From rationing to recreation: The boom of agritourism in Brentwood

A nonprofit group called Harvest Time in Brentwood works to raise awareness of farming and encourage agritourism in the area.

When farmers decided to do more than just sell their crops to packers in the 1970s, the group was born. Harvest Time Inc. was established in 1976 and invited any Contra Costa County farm or ranch to become a member.

Over time, it expanded its membership and created a trail map that is now issued every year. We discussed Harvest Time in Brentwood with Board President Jessica Enos. Her answers have been condensed and clarified.

Tell us about U-pick and Brentwood’s Harvest Time.

When Harvest Time first began in the late 1970s, there were ten farm members. In fact, U-pick got its start here in Brentwood during World War II in the 1940s when rations were distributed, with sugar being one of the rations. The women (started) canning using sugar because they didn’t want to squander the rations, but they needed fruit. They traveled to Brentwood from Fremont.

The story that was told to me is this one. They found Brentwood and went to the farmers to buy apricots and peaches. They were able to buy a lot, which let the farmer realize that these women wanted to come out and pick and would prefer to just get the product straight from us. That is the origin of U-pick. Working with a historian, we discovered that we actually have the oldest U-pick still in use today west of the Appalachian Mountains. Additionally, we have the most U-picks in the country within a short radius.

Brentwood’s Harvest Time creates an instructive map of farm trails. How has this trail map benefited the nearby farms, and what is it?

See also  Opinion: The best way California can prepare for Trump? Fix its state government

Several farmers had U-picks in the late 1970s, and they wondered how to spread the word so that more people would visit their farms and carry on the U-pick tradition. Ten contributing farms came together to create the trail map, which is still produced today in tangible form. And to advertise their farms, they (farmers) sent that out and carried it everywhere.

Thus, the same concept is still relevant today. There are currently more than 60 farm members. Some of the original founders of Harvest Time in Brentwood are represented on our board by their grandchildren, nieces, or nephews. A portion of the map has changed from the original.In order to show you which farms are open in real time during the U-pick season, we now create a real-time map on our website.We’ve developed a method for members to update their information from their phones, including their hours, produce, and if they’re open or closed.

Have you noticed a rise in U-pick farms since the pandemic?

The number of participating farms has increased significantly. A U-pick farm has the advantage of not requiring a vast business. You can use a U-pick on ten acres of land. The number of our members has significantly increased. We began a fall season (U-pick), which had not yet been established here.

We brought pumpkins (patches during the) fall season, which was great. Harvest Time teamed with a few other farms and the city of Brentwood. We currently have several pumpkin patches. I believe that when a business strategy is validated, it allows others to sort of take a chance. We added mulberries because we had never had them here before.

See also  California consumer confidence tumbles after Trump’s election

U-pick was, if you want to look at the pandemic, the ideal pandemic activity. For instance, a suitable cherry tree should be placed outdoors with a 6-foot distance between each tree. Knowing where your food originates from has, I believe, been a topic of much discussion within the food or nutritional movement. People are considering healthier alternatives.

We’re also noticing that a lot more folks are showing up. Although families have always visited (here), we are beginning to observe a significant increase in the number of persons in their 20s. In addition to taking all the Instagram photos and shopping for their parents, they are traveling from San Francisco for a day excursion with their buddies. Over the past five years, we have witnessed that.

How does Harvest Time foster ties between the town and nearby farms?

Ten farmers had the marketing funding to print a map when Harvest Time first started, compared to only one farmer. The idea is exactly the same. More individuals can be reached by more than 60 members than by a single agricultural member. It’s wonderful that we operate as a community.

We reach a large number of people through social media and our internet presence, and we have visitors who have been coming for generations. It is somewhat of a rite of passage because the majority of U-picks hire young people from the area. The U-pick season typically begins in April and lasts until the fall.

We estimate that between April and November, agritourism brings about 200,000 visitors to the region. It was significant to be named the U-pick capital in 2023. After that, you can visit our wonderful parks and eateries. Another distinctive feature of U-pick is the variety of food, such as rainier cherries, that could not sail properly. They bruise easily and are generally extremely tasty. Therefore, they might not appear that wonderful when you acquire them in the store.

See also  California’s home insurance crisis: Which Bay Area neighborhoods have lost the most coverage

In what ways does Harvest Time teach kids about farming?

Part of how we ended up with a fall season was a few of us on the board had young kids and a few of us were getting notifications (for) field trips to farms outside of Brentwood. “Why outside?” we asked ourselves. We began the fall program since we are in the farming business. On field excursions to several of our farms, various schools will talk about farming, farming methods, and other topics. You only need to send them an email.

44 years old

Position: Harvest Time in Brentwood Board President,

Education: Business degree with an emphasis in marketing from University of the Pacific

Residence: Brentwood

Hometown: Brentwood

Family: Husband and three kids

1. I volunteer as the board president of Harvest Time in Brentwood. I joined the board in 2018 and was voted in as president in 2021.

2. My career has always been in the building and real estate sector, I am the broker and CEO of Enos Company, a real estate brokerage specializing in residential and land transactions.

3. I also work at and market for our family cherry U-pick stands 5 Star Cherries and Enos Family Orchards.

4. Most of our family orchards were planted in the same year as the birth of either one of my children or my nephews. That s how I remember the age of each orchard.

5. The Coral Champagne is my absolute favorite variety of cherries.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *