Fruit Picking at Roundstone Farm. A few weeks ago we found ourselves looking for something to do on our Friday afternoon, the sun was shining and we had run out of jam… going fruit picking solved both problems.
Fruit Picking at Roundstone Farm
Fruit picking of any sort has always been one of Monkey’s favourite activities (actually as I write this we are driving to visit friends to do just that!). He will often come home from nursery to check the strawberry patch, fruit bushes and tomato plants to see if there is anything ripe (or even unripe) ready for picking. He was very excited about the potatoes when we dug up our first earlies rescuing even the smallest morsel.
We are lucky he’s not a fussy eater, but just like any child he can have his off days, but when we’ve picked the food that ends up on the plate he will always without fail eat it ….all. I’ve just brought a spirellti as I am expecting a glut of courgettes again this year, he’s not a fan generally so it will be interesting to see if the whole grow your own/pick your own theory works with them as well.
Where is Roundstone pick your owns
Roundstone’s is near Worthing, on the A259 dual carriageway and easy to spot with all the signs. There is a lot more to Roundstone’s than just strawberry picking although inevitably that is what draws us there each year. When we went in the first week of July they had strawberries, raspberries and blackcurrants on. You can check their website before arriving and it will tell you what’s ready which is handy if your little one has their heart set on something.
Cash only
Just be warned they do not take cards, so you will need cash. There is an Asda just up the road with cash machines if you forget to like us!
They also had a selection of veg on-peas, broad beans, carrots, potatoes, onions, beetroot and cabbage. I didn’t really expect Monkey to be interested in picking the veg … but I was wrong as I read out the sign to him he decided he wanted to pick carrots! Hastily I grabbed a couple of bags along with our punnet we headed to the strawberry fields first.
Rounstone Farm Strawberry Picking
It was a popular activity for a Friday afternoon, but rather helpfully Roundstone’s put up signs pointing you in the right direction of the best crops. It wasn’t long before we were filling up our green plastic trug (which are great if you wash them out after for role play after) with ripe or almost ripe strawberries.
Monkey was obsessed with picking the biggest ones he could find, and it took a while for him to understand red on one side and still white on the other does not constitute a ripe strawberry. He was really good though understanding you can’t eat them until we’ve paid for them, I think maybe only one or two made it into his mouth this time round!
Free Tractor Rides
After we jumped on the free tractor which takes you from field to field. Monkey had seen it driving past and wanted to get on it straight away! It is great idea as it saves little legs gives you a welcome blast of cool air and also means you don’t have to carry all your pickings back to the start. Our (his) plan was to pick broad beans for Daddy as they are his favourite and then go back and get carrots or beetroot, he was having trouble deciding. Monkey discovered that broad beans were a little harder to pick than strawberries:
But we managed to get a reasonable amount and their crop was healthy and blight free, unlike the time we had tried to grow broad beans ourselves at home.
Picking onions
While waiting for the tractor to take us back to the carrot field Monkey stumbled across an onion that had been discarded. It was a fair size and suddenly of great interest, excitedly he decided we needed to find more giant onions. Which we did. Many had already had their flowers taken off and just required a little tug to get them out of the ground.
If he had his way I think we would have taken a full bag home. But there are only so many onions you need! Thankfully the tractor was passing again and we hopped on. In the end, his favourite onion (as he told me) actually ended up being a small onion about 5cm across. Probably because he managed to pull it up without any help.
Refreshments at Roundstone Pick Your Own
Back at the start, we picked up an ice cream when we paid for our haul and sat on the benches next to the car, they also sell soft drinks and water. A well-deserved treat for an afternoon of hard work! There is also a cafe and farm shop on site. We didn’t visit either this time, but they do have toilets if needed. It was a really nice couple of hours, especially seeing Monkey getting excited about the onions. And what happened to say favourite onion? He held it in the back of the car all the way home, even in his sleep, proudly displaying it to Daddy when he came home from work. I am sure we will be back again this Summer!
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34 Responses
I’ve tried strawberry picking and it was fun! 🙂
You’re little one is so cute.
I loved strawberry picking when I was young. This is something I’d love my daughter to do. maybe I can send her with her dad!
Angela xx
Angela recently posted I am the Mother Who http://wp.me/p5XRN6-20Q
Got to love a bit of fruit picking. It always brings back childhood memories for me of hours spent eating , sorry picking, berries at our local farm that my mum then turned into jam. I’ve not been yet this year though. Looks like you had a fun trip. Watching out for your ideas on courgettes – I’ve got loads coming and I’m not sure I can face another year of non-stop courgette lasagne!
