(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Weekend Proposal: Pick Your Own – and help support local farms [1] ['Angela Marx', 'Bill In Portland Maine', 'Citizen Earth'] Date: 2026-06-12 I live in the Hudson Valley of New York State, near Albany. This time of year around here is when local farms start offering “pick your own” days when you can come in and fill up boxes, bags, etc. with whatever crop is ripening. This weekend is strawberries, and I went with a family member to Swartz Farms. It’s one of many in the region. (Find a farm near you with this link.) Despite 88 degrees F and sun, we managed to pick 19.5 pounds of strawberries in 30 minutes. Some of this will end up as jam, some in the freezer, some as shortcakes. Is this a money saver? We picked 19.5 pounds and ended up paying $78.00 – $4.00 a pound if I did the math right. Compare with prices in your own food stores, and remember that these were absolutely fresh (and personally hand selected!) We have food gardens at home, but it makes sense to take advantage of local abundance. (Even more so for those without time, space, or expertise to garden.) We will be tracking what crops are available as the summer progresses and go with the ones that appeal to us. A few thoughts: Call ahead, check websites, etc. to see what is available and when hours are open. People at Swartz told us they have closed early when extreme heat made picking dangerous. Check the weather. We had T-storms in the forecast, but not until later if at all. Wear sunscreen – this is outdoors after all. Bugs included, although we didn’t have any issues. Bring water – and be prepared to stop if it starts to get to you. You can save by bringing your own containers, although many places will provide some at a cost. This is a great activity for families and friends. It can be educational for children, seeing where food actually comes from. After a picking session, ask how they’d like to do this for a full day of work – day after day because crops don’t take time off. It might help them appreciate the people who do this for a living. While we’re on the subject of food, I don’t want to sound like a ‘prepper’ but stockpiling food might be a good idea if you have storage capacity and the skills to preserve food by whatever means work for you. Odds are inflation is not going to go down and food prices are going to keep rising. Victory gardens can help fight fascisim yet again. Plus, given the track record of the regime currently holding the Federal Government hostage, farm policies coming from them are not likely to make matters better. Paul Krugman recently wrote up how rural America is getting devastated by what is happening to them, and are souring on what Republicans have wrought. In 2025 the damage to the American farm economy from Trumpian policies caused a 46% rise in farm bankruptcies. The carnage looks much worse this year: farmers are being hit with another double whammy from the effects of the Iran war. Like Trump’s tariffs, the Iran war is hitting farmers both as consumers and as producers. Along with all Americans, they are facing an overall rise in the cost of living as a result of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Farmers are also suffering from a large increase in agricultural operating costs. For example, the crisis in the Strait has raised the price of diesel fuel, which runs most agricultural machinery, more than it has raised gasoline prices. In addition, there has been a sharp increase in the price of fertilizer because a significant share of the world’s supply comes from the Persian Gulf. So, help yourselves by picking your own, and help farmers where you can by supporting them. I hope your weekend and your summer goes well. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/6/12/800054575/community/weekend-proposal-pick-your-own/ Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/