Pick Your Own Fruit – PYO – Fruit Picking For Fun

It’s a great pity that travelers often stay in one city instead of exploring a country’s rural areas. You can’t really get a feel of the country unless you’ve seen the countryside. It is very popular these days to eat food close to its source, well you can’t get any closer than straight from the plant. Many farms these days offer Pick Your Own fruit picking. You pay for the fruit you pick by weight when you leave. This is available in many countries all over the world, and many farms are close to the larger cities so you can just hop on a bus or train and be there in an hour or two.

In the post-corona era remote, rural destinations are becoming even more popular especially if they involve outdoor activities. Pick your own fruit activities are perfect if you want to go out but still feel safe.

Where Can You Pick Your Own Fruit?

There are so many farms in several countries where you can pick your own fruit. For example, if visiting London, you can take a train from Victoria to Enfield (50 minutes) and from there a taxi to Parkside Farm, where you can pick eat and be merry. Pick-your-own is a great site to find the nearest farm to you.

I searched for one where they don’t mind how many you eat along the way, and found Kawatsura Strawberry Farm in Chiba, Japan, where you can literally stuff yourself, and just pay for what you take out. But generally, you should only eat a few while picking :). I remember as a child, we took bowls, spoons, and cream into the field and had a feast before paying and leaving with a small basket!

On-site you will most likely find farm shops selling a variety of fresh farm goods, jams, vegetables, fruit, bread, etc. At pick your own fruit sites, there are usually areas for picnics, so you can eat your harvest before you even leave the farm.

A few rules for pick your own fruit farms:

• Call before you arrive.
• Check the season and hours.
• Ask if they provide containers.
• Take protection from the sun, and water.
• Wash fruit before eating.
• Try to arrive in the early morning, as the fields are more plentiful then and less crowded.

This can be a great outing with kids. In the USA you will also find many PYO Farms, even in the New York area. Any visit to New York should be balanced with a little countryside, don’t you think?

Pick Your Own Fruit Practical Details:

Where:
Use this site to find your nearest PYO Farm.

When:
Picking is seasonal so check ahead of time. 
Cost:
You pay by the weight of fruit and can pick as much or little as you want.

Looking for more outdoor isolated, rural or domestic travel destinations?