SALEM IS MOPO AGRICULTURE farms, u-picks and harvest festivals Salem is a destination for food lovers, and there’s no better way to get a taste of place than by visiting one of its many local farms. Throughout the year, family-owned farms across Marion and Polk counties invite visitors to enjoy fresh produce, colorful flowers and hands-on U-pick experiences that celebrate Oregon’s rich agricultural heritage. In Marion County, head to Fordyce Farm, Minto Island Growers and Boones Ferry Berry Farms for peak berry season. Summer brings a rainbow of colors and juicy flavors with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. But the star of the season is the sweet-tart marionberry, a variety of blackberry first cultivated in Marion County. Come autumn Beilke Family Farm becomes a favorite destination for apple lovers. The fourthgeneration family orchard grows leafy dwarf trees and more than 18 varieties of apples ripe for the picking. Nearby, Ken & June’s Hazelnuts at Melcher Family Farm offers Oregon’s beloved filberts along with juicy peaches that taste like summer sunshine. Farms such as Bauman’s Farm & Garden, E.Z. Orchards, and French Prairie Gardens & Family Farm invite visitors year-round to shop farm markets brimming with seasonal produce, fresh-baked goods and sweet treats. Each hosts its own legendary harvest festival, featuring cider and doughnuts, pumpkin patches, hayrides, corn mazes, and live music, the perfect way to celebrate the changing seasons. Perryhill Farm Joshua Rainey TravelSalem.com 32
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