your own!
From June to November, many Quebec farms open their doors so you can pick your own favourite fruits and vegetables. Apart from the traditional apples, strawberries and raspberries, did you know that there are several other delights just waiting to be enjoyed? With a bit of organization, this is a family outing that will make everyone happy, and encourage our very own farmers.
Choose well and have fun
Several farms and orchards only offer self-picking, others offer many activities, such as:
- tastings and/or country-style dining
- guided tractor or horse-drawn tours
- picnic areas
- mini-farms
- playgrounds, etc.
You would also want to choose your destination based on what you need to fill your pantry with. From edible flowers, to hot peppers, to eggplants, cherries, squash, beans, corn, pears, potatoes, plum, grapes, tomatoes, etc., producers are increasingly opening their fields to self-picking.
To get a list of participating producers, visit the Web sites of the 21 tourist regions in Quebec listed in the portal bonjourquebec.com To pick your own fruit, also consult lapommeduquebec.com and fraisesetframboisesduquebec.com.
Short self-picking guide
Before jumping in the car on the spur of the moment, a little preparation is always necessary to enjoy your day to the fullest:
- Call the farm producer before leaving. Unexpected weather changes can either advance or delay a harvest, so find out.
- Dress appropriately! Good shoes, a hat, gloves in case, a bottle of water and sunscreen: remember that you will be in the sun and in the countryside for several hours.
- Make some room in the refrigerator and freezer before leaving to avoid problems when you get back home.
- Bring a lunch in a cooler to eat in the car or at your destination. Ham sandwiches (check here for a very good recipe), cheese, chewy bars, drinkable yogurt: choose nutritional food for the day ahead. Once lunch is over, you can use your cooler to pick your harvest.
- Be realistic. Only pick what your family can eat or what you know you can freeze.
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