Take your pick: Strawberries ripen as families flock to pick-your-own fields of fruit

Five-month-old Finn Murphy had his hands full with a single ripe strawberry as he watched his mom, Meagan Murphy, pick strawberries at Finnell Farms on Tuesday. His dad, Ryan Murphy, picked berries, too, with Finn strapped to his stomach in a baby carrier.

The couple laughed as Finn touched a red berry to his tongue, making a sour face that showed he was not sure what to make of the seeded fruit. The young family kneeled in a straw-covered row, nearby other families and retirees, filling four-quart baskets to eat later, freeze or preserve.

Finnell Farms co-owner Tiffany Laboski said this year's crop is a bit smaller than normal but the quality of the fruit is high, bringing carloads of families to pick in the sunny field at Finnell Farms, 3840 Buffalo Road in Harborcreek Township. Laboski, 50, said the farm's Facebook page provides the most up-to-date schedule at the farm.

"The heat's coming so the berries will push faster to ripen," said Laboski. "We'll have berries for a few weeks but not much longer than that."

Mason Farms, in the 8600 block of West Lake Road in Girard Township, is open for pick-your-own from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Sunday. The strawberry fields are about a half-mile west of the original Mason Farms fruit stand; stop there for directions if needed. Call 814-774-8592 or check masonfarms.com for more.

Strawberries are ripe at Glenn Troyer Farms, in Waterford Township, but not for pick-your-own. Berries will be picked and available at the stand, 13021 Flatts Road, and orders can be placed by calling 814-796-2641. Check glenntroyerfarms.com for the latest information.

Contact staff photographer Greg Wohlford at gwohlford@timesnews.com or on Twitter at @ETNWohlford.