Last week we had a perfect day trip!
If you are looking for a fun activity to do with the kids, I highly recommend taking a day trip to Mortimer Farms. In July, they have a recurring event called Blackberry Jamboree. You can pick Strawberries and Blackberries and the kids will have a blast playing at the farm.
Admission to Mortimer Farms is $6 online or $7 at the gate. Kids ages 2 and under are free. This includes access to the farm park, u-pick fields, hayrides and music (on weekends).
Once you have picked your berries, you will head back to the Country Store to weigh your pick and pay. $3/lb. for Strawberries and $5/lb. for blackberries. Be sure to check out their produce, fresh eggs and canned goods. We bought honey and our friends bought corn, salsa and queso dip. Yum! And, the smell of the fresh baked pastries is just so enticing!
The first time we experienced strawberry picking at Mortimer Farms was two years ago and the kids couldn’t get enough! They were so excited to be able to pick their favorite fruit. We taught them how to gently pick the strawberries and how to tell which were the best for picking, depending on size and color. Pretty soon they were both selecting the perfect strawberries to take home.
Last year, while we were in California for my daughter’s birthday, we decided to visit Kenny’s Strawberry Farm. We had an amazing time, the weather was beautiful and it just seemed like a great way to start my daughter’s birthday weekend since strawberries and gardening are her jam.
Since our trip to Temecula, CA last year, my children keep asking when we are going to pick strawberries again, so we decided the Fourth of July would be the best day to have a family day trip to Mortimer Farms, in Dewey, AZ.
We invited our friends to join us since they had never been to the farm and they share our love for berries.
We arrived at 9am and the farm was ours for at least an hour. There were maybe three more families, but due to Mortimer Farm’s acreage, we had the strawberry fields to ourselves. The kids enjoyed showing their friends how to pick strawberries and tell the perfect strawberry from the ones that are not ready.
They played on the swings, they bounced ’til they dropped and enjoyed the tricycle track. After a small break, we decided to tackle the blackberries. This was our first experience picking blackberries and they are a bit more challenging that picking strawberries since the bushes have thorns, so just be mindful of that with your little ones.
I honestly felt such calm picking berries. It was so peaceful; the weather was perfect, a little sunny but not hot. The farm was quiet and the kids were enjoying spending times outdoors, enjoying nature and learning about farm work.
We drove home with a smile on our faces, our hearts full and a car full of blackberries and strawberries to pair with their favorite pancakes. It truly was a perfect day trip to celebrate Independence Day with our friends and family. Mortimer Farms is open from 7am to 7pm, but hurry because the annual Blackberry Jamboree ends on July 31st.
If summer is too hectic and you can’t make it, save the date for their Sweet Corn Party from August 1st to September 1st.
I highly suggest bringing closed shoes, especially for your little ones. You may want to bring a wagon too! Don’t forget to bring hats, sunscreen, bottled water, and a basket to pick your berries. They used to provide these beautiful buckets with their logo but this year they did not have them. They have plastic containers and bags at the Country store but I think a basket or small bucket works better for the kids. The farm also has goats and chickens that you can feed, so you may want to bring quarters to feed the animals. Oh! Don’t forget your camera! There are beautiful spots to take family pictures.