Delicious Organic Vegetables Since 2001
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Pick Your Own 2013

Posted by: on Jun 4, 2013

Note: PYO is only available to Red Fire Farm CSA and Farmstand members.

Not open to the public.

   

Now open for 2013!

As part of your Vegetable CSA membership, you have access to our Pick Your Own patches.  The farm is family-friendly, so bring your little ones and check out our land. PYO includes herbs, flowers, berries, peas, tomatoes, tomatillos, hot peppers, and more (changes with the season).

Late July, August and September are great months to come for pick your own, as by then we’re brimming with crops like cherry tomatoes, basil, tomatillos, hot peppers, green beans, herbs, flowers, and ground cherries.

Pick Your Own is a perk for members that can make it out – we still aim to give all members the value of their share in harvested and delivered vegetables :). But of course we want you to come out to visit.

Check back here for weekly updates on what’s available!

WHERE TO PICK, GRANBY OR MONTAGUE?
Do your picking in either Granby or Montague based on your pickup location. Details for each location are below. There are sometimes differences in picking limits based on availability in the fields.

     If you are traveling to the farm for over 1 hour to do the picking (Boston area and Worcester members), then you probably will come for picking only once during the early summer season.  This means that when you are here you can pick a lot at once, once the limits have gone up.
If you are a member from Franklin, Hampshire or Hampden County and you can easily make it to the farm each week, then we ask that you pick weekly but not as much each time.  This is why there are different limits posted for each crop depending on where you are coming from.
Farm Stand Members ($300 level) can pick a lot at once if desired, but you must pay as you go (by using credit from your card).  Prices are posted for each PYO crop on the board. There are usually limits on crops for Farm Stand Members also.

What to Bring
Come ready for outdoor weather. Also please bring containers to take your pickings home in, and leave the quart and pint containers for reuse if possible.

Getting to the Farm
If you have a car, share a ride! Meet some other local food loving people. You can post on our facebook seeking rides.

GRANBY FARM PICK YOUR OWN
Open to CSA and Farm stand Members from Granby, Springfield, Worcester and the Boston area.

Pick Your Own details are inside the farm stand in the center of the barn at 7 Carver St., including a map of field areas and a list of picking limits, and often containers for harvesting. You can come to pick any day, hours are 9am – 8pm.
From Tuesday through Sunday, we usually have someone working the farm stand from 9-8pm. Otherwise it’s all self-serve. There’s extra parking in the Brown-Ellison Park next door if needed.

Husk Cherries:
Golden fruits inside paper husks – ripe when fallen to the ground. Remove husk to eat.

CSA Members: Up to 1 pint per week.  Pick extra @ 2.50 half pint or $5 pint.

Farm Stand Members: Up to 1 pint per week. 2.50 half pint or $5 pint

Cherry Tomatoes:
Explore up and down the rows for multiple varieties!

Check the board for notes about when to pick, as we will be spraying the plants once per week with copper to protect them from late blight (the devastating disease of 2009, which we don’t have so far but has been found in CT), and you can’t go in there for 24 hrs after spraying. Even though the copper is relatively safe, there is some chance of it causing eye irritation in some people after it is freshly applied. There is a possibility you will see some of the green residue of this spray on the tomato fruits, and if you do you should wash the fruits before eating.  Copper in this form has a very low toxicity to humans and animals, but it is important to wash it off the fruit.

CSA Members: Pick as needed.

Farm Stand Members: Pick as needed

Tomatillos:
CSA Members: 1 pint per share per week.

Farm Stand Members: Pick up to 1 pint per week @ $3 per pint.

Raspberries:
A few left for the season!

CSA Members: 1/2 pint per member per week.

Farm Stand Members: can pick up to 1/2 pint per week @ $3.50 per half pint.

Herbs:
Oregano, Thyme, Sage, Lemon Balm, Chives, Basil, Parsley and more can be picked as much as needed. 

CSA Members: Pick as needed.

Farm Stand Members: Pick as needed.  

