Looking for a place to pick your own strawberries in Massachusetts? Check out our listing of local farms and orchards for a location near you.

Strawberry season typically starts at the end of May and extends through mid-July, however, the best time to pick strawberries in New England is in June.

When selecting your strawberries, look for 75-100 precent red covered bodies with vibrant, green tops. Strawberries should be glossy and firm. Once you get your stawberries home, sift through them and disgard any soft or mushy berries to avoid creating any off-flavors. Don't wash or remove the tops until you are ready to eat. Refrigerated berries will keep for a a couple of days. 75 percent red strawberries will ripen in a day if placed in an open, shallow container and set out at room temperature. If you are going to freeze strawberries, freeze only those that are ripe (bright red) and still firm. 

If you know of a local Massachusetts farm where visitors can pick their own strawberries, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and we will add them to our listing.

Just off the Mohawk Trail on Route 2, Hager's Farm Market is located in Shelburne, Mass. Stretched across 650 acres of picturesque New England landscape, the property boasts an impressive 13,000 maple taps, 160 milking cows, hardy, Hereford hogs and cattle and a well-established orchard of apples and peaches. Locals and out-of-staters come to Hager's to experience the fresh, home-grown taste of New England. Although dairy products, smoked bacon, sausage, and home-baked goods, breads and pies are among their customer's favorites, Hager's true niche is their specialty maple products. Offering traditional maple items like maple syrups, creams and candies, Hager's also adds a sweet twist with their maple-coated almonds and peanuts, maple brittle, granulated maple sugar, and a spicy maple dip. Seasonal best-sellers include Hager's maple soft-serve ice cream, available during sugaring season in the early spring, and their maple raspberry shake, available during the hot summer days. Not to be forgotten: ample harvests of native fruits and vegetables and, come November, farm-raised Thanksgiving turkeys.  
Hager's Farm Market is the culmination of five generations of tradition, toil and love. Like many of their industry counterparts, Hager's attracts a following of individuals who not only believe supporting local businesses and sustaining the land is a good thing, but also share a strong sentiment for surviving and thriving family farms in New England. Being one such individual, I was inclined to learn more about the Hager family history. Recently, I had the opportunity to  speak with Kim Stevens, part of the Hager family's fourth generation, about the who's-who of the Hager family heritage, evolution of their farm, and what it’s like to be a farmer in New England today.

If it seems as though this winter will never end, take heart, The sweet scents of maple syrup in the making clearly announce that spring is coming—and they are a good reason to plan a visit to Litchfield and Fairfield counties in Western Connecticut.

Sugar maples are plentiful in these scenic areas and more than a dozen sugarhouses from private farms to nature centers welcome visitors during peak syrup season in March. Guests will view the process from tap to tastes, see how the big bubbling kettles of thin sap boil down to thick fragrant syrup and get to sample the delicious results. Some operations are open every weekend, some have special maple celebration days and some smaller farms request a call to be sure they are ready for company. 

For the sap to run, nights below freezing and warm days are required, so dates can vary.  A call always is a good idea before visiting.

The Maple Calendar    

Lamothe’s Sugar House in Burlington starts the season early with the chance to see how syrup is made every weekend from February 12 to March 26. This family owned operation began as a hobby with seven taps and has grown to over 4500 taps and a year-round showroom.  Coffee and cider are complimentary to visitors. Along with the maple syrup business the family also raise pigs, and mini-lop bunnies.