NEWBURY, Vt. — A field off Route 5 was bustling last Wednesday morning as visitors rustled through rows of strawberry plants looking for the perfect berries to take home. Strawberry season is in full swing, and similar scenes can be found in fields around the Upper Valley.
At Four Corners Farm in Newbury, Vt., pick-your-own plays a vital role in the farm’s operations.
“These plants produce, and produce, and produce so much that if we don’t pick them, the strawberries will rot and can contribute to pests and disease,” said Kayce Klunder, who works in the pick-your-own farmstand.
The fleeting season, which typically lasts from mid-June through early July, draws consistent visitors, many of whom return year after year.
Susan Brown, of Sugar Hill, N.H., has been picking strawberries at Four Corners for nearly four decades, starting when her children were young.
“We’ve been coming here for so long that it just becomes an event,” she said.
“I think there’s few places in the greater Upper Valley that become like a community meeting point,” Klunder said. “The farmers markets tend to be that third place, but the strawberry fields are that too.”
Pick-your-own strawberry fields at Four Corners Farm are open daily from 7 a.m. to noon, with evening hours from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. The season is expected to continue through the first week of July, but call ahead or check the farm’s Facebook page for updates.
Other farms that offer pick-your-own strawberries in the Upper Valley include: Edgewater Farm in Plainfield; Spring Ledge Farm in New London; Cedar Circle Farm in Thetford; and Pierson Farm in Bradford, Vt.