Green and Yellow Beans:
New succession ready for picking!

CSA Members:  2 quarts per member per week or 5 quarts for the season.

        Farm Stand Members: As needed @ $3.00 per quart.

Hot Peppers: Jalapeno, cherry bomb, anaheim, cayenne, and others.
CSA Members: Pick as needed.     

Farm Stand Members: Pick as needed.

Sweet Mini Peppers:
CSA Members: Up to 5 fruits per week for now.       

Farm Stand Members: Up to 5 fruits per week for now @ $.25 per fruit.

Flowers:
CSA Members: 20 stems per member per week. And up to 7 sunflowers!

Farm Stand Members: 15 stems per member per week. And up to 5 Sunflowers!

MONTAGUE FARM PICK YOUR OWN

We now have a patch in Montague! The field is at 184 Meadow Road, in front of the large greenhouse. This section is small, so it’s got capacity for Montague, Amherst and Northampton area members only! 

Please park on the grass along Meadow Road, not blocking any thruways or driveways. Also at head of driveway up to large greenhouse, not blocking the driveway.

Pick Your Own information is at the large old tobacco barn next to Meadow Road near the red hand-painted Red Fire Farm hanging sign. Pick Your Own details will be there, including an informational map attached to the side of the barn facing the road, a list of picking limits, and often containers for harvesting and measuring. Bring containers to take things home!

Self-serve. You can come to pick any day 9am – 8pm. There will be a log book, so you can keep track of your picking if you are at the $300 Farm stand member level, as those members pay half of retail price for PYO items. Please tally your purchases as you go, and we will process them periodically at the office. PYO for CSA level members is free up to limits provided.

Husk Cherries:
Golden fruits inside paper husks – ripe when fallen to the ground. Remove husk to eat.

CSA Members: 1/2 pint per member per week. Up to 2 pints for the season for one-time pickers. Pick more @ $2.50 per half pint.

Farm Stand Members: 1/2 pints @ $2.50 per half pint.

       Cherry Tomatoes:
      Explore up and down the rows for multiple varieties!

     Check the board for notes about when to pick, as we will be spraying the plants once per week with copper to protect them from late blight (the devastating disease of 2009, which we don’t have so far but has been found in CT), and you can’t go in there for 24 hrs after spraying. Even though the copper is relatively safe, there is some chance of it causing eye irritation in some people after it is freshly applied. There is a possibility you will see some of the green residue of this spray on the tomato fruits, and if you do you should wash the fruits before eating.  Copper in this form has a very low toxicity to humans and animals, but it is important to wash it off the fruit.

All sorts of fun and delicious shapes, sizes and varieties! 

CSA Members: Pick as needed.

Farm Stand Members: Pick as needed.

Tomatillos: 

CSA Members: 1 pint per share per week.

Farm Stand Members: Pick up to 1 pint per week @ $3 per pint.

Herbs: Oregano, Thyme, Sage, Lemon Balm, Tarragon, Chives,  basil and parsley can be picked by all members as much can be used.

Hot Peppers: Jalapeno, habanero, serrano, super chile, cayenne, and others.

CSA Members: Pick as needed.

Farm Stand Members: Pick as needed @ $.25 per fruit. 

Sweet Mini Peppers: 
CSA Members: Up to 5 fruits per week for now.       

Farm Stand Members: Up to 5 fruits per week for now @ $.25 per fruit.

Flowers:
CSA Members: 20 stems per member per week including up to 7 sunflowers.

Farm Stand Members: 20 stems per member per week including up to 7 sunflowers.

Fun things to do in Montague:

map to stand

Ryan’s handwritten map to the farm stand in Montague. Also features the Bookmill – great place for snacks and beer. And books.

  • Visit our Old Depot Gardens farm stand at 504 Turners Falls Road in Montague, very cute, with our produce and tasty local products.~ 2 miles from the farm.
  • Check out the Bookmill, cafe with waterfall, used bookstore, cd shop, art gallery, beer. 1/4 mile from the farm stand.

Enjoy the season and the fields!