Like all summers, ours seemed to go by just. like. that. Between our busy schedule and humid summer days, MP thought she missed the opportunity to pick strawberries altogether. And while buying fresh berries at the farmers’ market is an option, there’s nothing quite like going to a farm or field to pick your own fruit.
Then, via Facebook, the folks at Goss Berry Farm in Mechanic Falls reminded MP about late season strawberries. Suddenly, it didn’t matter that June and July had passed by in a flash, PYO strawberries were on the horizon! And if that weren’t enough, high bush blueberries and sunflowers were also plentiful. On a picture perfect August morning, MP and DP drove to the farm with plans to pick as many berries as humanly possible.
If you haven’t been, Goss Berry Farm is a quiet place to pick berries and flowers with views of the Western Mountains. There’s a big farmhouse on the property—home to owners Sharon and Walter Goss—plus a simple farm stand where you can purchase seasonal fruits, vegetables, jams and honey.
We asked if strawberries were still available when we arrived, and the young woman working at the farm stand said she hadn’t yet checked the fields, but we were welcome to walk back and see for ourselves. MP and DP were thrilled to discover a bountiful crop of strawberries. In fact, this was the best picking we’ve experienced to date. Each plant was separated from the next by a few inches, and the wide rows between them made the strawberries easy to access.
After strawberry picking, we walked to the rows of high bush blueberries. MP has never seen blueberries as plentiful as this — each plant had more berries than leaves. DP and MP wore recycled coffee buckets with long strings around our necks, and quickly went to work, filling our buckets to the brim.
A bounty of fresh strawberries and blueberries is enough to make this Mom happy, but when she also gets to pick fresh flowers, she’s over the moon. MP had a wonderful time cutting a bouquet of sunflowers to bring home.
If you’re interested in going to Goss Berry Farm with your family, blueberries and strawberries are still available. For regular updates on what’s in season when, visit their Facebook page or call 207.346.6811.
Goss Berry Farm
311 Elm Street
Mechanic Falls, Maine