Book an Appointment

After you have booked your appointment, please fill out the waiver and either sign it electronically and email it back to us, or if you can't, we will have copies available. Thank you!

Before you head out to the field, please take a moment to review our U-pick guidelines. These rules help keep everyone safe and make sure every picker gets the best berries possible.

Before You Pick

• Check in first. Please stop at the U-pick stand before heading to the field. Our team will let you know which rows are open and give you your containers.

• Bring the right footwear. Our fields can be uneven and muddy, especially after rain. Closed-toe shoes and old clothes are a good idea.

While You're in the Field

• Pick only ripe berries. Strawberries don't ripen after they're picked, so look for fully red berries and leave the green, white, or pink ones behind.

• Pick by the stem. Pinch the stem just above the berry to avoid pulling up plants or damaging blossoms.

• Use our containers. Please use the containers we provide. Don't overfill or transfer berries between containers, as they bruise easily.

• Stay between the rows. Please don't step on the planting beds or plastic. Our plants appreciate it.

For Kids

• Children are welcome! We love having families out in the field. Please keep an eye on your kids at all times. No running between rows, climbing on fences, wagons, or equipment.

A Few More Things

• No eating in the field. All berries need to be weighed and paid for. Please wash them at home before eating.

• No pets, please. For food safety, we ask that you leave furry friends at home. Service animals are always welcome, of course.

• Leave the equipment alone. Farm tools, tractors, irrigation lines, and wagons are offlimits. If you see something interesting, ask a staff member about it!

• Pack out your trash. Take it with you or use the bins we provide.

Weather

Our fields can close or limit picking at any time due to weather, crop conditions, or safety concerns. We'll do our best to keep you posted, but a quick call before you make the trip is always a good idea.

Questions?

If you're not sure about something, just ask! Our family is here to help.

Every strawberry that gets eaten out in the field is one that never makes it to checkout. It sounds small, but it adds up fast. Here's the honest truth of what it means for us:

We don't know what you picked. When someone eats a handful of berries while walking the rows, there's no way to weigh or pay for them. That fruit is just gone.

Unpaid fruit is lost income. Strawberries take a lot of work to grow and sell. Every plant we put in the ground, every hour we spend in the field, and every challenge we overcome to bring fresh berries to you is part of what makes this farm run. When berries get eaten for free, the farm and our family are impacted.

It makes it harder to plan and price fairly. We set our U-pick prices based on what we expect to harvest and bring to market. When fruit disappears while people are eating it, it throws off our counts, our pricing, and our ability to keep U-pick open for longer in the season.

It's not about trust, it's about fairness. Most people who visit our farm would never think to crack open a watermelon to taste it or bite into a cucumber to test its firmness. Eating berries in the field has the same effect, just one berry at a time. We ask that you hold off on eating until you're home, where the berries are their absolute best after a good rinse.

Thanks for understanding and helping us keep Swope's Farm fair for everyone.