Harvest Time

Winter and spring got a little confused this year with budding trees in December and snowy tulips in April. But such meteorological shifts don't intimidate regional farmers who depend on such seemingly delicate crops as strawberries for their livelihood. Colleen Hairston, farm manager at Belvedere Plantation in Spotsylvania County, Va., says the farm has berries ripe for picking due to "tireless days of crop protection."

When cold weather threatens the strawberry plants, "we turn on the water system and deliberately freeze the flowers," she says. Running water contains energy; when water freezes, the energy is released as heat and provides just enough warmth to keep the blossoms safe. Now "our crops are wonderful," Hairston says. "We'll probably have fruit through the first week of June." The unseasonable April, meanwhile, benefited strawberry crops at Baugher's Orchard in Carroll County, Md., according to manager Cheryl Vural. "For the past couple of years they've ripened in mid-May, but now we're back on track," she says, with an anticipated harvest starting in late May. But "if we get a stretch of 80-degree days, they'll kick into high gear," she warns, evidence of nature's ongoing whimsy.

This year, Weekend has compiled a list of pick-your-own fruit and vegetables with approximate harvest times in counties surrounding the metro area, stretching from mountainous Harpers Ferry to Piedmont Virginia's Caroline County. Because of the farms' geographic diversity, peak seasons for a specific crop may differ from place to place. The overlapping strawberry harvests at Belvedere Plantation and Baugher's Orchard, however, reflect a general rule of thumb: Crops south and east of Washington tend to ripen earlier than those north and west. So if you've missed strawberry season at one farm, look for another farther north. Variables such as crop rotation, weather and ravenous bands of berry-picking Girl Scouts can also affect availability. Before venturing to any pick-your-own farm, call to check what's ripe to avoid hauling home a bushel of beets when you were hoping for blackberries.

Many farms sell small plastic baskets for your produce, but ask in case you need to bring your own. For urban- and suburbanites new to the fields, remember to start out early in the morning to avoid the high heat, slather on plenty of sunscreen and wear a baseball cap. Leave Rover at home, but take along plenty of bottled water -- you'll need it.

Use our pick-your-own calendar to map out family adventures. Pick small, piquant black raspberries and their sweeter cousins, red raspberries, early in the summer, then return for a second harvest of red raspberries in the fall. Plum season is all too short, with just a few weeks in late June. Meanwhile, apple picking lingers for months as different varieties ripen, such as the mellow Gala in late August and the tart Granny Smith in October. We've also included a number of popular vegetables such as peas, tomatoes and sweet corn. Children who have spent a fun morning at a farm picking green beans might work up enough enthusiasm to actually eat them -- a triumph in any household.

-- Hetty Lipscomb

Maryland

Anne Arundel County

MOUNT AIRY U-PICK Strawberries. 832 Mount Airy Rd., Davidsonville. 410-798-1862 or 410-798-0838.

Baltimore County

C & E FARMS Blackberries, melons, pears, vegetables. 11415 Old Pond Dr., Glenn Dale. 301-352-2958.

HUBER'S FARM Strawberries, blackberries. 11898 Old Philadelphia Rd., Bradshaw. 410-679-1941 or 410-679-1948. http://www.hubersfarm.com/.

WEBER'S CIDER MILL FARM Apples. 2526 Proctor Lane, Parkville. 410-668-4488. http://www.webersfarm.com/.