Brentwood Cherry Picking

Sweetheart Cherry – large, dark, sweet and delicious!

We made a quick trip to Brentwood on Sunday to pick cherries. The weather was unseasonably cool but we weren’t complaining! First we drove by Tachella Family Farms on the main drag (Walnut Blvd.), where in the “old days” we would pick up a farm map and get the lowdown on the best places to pick. Tachella is sadly no more, replaced by Annie’s Happy Farm. Annie’s didn’t have the same farm stand set-up, and we were somewhat shocked by the u-pick price of $5 per pound plus a $2 entry fee per person! We decide to move on. We drove by Farmer’s Daughter at the corner of Walnut and Marsh Creek,

Read Full Post »

Brentwood U-Pick Update

We’re headed out to Brentwood on Saturday to pick fruit so I called a few farms today to get an update on what’s currently available:

Dwelley Farms – Just Olallieberries. Starting next weekend Boysenberries will also be available.

Mike’s U-Pick – White and Yellow Peaches

The Farmers Daughter – White Peaches (not confirmed but from what I hear this farm is ORGANIC)

Pease Ranch – Bing and Rainier Cherries, Boysenberries, Olallieberries and Loganberries

Tachella Family Farms – Several types of Cherries, Peaches and Apricots

Smith Family Farm – No one “picked” up their phone but for sure they’re open. They have a nice farm stand with produce and flowers and may or may not have U-Pick available.

The Stand at Knightsen – No U-Pick but their stand is open and they’re ALL ORGANIC. They currently have tomatoes and asparagus plus other veggies and lots of fruit.

I see that Mangini Farm is a new addition this year to Harvest Time. I have to laugh at the description of where they’re located, “Next to Napa Auto Parts and across the street from Taco Bell”. Hmmm that doesn’t sound so appealing to me 😉 But on their behalf I must say they have some of the best corn around that I buy from their farm stand in Pleasant Hill when it’s in season (mid June – August).

For farm details and a map go to the Harvest Time website. Please also see my post about Brentwood farms from yesterday located right below this one.

Not into U-Pick? The Contra Costa County Fair is this weekend. It’s located in Antioch.

Read Full Post »

More Fruit to Pick in Brentwood – Cherries, Berries, Peaches, Apricots!

There’s still plenty of fruit available for picking in Brentwood! This weekend Pease Ranch will have Brooks and Rainier cherries and bush berries.

My Favorite Picks:

Read Full Post »

Cherry Picking Season Has Begun!

My favorite cherry farm in the Brentwood area Pease Ranch is open as of today, May 13th, for cherry picking!! They’re one of the largest Harvest Time u-pick cherry farms in the area with several varieties of cherries so they open before other farms do (most open Memorial Day weekend), and they’re one of the last farms to close in mid-late June. It’s a family-run farm with Mr. and Mrs. Pease actively running the show. You can picnic at one of several shady picnic tables or they also allow cherry pickers to picnic in their orchared. They sell cold drinks but bring your own food since there’s little available in the immediate area. They also offer berry picking for a very limited time, call for specific dates: (925) 634-4646.

Read Full Post »