The best field trip is one that involves eating great fruit. The best fruit is found fresh in the fields. If you live in the West Sacramento area, you’re in luck because you can take a literal field trip that ends in consuming strawberries picked with your own two hands! Yumm Strawberry Farm is a treat to visit for so many reasons. If you love fresh fruit, kind people, and a fun experience, put Yumm Strawberry Farm on your summer fun list.
Skip the Middle Man
One of the many things I loved about my field trip to Yumm Strawberry Farm is how welcomed I felt. From the time I parked my car to the weighing of my strawberry stash, I felt like I was visiting family. Yumm Strawberry Farm is owned by a gracious couple named San and Nai Tangmongkhonkitchakan. From the time they migrated from Thailand, all they wanted was to continue feeding their passion (puns everywhere because it’s that kind of day, right?) for cultivating delicious produce. While in Thailand, they grew dragon fruit and taro root. In America, it became obvious that growing strawberries was going to be the path to making a dream come true. However, what makes their strawberry-growing business unique is that they invite their customers to participate by allowing them to pick the strawberries themselves. There's no middle man in the process if you pick that route (one more pun for the road?) If you love strawberries, the best way to eat them is to pick them straight from the field. But if you're not in the picking mood, it's okay because you can buy strawberries picked that morning. Yumm Strawberry Farm makes it easy to satisfy your strawberry zeal. As I was leaving, I was curious about what makes strawberries such a popular fruit. I know I love them, but why do others go nuts about them, too?
U-Pick is Gaining Ground
Strawberries are a popular fruit across the United States. California and Florida are the top producers of this delicious fruit, with California producing over 91 percent of the entire strawberry crop. This statistic is provided by the National Agricultural Statistics Service. However, it shifts slightly in the winter, with Florida producing the majority of domestic winter strawberry crops. Almost all the strawberry harvesting numbers reflect typical farm operations. However, places like Yumm Strawberry Farm fall under a different category, called Pick-Your-Own or U-Pick farms. The U-Pick business model is unique and has potential for tremendous profit.
The history of U-Pick farming has a couple of different versions. One is that this style of selling emerged during the Great Depression of the 1930s. During the war, American growers exported fruit and vegetables to war-torn countries. However, as those countries began to recover and relied less on U.S. exports, prices fell. For many U.S. growers, it was cheaper to leave their crops in the field than it was to harvest them only to sell them for a fraction of the cost of the harvest. Another factor that explains the origin of this style of farming is related to industrialization and urbanization. Another explanation is that a labor shortage occurred due to the war effort, so people began going to farms to pick their own produce. Following World War II, the majority of America’s population lived in cities. They would drive to farms located right outside cities to pick their own produce when possible. This wasn’t just a necessity for having fresh food; it was a part of the family's fiber. Generations of people grew up with the tradition of visiting a family farm.
U-Pick farms continue to be popular for several reasons. Some grew up with the tradition of making trips to their favorite farms. Others are families who take advantage of them as a fun and educational outing. In addition to those two groups are individuals and families seeking fresh, affordable produce while also supporting local agricultural businesses.
If you have any doubts about the value of a U-Pick farming experience, one visit to Yumm Strawberry Farm will erase those doubts. The strawberries couldn't be fresher. Unlike those purchased in a supermarket, Yumm Strawberry Farm’s strawberries stay in the ground until they are fully ripe. That means that it contains all the nutritional benefits that are only gained when fruit is picked in optimum condition. They aren’t just delicious, but because they are grown and sold in the same location, they are more affordable than their supermarket counterparts. Visit Yumm Strawberry Farm, where you're guaranteed to pick a winner (of a strawberry, that is).
West Sacramento is such a beautiful blend of rural surprises adjacent to thriving businesses. As your neighborhood self-storage facility, West Sacramento Self Storage loves finding fantastic places like Yumm Strawberry Farm. It allows us to support other local businesses while helping our valued customers discover their community. We often meet people who are new to the West Sacramento community, so sharing information about the wonderful places to eat, recreate, and shop is one way we show our appreciation to our customers. Please visit West Sacramento Self Storage and explore our state-of-the-art self-storage facility. While visiting, please let us know what you want others to experience in the West Sacramento community. See you soon!
Yumm Strawberry Farm
2975 Jefferson Blvd.
West Sacramento, CA 95691
916-897-6986
Open Monday through Sunday, 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
facebook.com/p/Yumm-Strawberry
