Perry's Berries | Grubbin' | Adventurin'

We decided a trip out to the country farmland would be the perfect quintessential end of summer activity. I grew up with parents that always had a garden going in the backyard and learned a lot about where food comes from and how to grow and harvest my own food and wanted to pass that along to my kids. There are tons of pick your own fruit farms around Utah, so we did some research and came across Perry’s Berries just outside of Payson, Utah.

They were very affordable (only $3 for a full pound of raspberries) and best of all, they grew the Encore variety of raspberries, which happen to be nearly thornless and therefore much easier to pick, especially for cute little toddler fingers that are always eager to help.

We showed up early in order to beat the heat and were able to catch a deer trying to sample a few of the berries, so you can rest assured that they are both deer and child approved. We followed the simple signs and pulled up to Mr. Perry’s patch and found this awesome filing cabinet with all the necessary instructions and buckets waiting for us.

There is something so refreshing about an honor system, farmer run business in today’s world that really touched me. We were out far enough away from the hustle and bustle of the city to be able to enjoy the sunrise and listen to the silent sounds of nature.

It wasn’t necessarily that it was the kids’ most exciting trip ever, but it definitely instilled some warm memories in our hearts and I was able to walk along, working alongside my kids to pick fresh, juicy berries. We were able to talk about what they had enjoyed over the summer, some of their goals for the upcoming school year and things that they were wondering about. I felt like time had briefly been paused and I was allowed to enjoy a stolen moment that was truly memorable.

Mr. Perry came out and said hi to the kids and just stole our hearts with his kindness. He and his wife have set up a few picnic tables in their little private grove where they said people are welcome to sit and cool off in the shade and enjoy a meal. Good thing too, because we had gotten up and headed straight out the door, so the kids were able to sit down and eat some muffins I had brought for breakfast. It worked out perfectly!

My oldest two (ages 6 and 8) were really helpful and gathered quite a few berries, but let’s be honest, the younger ones never had more than 2 berries in their buckets. Every one of those berries just went straight into their little mouths! (No one seemed to mind too much, we figured you could just leave a little extra payment on the way out :) And honestly I can’t really blame them, I may have snuck one or two or 10 myself! They were sooo good.

Fruit that ripens on the bush and then goes straight into your mouth is seriously the sweetest, most flavorful treat you’ll ever taste. There is something about fresh picked fruit that just completes the perfect summer.

My daughter really had her heart set on making some raspberry jam, so my plan was to try and spend a little more productive time picking a few more on my own while the kids were distracted eating. Getting some uninterrupted work time turned out to not even be a problem though, as for an extra $1, Mr. Perry also happens to sell these fun sling shot helicopters. The kids were all enthralled. They spent about 40 minutes shooting these little helicopters into the sky… one more reason we fell in love with this place, they really have thought of everything!

By the time we picked, ate, and then picked and played we’d been at the berry patch for nearly an hour and a half, and I decided it was time to head out. But then on our way back to the car the kids found the new little kittens that live there. After getting permission they had to stop and hold the kitties and then run through the tractor sprinkler before we could finally head out.

In the end the berries were some of the best I’d ever tasted, the kids enjoyed themselves enough that they didn’t want to leave, I was able to teach them a little bit more about agriculture, and we ended up with some delicious raspberry jam. But best of all I was able to bond with and create some precious memories talking and working and laughing with each one of my kids. So you could go and do some heavy picking and head home with some absolutely divine fresh raspberries or you can slow down and make a whole memorable experience out of it, either way we definitely recommend this one!

(They don't actually sell asparagus, I just saw some growing near the raspberry patch and told them I remembered picking wild asparagus with my dad as a kid and Mr. Perry was kind enough to give us a small handful on our way out... they really were such good, kindhearted people!)