Strawberry Picking in Gainesville, Florida

We went to Roger’s Farm to go strawberry picking in Gainesville, Florida. In just over an hour the six of us picked 19 lbs of strawberries. Our weekend consist of soccer and baseball. So, I wasn’t sure if we would be able to go strawberry picking. Sometimes fields are picked out by lunchtime. The best way to keep track of U-pick farms are their facebook pages. I called as well ahead of time and they were so kind to answer my questions. Even though we arrived at 2:45pm, there were plenty of berries. As you can see from the photos the bushes had loads of strawberries.

How Much Does the U-Pick Cost?

The strawberries were $2.50/lb. They used a scale to weigh the strawberries.

What to Bring Strawberry Picking?

We kept the berries intact by bringing a cooler to store them in. The weather was on the cooler side but perfect for being outside. We also brought layers for the kids (sweaters/hats etc). Roger’s Farm provided buckets to pick. The Farm also provided plastic bags for us to bring the strawberries home. We paid with a credit card which was nice.

The last time we went strawberry picking it was in Missouri and it was hot so we had to bring hats and sunscreen.

What Else Could You Do at the Farm?

There was a stand selling strawberry milkshakes, a playground for the kids to play and some farm animals to see. The drive out to Gainesville was beautiful as well. We saw long horn cattle and lots of purple wildflowers along the roads. It was such a peaceful and fun afternoon.

What Did You Do with All of the Strawberries?

After we got home, we immediately had a strawberry feast. They were delicious and juicy. We froze some strawberries (unwashed so they wouldn’t clump together- I’ll wash them when they come out of the freezer). I also made strawberry jam, strawberry balsamic pizza, kale salad with strawberries, strawberry smoothies, and strawberry muffins over the next few days. What are your favorite ways to use strawberry? Strawberry season is just the best. I would love to make it to the Plant City Strawberry Festival one year.