WINNIPEG - It’s strawberry picking season in Manitoba, so if you’re avoiding the heat now, it’s a good time to make plans for later in the week when temperatures will be cool enough to spend some time in a field enjoying the fresh air and abundant fruit our province has to offer.
Many of Manitoba’s farms will allow you to buy a basket to pick strawberries yourself. If you’d rather have a taste of just-off-the-branch berries without waiting for a basket to fill up, that’s usually available, too. It’s best to contact whichever farm (or farms) you pick, or check out their website or social media updates, to confirm their latest offerings.
Here are five of the many options you’ll be sure to enjoy visiting.
Located in Portage La Prairie, Mayfair Farms has been around for 77 years, and they grow a wide variety of fruits and veggies. Their strawberry picking season is planned to open up on Monday, July 5, and should last about 2 to 3 weeks.
Cormier’s Berry Patch has 10 acres full of strawberries very close to Winnipeg. Picking is by appointment only, but appointments can conveniently be made through their website.
Boonstra Farms in Stonewall offers U-Pick and Pre-Picked strawberries, as well as numerous activities for kids, including a petting zoo, a playground, and wagon rides.
Family-owned Prairie Berry sits on five acres of land in Glenlea, MB, just 10 minutes south of Winnipeg, and while they won’t be offering U-pick to the public for the 2021 berry season, they’re hosting Farm to Table Dinners on their farm this summer, a delicious berry-inspired dining experience with the help of two talented Manitoba chefs.
5. Prairie Fruit Growers Association
The Prairie Fruit Growers Association is a voluntary non-profit organization representing Manitoba and Saskatchewan fruit growers since 1974. They have 52 farms to choose from, with both U-Pick and Pre-Picked strawberries. Their website provides picking tips and lots of recipes.
What Next?
Some may just want to gorge on all of their strawberries as soon as they get home. Whether it’s fresh on their own, or in pie, jam, juice, sorbet, smoothies, ice cream; frozen or sliced and dehydrated, freshly-picked Manitoba strawberries never fail to please.
Let us know your favourite places to pick, and your favourite ways to enjoy them!
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