STRAWBERRY PICKING GUIDELINES !!!

We have learned lots and lots these past few years of growing berries for u- pickers. To make your visit enjoyable and safe, we have several guidelines that we ask for you and yours to follow. The hours are going to be more flexible, as the berries are very late in the season and are ripening slowly, we will pick as they are ready. Picking will be done by reservation, so call ahead and we will schedule a time for you to come. We do our milking and chores in the morning, so most of the picking will be done in the afternoons. This blog and Facebook will have updated information as the picking season starts.  Guidelines are as follows:* For each child under 8 years of age, an adult is required for supervision. We know that your children are very well behaved and would never disobey you, but we are a working farm with electric fences, roaming animals, equipment, beehives, among other things so we want to avoid any incidents that would make your visit unpleasant.* Wear appropriate clothing. Closed toe shoes, jackets, caps or hats.* No pets or outside animals allowed on the farm. No exceptions.* We do have restroom facilities, but do not have a picnic area. Lake Ray Roberts has several picnic areas, just a few miles to the South.* Each family group is asked to pick at least  of one box of berries. If there are not sufficient berries to pick, what you pick will be priced accordingly. We provide the picking boxes, included in the price if you pick a full box, or $1 if you pick a partial. * The price per box is $25, the box will hold approx. 7 lbs. of berries. If a full box is not picked, the price is $3.50 per lb.* We accept cash or checks in the form of payment.* We ask that you respect our farm and our efforts to provide you with a good experience of picking berries.* Do not walk on the plastic mulch beds that the berries are grown in. Underneath are the irrigation lines that are very delicate, as is the plastic. We would not come to your house and jump up and down on your bed! * Do not eat the berries that have not been washed, as you will get a mouth full of sand and grit and possibly a bug or two. Nasty! The grocery stores do not allow grazing in their produce department, and we sort of frown on it also. Our time is better much better spent socializing and schmoozing with our visitors, than picking up spit out berry bits, and half eaten strawberry stems from the ground, in an effort to deter the ants and field mice from overtaking the fields.* Pick the berries that are deep red all around. If there is green or white on them, they are not quite ripe, and the sugar has not set in them. * Be courteous to other pickers.* We do not pick in bad weather. We may pick before or after, but not during.* We do not pick on Sunday. * We are not able to give farm tours at this time, but will look forward to all coming to our Fall open house, where tours and demonstrations will be given.* There may or may not be picked strawberries in the Market for sale. This is a U-pick berry farm, not a Me-pick berry farm!  Call the farm for picking reservations, 903-429-2319 or e-mail us at info@ randcdairy.com leave your name and phone number, and the number in your group, we will contact you for confirmation. Friday, picking hours 1:00 PM until pick out. More information will follow, as needed. We look forward to a great picking season! From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!