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U-Pick Farms

Save Money And Have Fun Doing It

Are you looking for the freshest produce at reasonable prices?  You might want to try a U-pick farm in your area.  They are growing in popularity and locating one should not be a problem.

U-pick operations have been around since the turn of the 19th century.  Apple growers in New Jersey and New York invited the city dwellers to visit the country for an afternoon of picking fruit and enjoying the natural beauty of the countryside.  Later, during the Great Depression, the prices of fruits and vegetables were so low that the farmers could not afford to package the produce.  The farmers used a combination of roadside stands and U-pick operations to survive.

You Pick Corn Field

U-pick farms are still popular today because they offer fresh produce at reasonable prices.  They also off a nostalgic step back in time for many people.  Parents find them a great learning experience for their children.  Kids need to learn that food comes from places other than the grocery store.  Other benefits of these farms include supporting your local economy and buying food that was organically grown.  Not are U-pick farms are organic, but may are.

While these farms are located in all parts of the country we will use Arizona as an example.  If you are looking for a pumpkin in the Tucson area look no farther than the Buckelew Farm.  They started the u-pick pumpkins on a small scale.  Today they gather nearly 35,000 customers to not only buy their pumpkins but to experience the farm.  It's a festival event with food booths, arts and crafts and a petting zoo.  They also have an eleven acre corn maze, part of which is the "Haunted Corn Field."  Their motto is "to provide a wholesome family farm experience that creates lasting memories for its patrons."

The Date Creek Ranch is located in Wickenburg, Arizona.  They are a holistically managed organic ranch where you can pick peaches in July and apples in September.  They also offer grass fed beef and pork year round.  I'm not sure if the meat is U-pick or not, but you might come prepared just in case.

Some of the best U-pick farms in Arizona are located in Wilcox, in the southern part of the state.  The farms feature fruits, vegetables, nuts and berries.  If you are planning a trip to that area be sure to visit Apple Annie's.  Thousands of visitors a year, over 75,000 actually, come here to pick apples, produce and pumpkins.  They also have a store where you can buy homemade apple bread, cider and butter, pies and other locally produced edibles.

U-pick organic farms are about as fresh and organic as you can get.  Other organic food may take a week or so to hit the market ready for you to purchase.  U-pick farms offer the ultimate in fresh.  As far as the organic part, get to know the farm owner.  Find out how the farm is operated and how they fertilize the crops you are buying.  When you are standing on a growers farm, picking his produce, it's not likely he would be inclined to lie to you.

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