Pick Your Own for CSA Members
Note: PYO is only available to Red Fire Farm CSA and Farmstand members.
As part of your CSA membership, you have access to our Pick Your Own patches. The farm is family-friendly, so bring your little ones and check out our land! PYO includes herbs, flowers, berries, peas, tomatoes, tomatillos, hot peppers, and more (changes with the season).
Late July, August and September are great months to come for pick your own, as by then we’re brimming with crops like cherry tomatoes,
basil, tomatillos, hot peppers, green beans, herbs, flowers, and ground cherries.
We’ll let you know as more PYO crops become available.
We have PYO limits to make sure all our members can get some of the bounty.
All Boston area, Hampden County and Granby members should now PYO in Granby from here on out this season.
Only Hampshire and Franklin County members should pick in Montague.
Our current PYO amounts for Granby and Montague are:
The PYO board at the farm always trumps what is listed here, so check the board when you arrive!
Frost has come, so the sensitive PYO crops have finished for the season; only the hardy survive!
Kale and Collards – in Granby only, 1 bunch per week per member. Farm stand members can pick at 1.25 per bunch.
Herbs — Oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, savory, parsley, remain in good supply in Granby & Montague.
GETTING TO THE FARM
If you have a car, share a ride! Meet some other local food loving people. You can post on our facebook seeking rides.
GRANBY FARM PICKING
Pick Your Own details are inside the farmstand in the center of the barn at 7 Carver St., including a map of field areas and a list of picking limits, and often containers for harvesting. Bring containers to take things home! You can come to pick any day at any time, except at night.
From Tuesday through Sunday, we usually have someone working the farmstand from 9-5. Otherwise it’s all self-serve.
There’s extra parking in the Brown-Ellison Park next door if needed.
PYO for Boston Area Members
When you come out there are usually two PYO picking amounts listed for each crop, one for folks that pick up at the farm and one for Boston area or further out members. Boston members can pick 8 quarts of strawberries at once, assuming they can only make it to the farm once for strawberry season.
PYO for Montague Area Members – New Patch in Montague!
We now have a new patch in your neighborhood! The field is at 184 Meadow Road, in front of the greenhouse. This section is small, so it’s got capacity for Montague area members only!
Please park on the grass along Meadow Road, not blocking any thruways or driveways. Also at head of driveway up to large greenhouse, not blocking the driveway. The shady driveway by the mailbox for 184 Meadow Road leads up to the brown barn. Pick Your Own details will be inside the brown barn on the left, including a map of field areas and a list of picking limits, and often containers for harvesting and measuring. Bring containers to take things home!
Self-serve. You can come to pick any day at any time, except at night. There will be a log book, so you can keep track of your picking if you are at the $300 Farmstand member level, as those members pay half of retail price for PYO items. Please tally your purchases as you go. PYO for CSA level members is free up to limits provided.
Preserving Parties
By the way, when you’re setting your schedule, if you like to make dates for things, I highly recommend planning a weekend or a day of preserving sometime late August or September. Make some tomato sauce, can some salsa, freeze some corn or peppers. Peach jam. Pesto to freeze. Watermelon eating party, what have you.
We send out a bulk order list once we have lots of things, and you can get ingredients for projects delivered to your CSA pickup.
Bulk pickling cukes for pickles are usually available from early July through the end of August. So plan to make pickles earlier on.