Where to pick-your-own fruits and vegetables in Suisse Romande

The fresh fruit & vegetable season is upon us. Strawberries are just the beginning. The rest of the berries are next (blackberries, black currants, raspberries, cherries, and more). And of course, any other vegetable that is ready. Lettuce and rhubarb have been available at my local farm (Perroud in Attalens) for quite a while.

I went on Monday morning (open season for strawberries there) AND IT WAS JAMMED! (no pun intended). It took longer to pay for the strawberries and to leave the site than it did to pick them. I picked 3 kgs in about 20 minutes).

Here is a map of where you can pick-your-own fruits and vegetables in Suisse Romande.

I did a lot of research on websites, locations, phone numbers, and Facebook pages. Click the location where you want to go on the map and the details I could find should slide in from the left.

Get directions from the map:

1. Click on the icon in the map where you want to go.
2. The details box slides in from the left.
3. Click the arrow in the top right of the box to get directions to the location.

Some things to keep in mind:

What you can pick. From the information I could gather, you can pick any of the following fruits and vegetables:

Find out if they are open and what’s available for picking. It is best to find out what’s going on at the farm you want to go to BEFORE you go (see where to find that information below). Things seem to change every day–even on the day. On Monday, they closed at lunch because there were simply no more strawberries to be picked. The farm announced it in Facebook.

Where to find information on what’s going on at the farm. NOT ALL locations have a website or Facebook page, but most of them do. If they don’t have any links in their details in the map above, there should at least be a phone number you can call to get updates on what is available and when. For your convenience, I grouped all the Facebook pages I could find into one Facebook feed. Let me know if you cannot see this feed.

Notes on what to bring:

• Bring your own equipment. Containers, boxes, colanders, knives, what have you. They will weigh the container before you pick and charge only for what you pick when you leave.
• Cash is also good to bring. Not all farms take cards or TWINT.
• Also, just a reminder, in this heat, bring a hat, sunglasses, and sun cream. You may not spend much time in the field, but you could spend time in a line to pay. There is not always shade.

Self-service farm stands or farm stores

I noticed that many of these places also offered other local products either at a farm store (with regular hours) or at a self-service area (an honour system). You’ll probably find syrops, jams & jellies, honey and other specialties from their area. Stuff you won’t find in town or at a farmer’s market even.

Let me know if you find something you like. Leave a comment if you use this map and you go picking. Or even–leave a tip to make it easier for others.