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Let’s Go Berry Picking
Massachusetts Berry Picking Guide
There’s nothing quite like the first bite of a strawberry when we enter berry season. Not only is berry picking (or even just picking up a crate at a nearby farm stand) a wonderful way to support local farmers, it gives us the ability to show our kids exactly where their produce is coming from.
Strawberries: June through July Cherries: June through July Blueberries: July through August Raspberries: July through Sept. Check out the list below of local farms that offer berry picking. Be sure to call ahead to make sure the farm is open and has plenty of ripe berries to pick.
Acushnet • Keith’s Farm
Amesbury • Cider Hill Farms
Danvers • Connors Farm
East Bridgewater • C.N.Smith Farm
East Longmeadow • Art’s Berry Farm
East Taunton • Spring Rain Farm
Hanson • The Blueberry Farm
Ipswich • Russell Orchards
143 Argilla Rd. 978-356-5366 • www.russellorchards.com Pick Your Own: Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cherries and blackberries.
Lancaster • George Hill Orchards
Millis • Tangerini’s Farm
Natick • Belkin Family Lookout Farm
North Andover • Boston Hill Farm
Northboro • Tougas Family Farm
234 Ball St. 508-393-6406 • www.tougasfarm.com Pick Your Own: Blackberries, strawberries, cherries and blueberries. Integrated pest management practices.
Peabody • Brooksby Farm
Seekonk • Four Town Farm
Sharon • Ward’s Berry Farm
614 South Main St. • 781-784-3600 • www.wardsberryfarm.com Pick Your Own: Strawberries and blueberries. Minimizes chemical and pesticide use.
Southampton • Birdhaven Blueberry Farm
55 Gunn Rd. 413-527-4671 • www.birdhaven.net Pick Your Own: Blueberries. Chemical free.
Sterling • Clearview Farm
Stow • Honey Pot Hill
Tyngsboro • Parlee Farms
95 Farwell Rd. 978-649-3854 • www.parleefarms.com Pick Your Own: Cherries, strawberries and blueberries. Uses integrated pest management practices.
Uxbridge • Sunburst Blueberries
Whately • Nourse Farms
Wrentham • The Big Apple
207 Arnold St. • 508-384-3055 • www.thebigapplefarm.com Pick Your Own: Blueberries and raspberries.
North Bridge, Concord
What better place to daytrip in celebration of Independence Day than to the inaugural grounds of the American Revolution? Just 20 miles northwest of Boston, Concord is rich with Revolutionary War history, a famous little pond known as Walden you can take a dip in, and streets named for its famed 19thcentury authors and philosophers such as Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry David Thoreau. And yes, it is also home of the Concord grape. Your kids will get a leg up on their history lessons, and you’ll learn more about the reasons you have a day off on Patriot’s Day, all while standing where “‘the shot heard around the world” came from. Choosing postcards to send from this prettiest small town of New England won’t be easy, and there is the promise of a tuckered-out return home. But what else could you ask for from a summer’s day? Check out this list of the notable, and grab your travel planner. Oh, and there’s ice cream.
By Alyson Gregory
Walden Pond State Reservation
Pack your pocket Thoreau and head for Walden Pond to commune with nature and get a firsthand view of what inspired the Walden experiment. Enjoy a hike through Walden Woods and take the Pond Path to visit the replica of Thoreau’s single-room cabin, where he lived for two years and penned Walden. The 102-footdeep kettle pond was formed from a melting glacier and makes the perfect summer watering hole. Parking is limited; the early bird gets the worm.
915 Walden Street, Concord, walden.org
Minute Man National Historical Park
Standing in the very place the fight for independence began is aweinspiring. The day of the opening battle of the Revolution, April 19, 1775, comes to life here at the North
Bridge, where the “shot heard around the world” at the start of the war was fired. Walk across the bridge and explore the Battle Road Trail after first visiting the visitor center in
Lexington. 174 Liberty Street, Concord
https://www.nps.gov/mima/ British soldiers in Concord, MA during the commemoration of Patriot Day.
South Bridge Boat House
A sunny afternoon spent rowing tranquilly along the scenic shores of the Sudbury and Concord rivers will have you feeling as if you have sprung to life on a Renoir canvas. Rent a canoe or kayak (doubles available) by the hour or day, and let your worries drift away. The fact that no motor vessels are allowed enhances this dreamy trip. Route 62
(496 Main Street), Concord www.southbridgeboathouse.com
Bedford Farms Ice Cream
Concordians agree this once-upona-time dairy farm is one sweet spot not to be missed! Bedford Farms is prized for its homemade ice cream and adventure in flavor (can you say Cherry Bomb?), so the line that seems to span a generation will be well worth the wait. The homemade ice cream sandwiches will forever elevate your idea of a Chipwich and have you wishing you were driving a freezer truck home. 68 Thoreau Street,
Concord. www.bedfordfarmsicecream.com
Steps from the North Bridge, this national historic landmark hosts guided tours portraying the Revolutionary War’s backyard beginnings and its literary residents’ magical pasts in a bucolic setting. A transcendent step back in time. Not to be missed.
thetrustees.org/place/the-old-manse/
Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House
Literary home of the author of Little Women, with many authentic artifacts and family pictures and possessions. Guided tours bring the stories and characters to life, and will surely inspire a reread of all things Alcott. Children will enjoy the garden in summer. louisamayalcott.org
Concord Museum
Americana relics, period rooms, and literary treasures with hands-on family activities. concordmuseum.org
Ralph Waldo Emerson House
Author’s house museum located across the street diagonally from the Concord Museum. ralphwaldoemersonhouse.org
Thoreau Farm
Birthplace of Henry David Thoreau. Tours are optional. You’ll want a picture in front of the sign if you are a Thoreau enthusiast. thoreaufarm.org
Alyson Young Gregory is a native New Yorker, Bostonbased freelance writer, and mother. She has a passion for finding inspiring local activities for families. Minute Man Visitor Center
Stop here first to see “The Road to Revolution” multimedia presentation depicting the opening battles of the American Revolution and Paul Revere’s infamous Midnight Ride. The knowledgeable park rangers will answer all of your questions in detail, then direct you to the Battle Road Trail—a five-mile connector for biking or walking through historic sites and fields to the national park in Concord. nps.gov/mima Mass Audubon Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary
Children of all ages will delight in this spun-to-life Charlotte’s Web working farm complete with hayrides, a seasonal farm stand, and a fragrant learning garden jam-packed with beds of herbs. Hiking trails will afford a view of Mt. Wachusett on a clear day if you’re fixing to climb, and fresh air is in abundance. Parents applaud the clean bathrooms.
Massaudobon.org/drumlinfarm
deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum
Open-air sculptures promise not only to miniaturize but mesmerize you with their scope and size. Spread around the stunning grounds along Flint’s Pond, these internationally acclaimed outdoor works of art make the perfect backdrop and conversation piece for your family’s picnic lunch. Remember to bring a blanket! decordova.org Gropius House
The kids can surely occupy themselves in this family residence whilst you take a few adult moments to admire the architecture of Bauhaus school founder Walter Gropius. This national historic landmark is a nice change of pace from the surrounding architecture and is full of surprise elements using landscape and innovative materials that will challenge notions of modern design perhaps not clashing with nature in historic New England.