Thanks for the tip like bringing cash! My husband is always out of cash and I am the one who always carry them but it really pays to know this small details!
Your trip looks lovely and we are planning on doing this once I find a farm near us that do this!
#MondayEscapes
Monkey was most upset when we had to get back in the car again to go and get some! It took a while to explain we would be coming back again! Hope you find one 🙂
Ooo never thought of Courgette lasagne! Great idea – yes may have to have a bit of a brainstorm! 🙂 Cx
That sounds like a great idea as long as they save some for you! 🙂 Cx
I have picked apples but I think I will prefer to pick strawberries. Since I live in California, I have to check what farms offer strawberry picking.
Such a lovely experience!!
Here in Germany you can also go strawberry picking, though I still haven’t done that. I think I should do it next year… I love strawberries!
Oh, and here you can actually eat while you pick 😀
Thank you for joining #MondayEscapes 😀
Looks like a great day out… I want to see the sun like that again… where has the summer gone?!
I love Roundstone, I was thinking about heading out there this week or next with Sprog! #Whatevertheweather
That’s so cute that he hugged the onion the whole way home. So proud! I bet daddy loved it. I love his hat! So cute! It sounds like they have a really great selection of vegetables to pick. It really does help with fussy eating doesn’t it. I really do love picking your own. When I’m brave enough I’m going to start planting some in the garden. Thank you for linking up with #whatevertheweather. x
Lovely trip out. I really must take my kids fruit picking, I know they’d love it. #Whatevertheweather
Aww, I love that that he held his little onion all the way home! I’ve never seen a veg pick your own, that’s a fab idea! How great that you can pick so many different things.
I love Monkey’s hat too, where did you get it? It’s incredibly cute! O has lion shoes, but I’m sure he or A would love a lion hat!
I’ve been eyeing up spiralizers too, but not quite sure whether anyone else would like what I make with it. I love veggie food, but OH isn’t so keen and the boys can be hit or miss.
Thanks for linking up to #Whatevertheweather. 🙂 x
Looks like you had a fab day! Great tip about bringing cash – you just sort of expect most places to accept card nowadays, don’t you. #WhateverTheWeather
Thank you for popping by ?
When I presented Hubby looked at me as I was insane yet tonight we have harvested our first crop of proper sized courgettes and tomorrow we are having courgette spaghetti! So it wasn’t that mad afterall….
The hat came from Zuilly and doesn’t have a brand name as such but I think this might be it: https://www.uv-fashions.co.uk/luvali-uv-omkeerbaar-zonnehoedje-lion-monkey?gclid=CJnajObPg8cCFUzHtAod31YP8A
Xx
Can’t wait to hear all about the grow your own 🙂 thank you for hosting x
It’s great you’ll have loads of fun 🙂 x
Agreed!! 🙁 hopefully this weekend 🙂 x
🙂 and here if your mean mummy lets you ….!!
Hope you find one 🙂
Oh I do love going fruit picking. Most of it ends up in my mouth! It looks like you had a fab time at Roundstones – I love Monkey’s hat! I love the fact you got a tractor ride too – and I can just imagine him clutching his onion. Bless! Thanks so much for sharing on #MondayEscapes
It’s actually a monkey underneath if I could get him to wear it that way it would be very apt! Lol x
hahahaha
I really wanted to go berry picking with Emma this summer but I kept thinking she was too young and now I think I may have missed the strawberry season. I’ll just have to make sure I go next year! Lovely pictures – he’s so cute! x #countrykids
Wow, so many wonderful things to pick. Your little one is such a big helper. It is great that he is willing to try so many veggies. We missed strawberry picking season this year.
Roundstone sounds like a fab place to take Monkey, especially as they have such a variety of Fruit and Veg to pick! It’s great that you’ve found a way to make Monkey enjoy eating his fruit and veg without a fuss kicked up, a great reason to go and do PYO as often as you can! He looks like he’s having a wail of a time exploring all the different fields. Thanks for linking up with me on Country Kids
Possibly, although we are definitely going veggie picking into the Autumn as he enjoyed it so much! 🙂 thank you for stopping by xx
Aww thanks for your nice comments and popping by 🙂 x
I was surprised by how much he enjoyed picking the veggies and will be going well into the Autumn! Thank you for hosting #CountryKids xx
Sounds like a perfect day! I have been looking here for something like this sadly we dont have any thats near us. #countrykids
Oh that’s such a shame 🙁 could grow some of your own instead? Xx