u-pick
utopias
Summer treats sprout up at
Manitoba’s bountiful farms
By Jared Clinton
foodsources
BOONSTRA FARMS
A day of family fun awaits at this booming
35-acre spot less than five kilometres east of
Stonewall. The simplistic beauty of a traditional
red-and-white facade on a late-19th century
fox barn welcomes visitors as they approach
the peaceful serenity of prairie picking. Named
Best Farm in Manitoba by CAA’s Going Places,
this family-run operation boasts an on-site
playground for young ones to enjoy, is home to
baby rabbits and kittens and provides pre- and
post-picking pick-me-ups for all at Boony’s
Chip Truck. Boonstrafarms.com
CORMIER’S BERRY PATCH
Winnipeggers wishing for proximity to prime
picking will find it at this 10-acre plot run by
fourth-generation farmers Darren and Angie
Cormier. Located just beyond the Perimeter
and minutes east of La Salle, collect a basket
of these bright-red berries by early afternoon
and begin blending them into a refreshing
smoothie, pairing them
with a light picnic lunch or
transforming them into a
post-dinner delight while the
sun is still high in the sky.
Cormiersberrypatch.com
MISS MILLIE’S FLOWER FARM
Wander a wondrous half-acre
meadow and pick bunches
by the bucket at this one of
a kind U-Pick. Tucked along the banks of the
Assiniboine River and situated on the grounds
of a third-generation grain farm, Miss Millie’s
features more than 150 flower varieties–including
ranunculus, poppies and roses–blooming
and bouquet ready. Book an appointment and
Sour cherries at
Plum Ridge Farm
Cormier’s
berry patch
bound off to this up-and-coming farm half an
hour west of Winnipeg that is a flower lover’s
dream. Missmilliesflowerfarm.com
MAYFAIR FARMS
Strawberries wear the crown as U-Pick king,
but Mayfair Farms’ assortment of ready-topick
vegetables will have you serving your
own farm-to-table meals. Pick lettuce for
leafy salads, grab beets for canning, crowns of
broccoli for broiling and pull together a fresh
onion soup after harvesting a handful from this
Portage la Prairie farm’s rich soil. Round out
farm-fresh meals with local jams, syrups and
hummus from an on-site shop. Close to Portage
Golf Club, Island Park and Crescent Lake and
Splash Island Park, Mayfair Farms also has a
day-trip worthy location. Mayfairfarms.ca
PLUM RIDGE FARM
This farm’s season starts the
moment asparagus springs
from the soil and goes until
this tree-lined farm 15
minutes west of Winnipeg
Beach has been picked
clean. Strawberries and
raspberries are one draw,
and increasingly popular
are Saskatoon berries. Similar
in appearance to a blueberry, these subtly
nutty berries are closer in relation to apples. Be
sure to cherrypick something to counter the
sweetness, too. Pluck a handful of sour cherries
to top off a basket and prepare to pucker up.
Plumridgefarm.ca
Photography: @iambkhalifa, Courtesy of Plum Ridge Farm
8
ciao! / summer / two thousand twenty