Strawberry Picking in Manitoba: Know the Spots, Plan your Trip
Strawberry picking season is nearly upon us in Manitoba, so now is the perfect time to start planning out your trips to the different farms you may want to visit this year. As Manitobans, we are lucky to have an abundance of amazing farms that offer fresh berries.
To make it even easier for you, we’ve put together a list of the best strawberry picking farms, their locations and activities they have to offer so you can figure out which ones to add to your summer bucket list.
These farms typically all offer U-Pick, which allows you to buy a basket and pick your own berries. They also typically offer pre-picked berries so you get to enjoy the fresh-picked berries without having to pick them yourself. Due to the pandemic, you may need to contact the farms to be sure of what services they are offering this year.
Read about all the best farms in Manitoba, fun things to make with your berries and options on how you can get there!
Boonstra Farms – U-Pick Strawberries and Pre-Picked Strawberries
Boonstra Farms makes berry picking a fun-filled endeavour by not only offering the berry-picking experience, but also fun activities for children. Pick some berries, visit the petting zoo, play on the playground and enjoy the fresh air on a wagon ride – these are the amazing activitiesBoonstra has to offer. This farm is definitely the perfect place to go if you have kids! Let them have fun in the sun while you get all the fresh berries you desire!
Boonstra Farms is located in Stonewall, Manitoba. How do they instruct visitors to get there? Go 15 km north of the perimeter on # 7, turn west on #67 at the lights, go 1 km and they are on the south side of the road.
Prairie Fruit Growers Association
Prairie Fruit Growers Association is a lovely business that operates out of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, with a total of 52 farms. They offer both pick your own and pre-picked berries for purchase. The farms typically have events running all spring and summer long but unfortunately, due to the pandemic, they’ve had to cancel said events last year. They have not yet announced what is to come for summer 2021.
These farms are super accessible as they do have many locations across the two provinces, making it an excellent choice for anyone in Manitoba interested in berry picking this summer. Stay tuned to see if they will be able to host picking and events this summer.
Cormier’s Berry Patch
Cormier’s Berry Patch has been planting berries since 2005. They have 10 acres of land covered in strawberries and typically offer both pre-picked and U-Pick strawberries. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, they were unable to host a 2020 picking season but they have not yet disclosed if they will be hosting U-pick for 2021. Our fingers are crossed they do!
Cormier’s is located close to Winnipeg. The instructions disclosed on their website directing you from the city suggest visitors take the South Perimeter to Hwy #330, go south on Hwy #330 to La Sall, take the bridge to enter La Salle, take a left turn onto P.R. #247 (it is the first LEFT after the bridge) and then to go 2.4km east on P.R. #247 and you can’t miss it.
Mayfair Farms
For the last 77 years, Mayfair Farms has been growing fresh and delicious produce for families to enjoy. They offer strawberry picking but they also grow an abundance of other fruits and veggies. Their goal is to put fresh, healthy food on family tables. Being a local business, it’s always great to shop for your produce this way as it helps support the local economy and gives you delicious fresh food that you know exactly where it came from.
Mayfair is located at 310B Brandon Avenue, Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, so it might be a bit further than some of the other options if you’re a Winnipeg local. However, as a farm with so much history, you will definitely not regret visiting them if you are looking for fresh produce.
Prairie Berry
Prairie Berry has five acres of land that are ready for picking. This family-owned business began planting in 2014 and has been able to grow since then. The farm is absolutely stunning and is a great place to spend the day with family or friends. If you take a look at their Instagram page, you will find they love to be creative with their berries and often share inspiration for what to do with your fresh strawberries after picking them.
Prairie Berry is located just 10 minutes south of Winnipeg, making it a great option for those Winnipeg residents.
Planning a cross-country road trip or just want to see another one of Canada’s beautiful provinces? Check our latest post about Manitoba Tourism and what it has to offer!
Inspiration for after your berry picking trip
For some, they are prepared to devour all the fresh strawberries once they get home from berry picking. There’s nothing like the refreshing taste of strawberries you picked yourself. However, some people love to be inventive with the strawberries they pick. For the creative folks, here are some ideas for what to do with the fresh fruit.
- Sorbet
- Pies
- Fresh Fruit Roll-ups
- Jams
- Freeze
- Dehydrate
- Smoothies & Juices
Whatever you decide to do with your delicious, freshly-picked strawberries, they will not disappoint! Any of the ideas above are just as foolproof as bringing them home and eating them as is.
We gathered some of the best hiking trails in Manitoba that are definitely worth the trip. It’s a great way to see more of our beautiful province, get outside and get active. Take your pick!
Find Your New Ride!
If you want to visit these farms, you will need to find a way to get there. Luckily, Birchwood Credit is here to help you find an affordable vehicle for family adventures, regardless of what your credit score is. We give you personalized recommendations for what cars we think will fit your lifestyle and needs best. We don’t think a car should break the bank and our main goal is to get you into an affordable, reliable car that you love.
If you are interested in applying for a car with us, or if you want more information, feel free to contact us for all the details you need.
