strawberry plants and the weather), and stays open as long as the strawberries last. They have daily hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., but again those can change with the weather. And this rain is definitely putting a damper on picking! You can follow them on Facebook for up-to-date hours and closures.
Once you arrive and park, you’ll want to head over to the small little farmstand for information on where to pick. They will have certain areas roped off that you are asked to stay in during picking. Make sure to follow their instructions. It might be enticing when you see rows of red berries in the other areas, but they are still ripening and are not quite ready! Those farmers have a system so make sure you follow it!
You will also want to grab a quart size cartons, or if you are a serious picker, grab a big box!
The fields are well laid out and allow plenty of room for moving around. I actually appreciated the layout here at Starvish Farms because it didn’t feel crowded and it was easy to hop over to other rows. I also liked that my son had room to walk around without trampling those poor berries.
We stayed in our section and picked away! I made sure to show him that we pick the red ones only – and he actually did pretty good at following directions. The strawberries were really ripe and big so that helped him with finding the right ones to pick.
I wish I could say we filled a box; but in reality, I was happy to fill two of those quart sized cartons.
We had our strawberries weighed at the little farmstand by one of the farmers. He was a super nice older gentleman who even let my son have a sample! The price was right too – the price for U-Pick is only $2.75 per pound. We paid just under $6 for our two full cartons.
As with everything with a child, we literally parked, got our boxes, picked our two cartons worth of strawberries, got in the car and drove off all in a record time of 14 minutes. I really hope if you go picking you can stay for much longer than that.
U-Pick Strawberries at Starvish Farms is a great little locally owned farm, with some wonderful farmers working there and some really delicious strawberries. A little part of me wants to keep my hidden gem a secret but I think it’s more important to encourage everyone to check out this place out so we can support our local farmers!
This weekend will be a great time to go strawberry picking; so if you have not done so yet (or if you want to go again this season), consider checking out U-Pick Strawberries at Starvish Farm and support your local farm! And who knows, you may just create a new family tradition! Or you may beat my record of 14 minutes on the strawberry field!
This about sums it up…
Pleasant Road – Enfield, Connecticut
Hours:
2019 Schedule:
Daily: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
See their Facebook page for up-to-date picking conditions.
Features:
- Pick your own strawberries
- Family friendly & toddler friendly!
- Cash or check only
- Sunny (it is a farm!)
- Wear sneakers, and dress accordingly!
- Port-a-potty on site – no changing table
