Jones Family Farms in Shelton, CT – Harvest-Your-Own Berries

It’s Friday, it’s like 110 degrees outside, let’s keep it short and sweet. And by sweet, I mean sweet, delicious fresh-picked strawberries.

Summer means a lot of things to a lot of different people, whether that’s beach-bound getaways, camping trips, or warm nostalgia for a time when summer days lasted forever. For some people I know, the favorite summer tradition is and always will be picking fresh fruit. Here in Dallas, the peaches are choice (and rolling in daily from as far out as Canton), but today were actually headed to New England for that ruby red favorite, the strawberry.

Reader Donna K requested a shout-out for the Jones Family Farms in Shelton, Connecticut, and who are we to argue? A local landmark with history dating all the way back to 1848, the Jones Family Farms provide the Shelton and New Haven areas with delicious, natural-grown produce, that is if you’re willing to work for it.

No pre-picked berries here, at Jones Family Farms you put on your comfortable shoes, take your crate in hand, and get to picking the old-fashioned way. Beautiful, abundant and sold by the pound, Donna assures us they’re the best you’ve ever had. And if you need inspiration, the Web site has a few dozen recipes, although I don’t think there’s anything you can do to a strawberry to make it any better than Mother Nature already did.

Alas, the season is short, only about a month long, and it started back on the 10^th, so time is running out. Fortunately, the blueberry season rolls around in mid-July, and I hear the crop is absolutely delicious. If you’re in the Shelton-New Haven-Trumbull area (or anywhere in Connecticut really), it’s worth the drive.

The Jones Family would like to remind visitors that however glamorous it may seem in the movies, berry-picking is work, so bring water, wear sunscreen and come dressed appropriately. This is not a fun kid’s activity, and the farmers don’t put up with small children running around messing up the crop.

If you’re looking for some pre or post-harvest entertainment, head over to the Jones Family Winery, located on-site and open for tasting most weekends. The wines a locally made and sourced, using primary Jones Family grapes with additions from other Connecticut farms.

This is really a local attraction, for locals, but since it’s kind of our MO, we recommend the following area hotel:

The Holiday Inn Express Shelton-Trumbull Hotel is located about five miles to the Jones Family Farms and is one of the more affordable options in the area that still offers a quality experience. We like it.

Have fun (working)!

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