Family Fun

Farms offer healthful food and family fun

Looking for a fun, family adventure? Visit a U-pick farm!

Dozens of local farms are waiting to greet you this summer. Pick your own raspberries, peas, or sunflowers. Take a hayride. Pet the goats. Meet your local farmer, and take home some of the tastiest food around. Don't wait until October to find out how much fun you can have down on the farm.

The Puget Sound Fresh 2008 Farm Guide lists more than 85 U-pick farms in the Puget Sound area, including 33 in King County. Many farms are certified organic or use organic growing methods.

Thanks to our mild climate, Puget Sound farmers grow everything from artichokes to zucchini. Look for beans, peas, beets, broccoli, blueberries, apples, cauliflower, greens, leeks, lettuce, peppers, potatoes, raspberries, summer and winter squash, and more. Not sure how to cook a particular fruit or vegetable? Just ask. Many farms offer recipes and cooking suggestions.

If your kids think tomatoes grow in cans in the supermarket, they're not alone. With less than two percent of American families living on farms, many of today's kids don't know a cornstalk from a potato plant. Visiting a farm gives them a chance to see food the way nature intended: peas hanging on the vine, raspberries ripening on the bush, corn reaching for the sky. They'll gain a better appreciation for the rhythms of nature and the vital role farms play in our lives.

A trip to the farm can also help your family improve its eating habits. Farm-fresh produce tastes a whole lot better than the stuff in the grocery stores. And even picky eaters will change their tune when the food on their plate is something they picked themselves just hours earlier.

For details on local farms, check the Puget Sound Fresh 2008 Farm Guide, available at local libraries or on the web at: www.pugetsoundfresh.org.

Tips for making the most of your visit:

• Plan ahead. What crops do you want to buy or pick? How far do you want to travel?
• Call first. Crop availability varies with the weather, and farms may keep irregular hours. Confirm you plans before you go to avoid disappointment.
• Be prepared for the elements. Wear hats, apply sunscreen, and be sure to bring a water bottle and snacks. Dress casually, wear old shoes, and be ready for mud or dirt.
• Bring containers if needed for U-pick.
• Leave pets at home.
• Don't forget your camera! Many farms have special "photo opportunity" spots.
• Return often--it's always a new adventure!

© 2008 Christine Dubois

Christine Dubois and her family enjoy picking greens and raspberries at The South 47 Farm in Redmond, where she works as communications director.