Pick Your Own Fruit...
In The Lake Winnipesaukee Area
"Smiling is my favorite exercise." ~ Author Unknown
  
Wouldn't it be great to pick your own fresh fruit from a farm in the Lake Winnipesaukee area and eat it fresh that day? Or perhaps bake some pies? Or even cut your own tree?
Well, you can! Freshly eaten berries or apples are so tasty and delightful and can be found right here in the Lake Winnipesaukee area. It's a fun activity to do with the kids too!
For those that want to buy freshly picked fruit or vegetables can try out the local farmer's markets around Lake Winnipesaukee in the summer. There you will be able to find all kinds of fruits and vegetables to enjoy for snacks and summertime meals.
Strawberries
The season around Lake Winnipesaukee starts off with pick your own strawberries. These tasty, sweet berries can make your mouth water. Some places offer you containers to pick, but you can bring your own bucket. Strawberry picking goes from late June to mid July.
It seems, the earlier you go, the larger the berries. Sometimes you pick your own based on the weather. I prefer to go early in the morning - it's cooler. Kids can be great little helpers too. Give them their own bucket and off they go. Children tend to put more strawberries in their mouth than in their bucket. That's okay. It's good for them.
Some of the local strawberry picking farms in the Lake Winnipesaukee area are:
Beans and Greens 245 Intervale Rd. Gilford, NH (603)293-2853
Butternut Farm 195 Meaderboro Rd. Farmington, NH 03835 (603)335-4705
Smith Farm Stand 95 Sleeper Hill Rd. Gilford, NH (603)524-7673
Surowiec Farms 53 Perley Hill Rd. Sanbornton, NH (603)286-4069
Raspberries Around Lake Winnipesaukee
Right after strawberry season, it's raspberry season. These berries tend to be more expensive, but they sure are tasty. Raspberry bushes are tall, so you don't have to bend over to pick your own. Raspberries are also easy to grow. My backyard is loaded with them. But you need to be careful because they spread and start to take over the yard!
Some of the local raspberry picking farms in the Lake Winnipesaukee area are:
Butternut Farm 195 Meaderboro Rd. Farmington, NH 03835 (603)335-4705
Smith Farm Stand 95 Sleeper Hill Rd. Gilford, NH (603)524-7673
Blueberries In The Lake Winnipesaukee Area
Pick your own blueberries is yet another fun activity to do in the summer. Blueberry picking is usually in early to mid August. There are domestic and wild blueberries. The domestic blueberries are larger and you generally pick them at local farms. You can also go hiking and pick wild blueberries along the way. No matter which variety you pick, you sure can make some scrumptious treats.
Some of the local blueberry picking farms in the Lake Winnipesaukee area are:
Butternut Farm 195 Meaderboro Rd. Farmington, NH 03835 (603)335-4705
Green Acres Farm Donkin Hill Rd. (Rte 132N) New Hampton, NH (603)968-7273
Lockes Blueberry Farm 164 No. Barnstead Rd. Center Barnstead, NH (603)776-2021
Stonybrook Farm 128 Glidden Rd. Gilford, NH (603)293-4300
Surowiec Farms 53 Perley Hill Rd. Sanbornton, NH (603)286-4069
Cherries and Peaches In The Lake Winnipesaukee Area
I just found a place where you can pick your own cherries and peaches! Usually, you can find a place to pick all the other fruit but never cherries and peaches. Check out Butternut Farm in Farmington. They are family oriented, offer top quality fruit, great New England atmosphere and easy picking conditions. I plan on checking them out this summer.
Black Raspberries In The Lake Winnipesaukee Area
Black raspberries are also great for picking. They tend to ripen at the end of August or beginning of September. So far, I've only found them growing wild. If I ever find a local place in the Lake Winnipesaukee area to pick them, I'll let you know.
Apples In The Lake Winnipesaukee Area
In the fall, there's apple picking. A lot of schools do field trips to apple orchards. This is a great activity for the whole family. At the same time you pick your own apples, you can enjoy the fall foliage! What a great way to have a fun day in the Lake Winnipesaukee area!
Pumpkins In The Lake Winnipesaukee Area
 Don't forget the pumpkin picking! Actually, you just pick from a crop that the farm stand workers have already picked. It's fun to go to a local farm stand with the kids to get a pumpkin. Some of them have other activities as well. Such as hay mazes, corn mazes, animals, hayrides and more. Beans and Greens in Gilford has a number of activities in the fall.
Beans and Greens has a corn maze that is fun to go through during the day with the young kids. At night, it's a little more challenging and "spookier" for the older ones.
Butternut Farm in Farmington also has pumpkin picking. Plus you can find homemade pies and other specialty items. They are open from mid-June to early November from Tuesday through Sunday from 8am-4pm.
Christmas Trees In The Lake Winnipesaukee Area 
Now we've come to Christmas trees! Is it Christmastime already? Many families go out and pick your own Christmas tree. It's a family tradition that everyone can enjoy. Whether you want to cut your own or have someone cut a tree for you, Christmas tree farms can bring the whole family together in the Lake Winnipesaukee area.
If you want to save money and you own land, you can cut your own tree for free. We did that for a few years. The first one was a Charlie Brown tree. They got better each year after that. It's hard to find a small, full tree to fit in your house. Sometimes you need a larger tree and just use the top part of it as the Christmas tree.
Some of the local Christmas tree farms in the Lake Winnipesaukee area are: Bald Peak Christmas Tree Farm Route 171 Tuftonboro, NH (603)544-7364
Bodwell Tree Farm Meeting House Hill Road Sanbornton, NH (603)286-4986
Joal Tree Farm 15 Greens Basin Road Moultonborough, NH (603)253-9937
Liberty Hill Christmas Tree Farm 12 Emerson Road Gilford, NH (603)524-7894
Meadow Ledge Farm 612 Route 129 Loudon, NH (603)798-5860
Muehlke Family Tree Farm 320 Belknap Mountain Rd. Gilford, NH (603)524-9507
Neva Dun Farm Christmas Trees 77 Peacham Rd. Center Barnstead, NH (603)776-7000
Third Stone Christmas Tree Farm 106 Garland Rd. Barnstead, NH (603)269-4012
Watson Farm South Road Belmont, NH (603)267-8118
Willow Pond Farm 158 Upper Bay Rd. Sanbornton, NH (603)524-1739
There are so many places to pick fresh fruit, pumpkins and even Christmas trees in the Lake Winnipesaukee area. I know it's easier to get it at a store, but the freshly picked strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and apples taste so much better that you'll wonder why you didn't do this earlier.
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