Record Staff
The Souvenirs de cueillette project, supported by the Conseil de l’industrie bioalimentaire de l’Estrie (CIBLE), kicked off the U-pick season this weekat Le Jardin des Iles in Ascot Corner. The group’s 50 growers are eager to open their fields and welcome the season’s first pickers for an 8th edition.
Souvenirs de cueillette has 50 farms, including four new ones in the 9 MRCs of the Eastern Townships. U-pick enthusiasts are in for a treat. Over 20 different fruit, vegetable and flower crops are offered to the general public from May to December.
Pickers have a vast choice of 24 different crops, from garlic flowers, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries to Christmas trees, and even fine herbs. Familiar crops and lesser-known varieties such as cherries, blackcurrants, currants, sea buckthorn, table grapes and corn, will also be available this season. U-pick enthusiasts are sure to find something to their liking!
“It’s a real privilege to offer the public access to fruit, vegetable and herb picking. People need to take the time to pick their own to discover the farms and learn more about the crops in production to fully enjoy the experience. Life moves fast, so picking your own fresh fruit and vegetables, taking the time to admire the beauty of the landscape and enjoy the outdoors is a must! It’s good for the body and the spirit,” explained Andrée-Anne Fisette, vice-president of (CIBLE) and owner of Ferme St-Élie, in a press release.
A page dedicated to U-pick is available on the Créateurs de saveurs Cantons-de-l’Est website, where visitors can consult the producers’ grid, the U-pick calendar, choose the fruit or vegetable to find the farm offering it, the geolocalized map to quickly and easily locate farms in your area, and finally the practical guide with simple tips, conservation tricks and recipes from our producers.
