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Ms. Cheap pick: Strawberry picking makes for a great (and tasty) family outing




An estimated 25,000 to 30,000 people attend the Middle Tennessee Strawberry Festival in Portland each year. This year’s festival is May 7-8.Courtesy / Portland Chamber of Commerce/Murfreesboro Post

An estimated 25,000 to 30,000 people attend the Middle Tennessee Strawberry Festival in Portland each year. This year’s festival is May 7-8.Courtesy / Portland Chamber of Commerce/Murfreesboro Post

With the 80th annual Middle Tennessee Strawberry Festival coming up this weekend in Portland, you know it must be time, or almost time, for picking your own strawberries at area farms.

Unfortunately, I cannot tell you that picking your own berries is cheaper than buying the ones at your grocery store, but there is nothing quite like a freshly picked berry, and of course the experience of picking has to account for something.

Strawberry picking is a perfect outing with children (especially citified children), not only to let them see where their food comes from, but also to enjoy the tasty experience of sampling along the way. (Most of the farms encourage that kind of sweet snacking in the rows as you pick.)

“We’ve got a good-looking crop. It is better than last year,” said Jon Kelley, whose three-generation Kelley’s Berry Farm is one of the first Midstate farms to open for self-picking. “A lot of people have been out, a lot of families,” he said, adding that the berries should hold out through May this year.

Kelley’s Berry Farm in Castalian Springs on Highway 231 north of Lebanon has 10 acres of strawberries, and the picking has started. Mary Hance / Main Street Nashville

Kelley’s Berry Farm in Castalian Springs on Highway 231 north of Lebanon has 10 acres of strawberries, and the picking has started. Mary Hance / Main Street Nashville

Kelley’s farm also offers blueberry and blackberry picking starting in the middle of June and running through July.

A few things to know about picking your own berries include: calling the farm ahead to be sure it is open and has berries for you to pick; wear boots because the rows may be muddy; and check the websites for picking details. And, of course, go hungry and enjoy the experience!

Here are some Midstate farms where you can pick your own berries in the coming weeks:

• Kelley’s Berry Farm in Castalian Springs on Highway 231 north of Lebanon has 10 acres of strawberries, and the picking has started. The fields are open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday until the berries are gone. Contact: 615-633-7447

• Batey Farms has started strawberry picking at its farm at 5331 Baker Rd. in Murfreesboro. U-Pick hours vary so check in before you go. Contact: 629-772-3900 or bateyfarms.com

Ms. Cheap’s granddaughters, Maddie and Brinkley Miller, pick berries at Kelley’s Berry Farm in Castalian Springs.Mary Hance / Main Street Nashville/Murfreesboro Post

Ms. Cheap’s granddaughters, Maddie and Brinkley Miller, pick berries at Kelley’s Berry Farm in Castalian Springs.Mary Hance / Main Street Nashville/Murfreesboro Post

• Bradley Kountry Acres, 650 Jake Link Rd. in Cottontown, is not quite ready. The farm voicemail says the crop is running late and to check back to see when picking will begin. Contact: 615-325-2836 or email cathy@bradleykountry-acres.com

• McCraw’s Strawberry Ranch, at 2385 Rossview Rd. in Clarksville, is hoping for a good season, but owners there say the berries are “a little late coming in.” Call or check Facebook for updates. Contact: 931-647-0187 or see McCraw’s Strawberry Ranch on Facebook

• Delvin Farms, 6361 Cox Rd. in College Grove, has a strawberry patch that should be open for U-Pick soon. Its Facebook page says, “ ‘So when can we come pick?’ you ask. Probably the first week of May. Berry ripening is a little behind … but they are coming.” Contact: 615-538-5538 or see wwwdelvinfarms.com or check Delvin Farms on Facebook

The www.picktnproducts.org site has a full listing of Tennessee farms that offer pick-your-own options by region and then by county.

Mary Hance, who has four decades of journalism experience in the Nashville area, writes a weekly Ms. Cheap column. She also appears on Thursdays on “Talk of the Town” on NewsChannel 5. Reach her at mscheap@mainstreetmediatn.com and follow her on Facebook as Facebook.com/mscheap.

The 80th annual Middle Tennessee Strawberry Festival

Where: Portland

When: May 7-8

Theme: “Super Berries”

Admission: Free

Highlights: Live music and vendors on Friday night, with a ”Strawberry Jam” concert featuring “Resurrection: A Journey Tribute” at 7:30 p.m. and fireworks at 9 p.m. On Saturday, live music on two stages, 175 vendors, a kids activity area and a 4 p.m. parade. And, hopefully, local freshly picked strawberries for sale.

Attendance: An estimated 25,000 to 30,000 people attend each year.

Parking: free downtown and at Portland High School with shuttle.

Details: www.middletennesseestrawberryfestival.net

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