O’Brien Family Farms

It took me way longer than it should have to discover this gem of agritourism right in our own area. While I had heard about it, I never made the time to go. That is, until I saw several friends share their Facebook post about an incredible sale where kids 10 and under could pick strawberries for free. FREE!

So we headed right on over. Who could resist? It was such a joy to hear my 5-year-old squeal with delight each time she found the “perfect!!” red strawberry. It put a smile on my face every single time. While it was the end of the season, there was still plenty left if you were willing to look.

We even delighted in the ladybugs we saw along the way:

They had U-Pick strawberries in hydroponic towers as well as in the fields, so of course we explored both.

O’Brien Family Farms is much more than strawberries. We also picked blueberries, browsed the educational honeybee display, bought their delicious honey, selected additional fresh veggies from their farm stand, and then, of course, indulged in some of their amazing vanilla and strawberry ice cream while enjoying the breeze outside and the view of the gorgeous sunflowers.

Once we got home, we hulled pounds and pounds of strawberries, much of which was consumed right away. You’d think I never feed my four children. I did manage to set enough aside to make a deliciously sweet strawberry syrup/jam which we used on a fresh strawberry-topped pudding dessert and even in sandwiches throughout the week.

We will most definitely be going back to O’Brien Family Farms soon! Not only because we accidentally found a pair of their scissors in our strawberry bag when we got home, or because they sell ridiculously delicious orange juice from Mixon’s Fruit Farm and milk from Dakin Dairy and roll butter from Troyer, or because their strawberry shortcake looked absolutely amazing, but because it’s a local business selling peppers, leafy greens, cauliflower, potatoes, melons, carrots, herbs and the list goes on – and that’s what we like to support.