Strawberry picking 2014

I went to a local farm today to pick berries.  It was Millers Farms.  I saw on their facebook page this morning that they opened the strawberry patch at 8am.  I got there about 9am.

I pulled to the strawberry field and parked.  I then checked in at the shed with the farmer and got a bucket to collect my berries.  You can also choose a box.  It just depends how many berries you plan on picking.  I chose the bucket.

I always loved picking berries with my mom or dad when I was little.  It was always so much fun and sneaking a few here and there was always a fun little treat.  :)

Here's the strawberry patch.  It's 3 acres.  I started down the middle row in picture.

I started picking berries and putting them into my bucket.

Some berries that aren't ripe yet.

There were a ton of berries.

The row next to me was really muddy and it had some plastic covering the mud and tires.

Berries....while picking there were several families picking berries.  The kids are cute because they find a strawberry and yell out "I found the biggest strawberry here" and I would love over and they would be holding it up.  I would laugh inside because this "big" strawberry was small.  :)

Can you spot any berries?  You have to carefully move leaves back and get in there.

The berry isn't quite ripe yet so I left it alone.  A few more days and it will be fully ripened.

I continued along picking more berries, adding to my bucket.

I heard a lady explain to her son (probably 5 or 6) that at first the strawberry plant grows and then makes a flower. Those then turn into little berries in white and green.  Then they turn red and we pick them and eat them.  Then she laughed at him and said to him "You've eaten enough berries.  I'm glad they didn't weigh you before we picked the berries".  LOL

Here's some strawberry flowers.  

Here is a nice juicy, plump berry.

Snipping with my fingernail at the stem and then gently tug.

Perfect strawberry

Into the bucket it went.

Beautiful berries

More berries

I got to the end of my row and then looked back from the starting point.  I was pretty far down.  I grabbed a strawberry and ate one.  :)  Then I heard some animal making some loud shrieking noises.  Not sure what was going on but I didn't want to see if it was the butcher so I continued to head back.  

I heard a kid yell out "that's scary sounding". 

 I walked over to another row that was empty and walked back to the shed to get my berries weighed.  I picked a few more ripe strawberries on the way back up.  I also caught an older woman taking a bite of a strawberry she just picked.  She laughed at me because I caught her and I said "No worries, I did it too.  You have to sample at least one".  And she laughed again and said "You're right sweetie".  :)

Here's the bucket of berries full to the max.

I plan on cutting some up for dessert tomorrow after our cookout.  :)