Farms offer family fun

Looking for a fun, family adventure? Visit a farm!

Dozens of local farms are waiting to greet you this summer. Pick your own raspberries, peas, or sunflowers. Take a hayride. Pet the goats. Sniff fragrant sage, lavender, and tarragon. Enjoy the restful, scenic beauty of the countryside. Meet your local farmer, and take home some of the healthiest food around. Don't wait until October to find out how much fun you can have down on the farm.

The Puget Sound Fresh 2005 Farm Guide lists 59 farms in the Puget Sound area, most in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties. Local farms feature a wide variety of fruit, vegetables, honey, cheese, herbs, flowers, and other delights. Many farms are certified organic or use organic growing methods.

Thanks to our mild climate, Puget Sound farmers grow everything from artichokes to zucchini. Look for beans, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, greens, leeks, lettuce, peppers, potatoes, spinach, and squash. Or, if fruit is your thing, help yourself to apples, currants, melons, pears, raspberries, rhubarb, and strawberries.

Not sure how to cook a particular fruit or vegetable? Just ask. Many farms offer recipes and cooking suggestions, either at the farmstand or on the web.

A trip to the farm can be educational as well as fun.

With less than two percent of American families living on farms, many of today's children don't know a cornstalk from a potato plant. Visiting a farm gives children a chance to see food the way nature intended: peas hanging on the vine, raspberries ripening on the bush, corn reaching for the sky. They'll gain a better appreciation for the rhythms of nature and the vital role farms play in our lives.

A trip to the farm can also help your family improve its eating habits. Farm-fresh produce tastes a whole lot better than the stuff in the supermarkets. And even picky eaters will change their tune when the food on their plate is something they picked themselves just hours earlier.

Make the most of your visit

Plan ahead. What crops do you want to buy or pick? How far do you want to travel?

Call first. Crop availability varies with the weather, and farms may keep irregular hours. Confirm you plans before you go to avoid disappointment.

Prepare for the elements. Wear hats, apply sunscreen, and be sure to bring a water bottle and snacks. Dress casually, wear old shoes, and be ready for mud or dirt.

Bring containers if needed for U-pick.

Leave pets at home.

Bring your camera! Many farms have special "photo opportunity" spots.

Teach your children to respect the farmer's property, including taking care to walk on paths between crop rows, pick only ripe fruits or vegetables, pay for what you pick and eat, and to obey posted farm rules.

Return often. It's always a new adventure!

For details on local farms, check the Puget Sound Fresh 2005 Farm Guide, available at local libraries and here.

King County

Remlinger Farms, Carnation. U-pick fields, restaurant, and Country Fair Family Fun Park with steam train ride, animals, attractions. Direct Farm Market features Washington produce and frozen "U-Bake" pies. Open daily; call for hours, 425-333-4135; website.

The South 47 Farm, Redmond. More than 200 varieties of fruits, flowers, vegetables, and herbs, including raspberries, peas, spinach, garlic, peppers, lettuce, and Marionberries. U-pick and farmstand. Crops grown according to organic standards. Special Mommy & Me activities on Friday mornings. Thurs.-Sat., 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; 425-869-9777; website.

Pierce County

Scholz Farms, Orting. Third-generation farm and retail farmstand featuring strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, sweet corn, green beans, Yellow Finn potatoes, and custom-grown Yakima vegetables. Open 9a.m.-6 p.m. daily; 253-848-5955; email.

Spooner Farms, Puyallup. Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries. Picked fresh daily. Open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; 253-840-2059; website .

Snohomish County

Biringer Farm, Marysville. Strawberries, raspberries, tayberries. U-pick or pre-picked. Self-guided tours by appointment. Call for hours, 425-259-0255; website.

Bryant Blueberry Farm & Garden, Arlington. Blueberries. U-pick or pre-picked. Playground, picnic area. Feed ducks and goats, climb on Straw Bale Mountain. 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tues., Thurs., Sat., Sun., approx. July 9-Aug. 28; 360-474-8424; website.

Skagit County

Cascadian Farm, Rockport. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries. U-pick or pre-picked. Organic ice cream, jams, salsa for sale. Picnic area, flowers, self-guided tour. Certified organic. Open daily, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Info: 360-853-8173.

Kitsap County

Pheasant Fields Farm, Silverdale. Seasonal vegetables, flowers, and lavender. U-pick. Summer farm camp held in July & August. Open daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m;; 360-697-6224; website.