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You don't have to drive too far to give the kids a real taste of life on the farm.
A vast range of fresh local produce is available to purchase from markets and farm gates around Perth, with some properties even allowing you to head out and pick your own fruit. Among the most popular ‘pick your own’ spots are Perth’s strawberry picking farms.
There’s nothing more satisfying than wandering through the rows of strawberry bushes, filling a big box full of hand-picked fruit as you go. It’s an activity the whole family can get involved in regardless of age.
You’ll find strawberry picking farms both north and south of the river, roughly a 30-minute drive from the Perth CBD. Here are eight spots to put on your list.
There are plenty of opportunities to clean up on fresh, succulent strawberries here. Pick You Own Strawberries is open every day during picking season from 9am to 5pm.
You'll need to set aside about an hour for picking, and getting in early is always recommended. It's $15 per tray, which you'll be able to fill with around 4.5kg, plus all you can eat while you're picking.
And as if that wasn't enough, you can also climb on board the tractor for a fun ride to another part of the farm to pick even bigger strawberries!
Entry is $2 per person, each tray is limited to five people, and there are no bookings required. You just need to turn up and start picking. Pick Your Own Strawberries will be open until the fruit is all picked, so if you're planning on visiting later in the season, remember to check the farm's Facebook page to make sure they're still open to the public for picking.
Wanneroo is a strawberry-picking haven with umpteen pick-your-own farms in the area. Make a beeline for Hoang Le's Strawberries for a box full of big, juicy berries. Previous customers rave about the quality of produce farmed here, as well as the size and spread of the rows you can pick from. During pick-your-own season, you can purchase a box and fill it to the brim for $15. Unfortunately there’s no EFTPOS accepted, so it’s cash or direct transfer only.
Here, the pick-your-own season only opens at the very end of commercial strawberry season, which usually falls in late November to early December. It’s all dependent on the weather and the quality and quantity of berries that remain on the plants.
Keep an eye on the farm’s Facebook page for notifications about when they’re open, as hours vary from day to day and week to week. Until you’re allowed out to pick, you can buy pre-packaged punnets and boxes directly from the farm gate.
Keep a close eye on Kien’s Strawberry Farm’s Facebook page for pick-your-own opening hours. The owners only open their farm to the public on weekends when they can be sure there are plenty of high-quality berries to pick, so they’re at the mercy of the weather and berry growth patterns. But the good news is that, even if you don’t catch a pick-your-own weekend, there are always pre-packed punnets and boxes for sale at the farm store during the season.
If you’re strawberry picking out on the farm, arrive early and pay your $15 cash to pick up a box and enter the picking area. Then, follow the owners’ instructions to find the most fruitful rows of the day.
Sometimes, you have to walk through soft sand to get to the right area, so keep this in mind when choosing footwear. It’s also a good idea to leave strollers at home and opt for a carrier or a beach wagon with sand wheels instead.
Look out for the red elephant sculpture on Thomas Road; spot it, and you’ll find Thomas Le Strawberries. During the strawberry season, punnets and boxes of berries are for sale at the farm shed.
Opening times vary during the week, but the farm will always share dates and times on its Facebook page in advance. Later in the season, the fields are open to the public for strawberry picking, too (pending weather conditions and the growth of the berries).
Like most farms, pick-your-own dates are released on social media a few days prior. Usually, if the berries look good and a decent amount of them remain on the plants, the open days kick off around December. They’re also another cash-only farm, so come armed with a bundle of notes, especially if you want to pick up other produce while you’re there.
Getting to Sue & Tim’s Fresh Farms is easy; follow either Alexander Drive or the Mitchell Freeway north, take the exit onto Ocean Reef Road, and the farm sits right where Ocean Reef Road intersects with Badgerup Road. Parking is just as simple, with ample spots along the roadside, even on busy weekends. The farm is open every weekend during the strawberry season, but it’s only open to the public for picking on select days. Follow the Facebook page for updates.
If you visit on a pick-your-own day, head to the tent to pick up your empty box to fill ($15, cash only). Cold drinks, pre-packed strawberries, and other fresh fruit and vegetables are also available, though it’s best to save the shopping for after the picking.
Not all rows are open to the public at all times. Stick to the areas you’ve been directed to, and head to the ends of the rows for the jackpot. The further you wander, the less likely the plants have already been picked. The ground here is sandy, so wear appropriate footwear.
According to customers of Minh Tran’s Strawberry Farm, the family that owns it is incredibly friendly and welcoming to hopeful strawberry pickers. It’s just one of many reasons to head to their Neerabup property for a pick-your-own session (their big, sweeter-than-the-supermarket strawberries being the primary reason, of course).
They open their strawberry fields for picking from 8:30 am until 3:00 pm most weekends during the season, but weather and berry condition could change this at short notice. As such, it’s always best to check their Facebook page for updates.
When you arrive at the farm, bypass the house on the property and drive straight to the shed. You can park there and pick up an empty box to fill for $15 before heading out to the fields. Or, if you’re time-poor, grab a pre-packed box of strawberries for $20. Like most of the farms, this is a cash-only shop.
