It's a favorite family outing for many locals, who can be seen wandering the rows of blueberry and blackberry vines, kneeling over strawberries and reaching into peach trees from early June through November. At prices that starts as low as 40 cents a pound, Oregon's famous berry and vegetable crops are usually cheaper than those found in grocery stores, and they definitely taste better, too. In and around Salem, you can find farms and orchards with strawberries in May or June, sweet cherries in late June and July, marionberries in July and August, raspberries from June through October, blueberries from June through October and apples from July through September. Oregon's hazelnut, or filbert, crop comes on strong in late September and runs through November. There also are farms that offer U-pick vegetables, from tomatoes to broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, corn, zucchini, peppers, squash and pumpkins.
Farmers say they offer U-pick for a variety of reasons.
Some just like to teach people about farming. Others say it's the only way they can afford to harvest their crop. Some who may want to quit the practice say they've been doing it so long, it would be impossible to stop without angering loyal customers. With so many working parents now, there are fewer people out in the fields these days. A couple decades ago, more people canned fruit and made jam.