National Eat Outside Day - August 31 - Pick Your Pleasure

Did you know that August 31st is National Eat Outdoors Day? This annual event celebrates the end of summer vacation with a day of outdoor dining. Have your coffee and bagel on the patio, take a sandwich to work for an outdoor picnic, or treat your special someone to a night of fine dining under the stars.

Of course, if you grow anything that’s edible, your favorite Eat Outdoors activity might be strolling through your own garden and sampling the fruits, vegetables and herbs that are ripe for the picking.

Another great activity that gardeners will particularly enjoy for National Eat Outdoors Day is to visit a pick-your-own fruit or vegetable farm. There are plenty of pick-your-own farms to allow you the true gardeners experience of eating produce fresh from the tree, vine or plant. Below is listing of some of the local farms and what they have available to pick for the next few weeks.

Butler’s Orchard– Germantown, MD – raspberries, blackberries, apples

Crooked Run Orchard– Purcellville, Virginia - apples, plums, Asian pears, red raspberries

Great Country Farms– Bluemont, VA – potatoes, concord grapes

Heartland Farm and Orchard – Markham, VA – peaches, apples

Hollin Farms– Delaplane, VA – Peaches, Black Berries, Tomatoes, Greenbeans, Okra, Sweet Peppers, Summer Squash, Eggplant, Bitter Melon, Chinese Long Beans

Homestead Farm– 20 miles nw of DC in Montgomery County, Maryland – currently has apples

Larriland Farm – Woodbine, MD – peaches, apples, tomatoes, sweet corn

Rock Hill Orchard – Mount Airy, MD – snap beans, red raspberries, apples

Stribling Orchard – Markham, Virginia – peaches and apples

To find more pick your own farms near you, visit this website  PickYourOwn.org

*Note: All information was taken from farm websites. Please call ahead to verify dates and products available for picking.