After spending time picking strawberries at Mason Farms, we wanted to continue the trend of picking our own food and enjoying the weather. Right down the road from Mason Farms is Ziesenheim Fruit Farm, which is also known as Fairplain Farm. This one will depend on the season, as there are both sweet and sour cherries available to be picked in July, as well as peaches available from mid-August until September.

Location:

Ziesenheim Fruit Farm is located at 8760 West Lake Road, Lake City, PA 16423. Their phone is 814-774-7342 in case you had questions about what is in season. This is another location right along Route 5 if you are heading west, and it’s only a few miles past Fairview. Once you arrive at the location, there are signs pointing toward the orchard and you simply drive north towards the lake. You can obtain a basket for picking at the main stand up front on Route 5, which is also where you pay when you are done.

Property Description:

The property is clearly a farm, and a large one at that. This is great from a scenery and nature point of view, and the ability to get outside and enjoy the sun in these times while maintaining social distancing is tremendous. The dozens of fruit trees at the orchard meant we weren’t even close to anyone else when we actually were picking. This was all despite the fact that there were other cars and pickers there.

Another item to be considered is this specific location’s views. You not only get the “farm,” view of vineyards and rows of crops, you also have an orchard of trees, and then on top of that there is a magnificent view of the lake.

The biggest benefit of this trip is that while it is on farmland, you don’t have to wander any farther than you want to. Pick up a basket at the front, drive to the orchard, and then when you park you are only a few feet away from the nearest trees.

When it comes to this time period of getting out of the house but maintaining social distancing and avoiding large crowds, this activity was one of the most perfect ones we could find.

Things to do:

This was another wonderful opportunity to involve the family. Compared to strawberry picking this became a little more complex as climbing a ladder is almost essential to reaching any fruit. However, this was also an opportunity as it took a little more time, allowed us to work together, and we were less in a rush of ‘gathering’ as we were able to enjoy the activity and hold the little ones as they picked some cherries on their own.

This is also something you can take your time on and select the perfect cherries at the perfect height, color, and shape, or you can grab a handful at a time and fill up your bucket. The cost was $1.50 per pound, which meant we filled up the basket half way and it only cost about $3.75. This is very affordable compared to the stores, and these are fresher fruits than what you can find on the shelves.

Another major benefit we experienced was the general tranquility. For almost the entire time we were there we barely heard any noise. For individuals in the downtown or in crowded cul-de-sacs, getting out into the country and relaxing with peace and quiet is a benefit in and of itself.

This is also a great opportunity for exercise, as the orchard is large enough to wander around and find different trees. It is easy to get your Fitbit steps in as you zig back and forth to find different trees with ladders. Or, if you are in more of a hurry and don’t want to spend all day, then just find one of the ladders available and already standing up and start picking from that tree, then just make your way down the line and go from one tree to the next as you fill up your basket.

This is also something that any photographer would want to look into. Being able to see the different views, landscaping, and open skies is something that gives you multiple looks all from the same location. This is also something that we will probably revisit as we get closer to peach season in the late summer, and who can ignore the photogenic nature of a farm as the leaves start to change and we hit early fall?

Who Can Go:

This is a great activity for anyone. The one item to note is that you do have to go on a ladder in order to reach most of the cherries, but you also don’t have to climb up very far to be able to reach the lower hanging fruit. This may be a somewhat good exercise in patience if you are bringing younger children, as at any point that someone is on the ladder, the others are waiting.

One alternative to this is to divide and conquer. If you have multiple people in your party you can always split up into smaller groups so each individual could claim a different ladder, and so that not everyone is waiting to use the same one. Just remember to bring your hand sanitizer for use after climbing the ladders, especially during these times!

Final Thoughts:

This was another fun activity. Trying something new and letting younger (or older) ones experience something for the first time can really be fun. It’s also exciting to know where your food comes from and whether this is just to have a snack on hand, or it is for an additional activity like baking a pie, it can still be exciting. The fact that there are both sweet and sour cherries adds even more fun to the mix. And, just finding something to do that is off of the beaten path means enjoying the day in the sun, having a family activity, and even taking a drive. This is definitely something for anyone to look into trying, and even going back for more.

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