Strawberry season in Hampton Roads: Where and how to pick your own

Rekaya Gibson, The Virginian-Pilot
·3 min read

Strawberries are the first fruit to ripen in the spring, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and those red juicy berries are popping up at area farms. Matter of fact, Virginia Beach is the largest strawberry producer in the state due to its mild climate and lush soil.

To best experience this year’s crop, grab a pail, load the car with family and friends, and head to a pick-your-own farm. Fresh pre-picked strawberries are available at some locations. Before visiting, check hours and strawberry availability as they vary each day.

Strawberry picking tips

Roy Flanagan, a Virginia Beach farmer and agriculture and natural resources extension agent, offers these tips on how to pick them:

  • Look for firm berries that have a bright red color.

  • Twist and pull the stem just above the berry to snap the fruit off without damaging the plant.

  • To prevent bruising, carefully place berries in a shallow container (not more than six inches deep).

  • Avoid overfilling containers and don’t pack the berries too tightly.

  • Leave the stems on and don’t wash them until you plan to eat them to extend freshness.

  • When ready to use the berries, wash them, cut off the green tops and then refrigerate.

Where to get strawberries

The list below includes information from news releases and the Virginia Cooperative Extension, a partnership of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and local governments. Some places only allow people to purchase pre-picked berries.

It is not an exhaustive list.

Chesapeake

Pre-picked berries are also available at these locations:

Brookdale Farm, 2133 Mt. Pleasant Road, facebook.com/brookdalefarmva

Greenbrier Farms, 225 Sign Pine Road, historicgreenbrierfarms.com

Hickory Ridge Farm, 2928 S Battlefield Blvd., jrpx28.wixsite.com/hickoryridgefarm

Lilley Farms, 2800 Tyre Neck Road, www.facebook.com/lilleyfarmsstrawberries

Mount Pleasant Farms, 2201 Mt. Pleasant Road, mountpleasantfarms.com

Poor John’s Farm, 914 S. Dominion Blvd., tinyurl.com/poorjohnsfarm

Warren Farms (Tink’s Berries), 1448 S. Battlefield Blvd., facebook.com/warrenfarmsvirginia

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Eastern Shore

Pre-picked only

Shockley Farms, 23184 Seaside, Cape Charles, www.shockleyfarms.com

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Franklin

Pre-picked limited

Goose Hill Farm, 22090 Bethel Road, Franklin, www.goosehillfarmva.com

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Isle of Wight

Browder’s Fresh Pickins, 14489 Bethel Church Lane, Smithfield, browdersfreshpickins.blogspot.com

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Suffolk

Pre-picked also available:

Evans Farms, 1901 Wilroy Road, facebook.com/evansfarms1901

Faith Farms, 3259 Lake Prince Drive, tinyurl.com/faithfarms

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Virginia Beach

Brookdale Farm, 2060 Vaughan Road, brookdalefarm.va@gmail.com

Cullipher Farm Market, 772 Princess Anne Road, cullipherfarm.com

Flanagan Farms, 1707 Princess Anne Road, flanagan-farm.com

Flip Flop Farmer, 3244 New Bridge Road, flipflopfarmer@yahoo.com

Henley Farm, 3213 Charity Neck Road, barbarahenley@cox.net

Henley’s at Pleasant Ridge, 2061 Pleasant Ridge Road, barbarahenley@cox.net

Salem Berry Farm, 1763 Salem Road, salemberryfarm@gmail.com

Vaughan Farms’ Produce, 1258 Princess Anne Road, vaughanfarmsproduce@yahoo.com

Virginia Beach Market Stands (Pre-picked strawberries only)

Bay Breeze Farms, 1136 Sandbridge Road, barnessteve43@gmail.com

Cindy’s Produce, 2385 Harpers Road, cindys-produce.business.site

Virginia Beach Farmers Market, 3640 Dam Neck Road, vbgov.com/farmersmarket

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Williamsburg

Mill Farm Christmas Trees and Berry Farm, 4900 Fenton Mill Road, www.facebook.com/millfarmchristmastrees

Rekaya Gibson, rekaya.gibson@virginiamedia.com