A visit to Frontier Park was something fun we were able to do while being in the city and the downtown Erie, PA area. We also know that the offerings including the trails, the water, the fields, and even the LEAF building were something to consider when you are looking for something to do in Erie, PA. However, as much fun as you can find to answer the question, “What can you do downtown in Erie?” we wanted to get a little farther out and try something off of the beaten path. For that reason, we headed out to Mason Farms Country Market to check out the fresh fruit and vegetables as well as try our collective hands at strawberry picking.

Location:

Mason Farms Country Market is located on 8603 W Lake Rd, Lake City, PA 16423. It is on Route 5 if you are heading west, and you can’t miss it, or the acres of fields behind it. It’s only a short drive and the stand and parking lot are literally right on US State Route 5. This specific activity wasn’t just the stand, so after we checked out the fruit and vegetables available up front, we drove another quarter of a mile or so back to the strawberry fields where they had everything set up for us to start picking.

Property Description:

While this property wasn’t built for our typical wandering, we do also believe wandering and taking our time was simply something inherent to strawberry picking. Deciding which specific strawberries to harvest and which to leave for more growth was one aspect. Taking our time in fields that were open and spacious during social distancing times was another benefit. And the fact that we weren’t on a set time limit, nobody was “waiting behind us,” and we even had the chance to get the little ones involved meant this was a great activity. Combine that with the fact that there was sun shining and considerable fresh air, and this was a full day.

Things to do:

We should note that everyone will certainly decide for themselves whether or not an activity such as this is something they want to do. You may not like this one, but we still recommend you try it.

Why?

First, getting out into the county means less pollution. The air quality is one thing, but the ability to find peace and quiet in the middle of a field is something to help calm you down and get back to nature.

Second, this is certainly something that not a lot of people have done. You can literally see where your food comes from. You will be picking which strawberries to pick, and ultimately choosing your own food.

Third, knowing the date, time, and conditions of your food probably has some benefits! You know that this food wasn’t sitting on a grocery shelf, in a warehouse for days, or being handled by a stranger. This is literally something you can take home, wash off, and eat for a fresh and natural food.

The walking also helps, but this tends to be more of a crouching exercise. You can take your time and stroll along the path, picking out individual strawberries as you spot them, or you can get down low and move the leaves of the plants to try and find the brightest red strawberries which were hidden from other pickers.

Who Can Go:

As we said, we were able to take the entire family. And while there could be certain ages that don’t make sense, this was the perfect activity to keep a toddler busy for about forty-five minutes or so, as the activity basically turned into a treasure hunt. Finding the biggest, brightest, and (hopefully) tastiest strawberries was something that will keep the little ones preoccupied for a while, and the activity itself is enough to tire them out and take a nap on the drive home.

Final Thoughts:

Wandering isn’t always about discovering something new in a dark corner of the county, or being first to try something out. For us, this was a great way to get out in nature, albeit a different type, and enjoy the sun and the breeze. We also enjoyed something that was both physically and mentally exciting. On top of it all, it was an excellent way to teach the younger ones about basic farming, food, and even what doing work to get a reward is.

If you’re looking for a great activity and want to try something new, check out something like strawberry picking at Mason Farms Country Market. Be sure to stop by the stand as well for fresh fruits and vegetables (that you don’t have to pick). And, while strawberry picking tends to be seasonal, there are many different seasons in the agriculture world, so we will be sure to stop back to this stand again and see what other activities are happening.  

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