Exploring St Augustine: U-Pick Strawberry Farm

Last week the kids had off from school thanks to a teacher planning day so we decided to take a drive out to the St. Augustine U-Pick hydroponic farm. I have vivid memories of my parents taking me to a strawberry farm when I was a kid. I remember that was the first time I had ever dipped a fresh strawberry into a bowl of sugar…pure heaven.

St Augustine Berry Stack Farm

It was definitely a different experience for my kids; I guess you could say it was a more modern experience. They didn’t have to get their shoes and knees dirty kneeling down in the dirt in row after row of a huge strawberry field like I did when I was a kid. To be honest, I’m not sure my 21 st century kids would have thought that was too cool. At the hydroponic farm, they grow all of the fruits and veggies in planters vertically and on a swivel. See a strawberry on the backside of the planter? Just spin it around and it’s at your fingertips!

St Augustine Berry Stacks farm

On the ride out there, my son, who is in the cynical tween years, kept telling me how he was not going to enjoy this and wondered what why we couldn’t just go to Publix if we needed some strawberries. Nothing makes me happier than proving my son wrong.

St Augustine Berry Stacks Farm

The lady who runs the farm was super sweet to my kids, very helpful in explaining how to pick out the ripest strawberries. They provide you with baskets and scissors then let you loose to explore and hunt out the best produce. Let me tell you, my kids absolutely loved it! They took their time and felt very proud of their individual selections. The whole ride home they were thinking up ways they were going to turn their strawberry treasure into delectable desserts. I even got an apology from my son who asked me if we could go back when the blackberries were in season. Mission accomplished.

St Augustine Berry Stacks Farm

The U-Pick farm is two exits past the St. Augustine outlet mall, right off I-95 S, so it took us about 30 minutes to get there from our house in Mandarin. Admission to the farm is free and there is plenty of parking. They are open for picking Thursday-Saturday. You pay by the pound. Currently it is strawberry season but they also have other fresh veggies available. Their website is http://berrystacks.com/index.html and they have an active facebook page that they update almost daily with what is ripe for picking.

St Augustine Berry Stacks Farm

St Augustine Berry Stack Farms

St Augustine Berry Stack Farms

Wendy
Wendy is a child and family photographer in the North Florida area who also blogs about her family ventures on her blog, Daydreaming & Sightseeing. She has a love for traveling and soaking in every experience she can with her kids while they still think she is cool enough to hang with.

2 COMMENTS

  1. This is such great information Wendy. I always see that place and wonder about it. I love to travel too so Ill have to pack up my son and head out there soon. Thanks again!!

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