Vegetable Picking in NJ

Harika desperately wanted to go for fruit picking and has been asking us to take her since last year. She did some research and thanks to the internet she found one site that suited our interests - www.pickyourown.org.

The farm that we went to, called Lee Turkey Farm, is close to our place. Our group of fifteen members arrived as planned at about 10.30am at the farm. It was a nice sunny day with a cool, mild breeze perfect for a picnic.

We parked our cars in front of the farm and were greeted by a small boy, one of the family members who owned the farm. We got directions about how to go about the farm and bought a season pass for two dollars for each family. There was a board detailing the prices of various fruits and vegetables to be picked. He also asked us to take a draw cart and plastic cans of different sizes to put the produce we picked. The entrance fee was only nominal but the confidence he showed that the customers wouldn't abuse the farm was priceless.
The farm was very neat and well maintained.



The plants were planted in rows and there was enough room between the rows of crops for us to drive the cart. There were no weeds at all and the plants were healthy with lush green produce ready for harvest.
It was extremely pleasant and refreshing to be in the fields. We took pictures with the beautiful landscape of the motley plants and trees in the background.
We picked tender cucumbers, zucchini, and string beans. As though through divine intervention, we found knives handy on top of the display board for cutting cabbage and broccoli. It is so wonderful to touch the plants even though we did not actually plant them. It gives a great satisfaction to pick vegetables on your own. It reminds me of the disappointment we face with the vegetable vendors back in India when we were not allowed to pick the vegetables that we want. We had to either sneak some choice vegetables or fight the vendors to get the ones we want. The luxury of picking what one wants with nobody watching over is simply great. Indeed, one has to actually do it to feel it.

The farm with fruit trees speckled with fresh, ripe, tempting peaches, pears, and apples.

Some of us started eating them right away and broke the trust the little by at the entrance placed in us. WE took pictures and had lot of fun.

After picking fruits some of us went into the cornfields and some of us into the vegetable garden where we had tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and melons. Every one was so engrossed in picking that we totally forgot that we have to buy what ever we picked.



The result is we had a bagara baingan party one day and a barbecue party another day to consume all the vegetables and corn we picked. And finally I had to make mixed fruit jam with the fruits we picked.




Back in India especially in and around Delhi/Himachal Pradesh there are many well maintained farms some of which I visited during our stay in Delhi.
I remember Ansal Farms in Sohna, Bhatti Farms which are also privately owned like the Lee Turkey farm here. But there is a difference they are not available to common man who cannot own it and yet want to go visit once in a while.




In Kullu Manali the beautiful apple orchards, orange orchards, and vegetable farms are not available for common man or any tourist.
The farms now that are cropping around Hyderabad and Shamshabad, I believe may not have the facility for any outsider to visit.
Why not we have the same facility? I bet every family could have a healthy outing into the nature and enjoy the greenery at least for some time.
Now with the growing of apartments and multistoried buildings in Hyderabad many of them are missing the goodness of nature and greenery.
Back in our childhood we visited our grandparents in the villages and enjoyed the comfort of village environment.
Unfortunately in this 21st century the migration of all the family members in villages into cities/countries for whatever reasons has left the children of this generation with very little choice.