U-Pick farms can save you money and help support your local economy
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EmailWhat are the benefits to U-Pick farms?
It’s summertime, and that means there is a wide variety of Michigan grown fresh produce to choose from. Take advantage of this time a year to choose and eat healthy fresh fruits and vegetables. Michigan State University Extension recommends that you choose fresh Michigan-grown produce using the Michigan produce chart. You and your family may want to consider picking your own fresh produce from a U-Pick Farm. Some advantages of picking your own fruits and vegetables are:
- Cost saving – U-Pick Farms can be cheaper than your local Farmers Markets or grocery stores. It is recommended that you do a unit pricing before deciding to use a U-Pick farm. The "unit price" tells you the cost per pound, quart or other unit of weight or volume of a food package. Choose the food that has the lowest price per unit to save money.
- Supporting local economy – Using a U-Pick farm benefits your local farmers and economy by keeping dollars in your community.
- Knowledge of source – There is security knowing that the fresh produce that you and your family are eating was grown by a local farmer. Less distance between your food source and your kitchen table has a less chance of contamination.
- Preserve the extra - If after picking your produce you have leftovers you can always preserve by either freezing or canning extra fruit and vegetables, especially tomatoes, green beans, apples, berries, etc.
- It’s healthy – Eating fresh fruits and vegetables from a variety of produce, and especially whole fruits, is one way to have a healthy eating pattern according to the 2015-2020 USDA dietary guidelines.
Buying from a U-Pick Farms may have some cost-saving benefits depending on the produce that you are looking to buy, but it is agreed that the benefits from buying from a U- Pick Farm are worth the extra money which you may spend. To find the nearest U- Pick Farm in your Michigan area go to http://www.pickyourown.org/MI.htm.
