What it is: Every year when strawberry picking season rolls around people ask me where all of the good patches are. I've been to lots of great patches in the area like Jean's, Waller, and Oakley Farms and they all grow delicious strawberries. However, many of you ask where you can get organic strawberries, and while I know where you can get them, I had never checked the patches out myself. While you'll have to wait until next year, or pumpkin season for a report on the popular, organic Vollmer Farms, here's our report on a new organic stop that's a little closer to Durham and filled with delicious, organic, biodynamic strawberries.
Located about 30-45 minutes away from Durham in Cedar Grove is Whitted Bowers Farm. Opened in 2007, this farm grows a variety of fruits and vegetables which it sells at the Carrboro Farmers Market, but what we were after on this trip was their U-Pick strawberry field. We parked in their small parking lot and walked down the path to a small building. Outside the small building was a box filled with baby chickies. Our kiddos loved watching the little chicks while we figured out the strawberry picking process. In the building were baskets, a scale, a chalkboard, a calculator, and a cash box. There were instructions on how to pick, weigh, and pay for your strawberries. They do even take cash and have a number on the chalkboard that you can call to pay using that method.
We grabbed our basket and headed out to the field. There were plenty of delicious strawberries. They were sweet and juicy little berries. The berries were a little smaller than some of the other local patches, but I think that's because of their organic nature, and there were still plenty of them to fill your basket.
After we picked we paid, put the berries into our own container and took a few minutes to explore the rest of the farm. They had signs pointing you to a few of the animals that they had. So, we said hi to the ducks, goats, roosters, pigs, and quail, and they were all very friendly (well, except the quail who were pretty nervous about the whole thing).
What we liked: We liked having an organic option nearby where we can get delicious strawberries. It was fun to have the animals to check out once we were done picking.
What we would change: The patch was a bit further away than some, and the strawberries were about double in price from the other nearby patches. However, you're paying for the organic method if that is what you are looking for.
Website and other important information:
Website: http://www.whittedbowersfarm.com/Home/Cedar_Grove,_NC.html
Address: 8707 Art Road, Cedar Grove, NC
Strawberry picking season: late April and May (depending on the weather)
Photos:
(inside the barn where you pay)
(The field)
(hello, goat)
(the farm building on our way out)
(farm sign)
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