U-Pick Season Shows Agritourism Still A Draw Here

    The North Lake County U-Pick season is fully underway, with the public flocking to area outlets for a variety of products grown locally. Peaches and blueberries lead the growing industry in popularity, with other crops, such as sunflowers, also drawing customers to area outlets.
   Outside of Umatilla, Graham Farms is a leader in the county’s growing U-Pick industry, offering the public peaches, blackberries, and sunflowers currently after a winter of offering strawberries and vegetables. Farm co-owner Mary Graham this week reported that the public appears to remain interested in U-Pick.
   “It’s going amazing,” Graham said. “People are coming from all over.”
   One family stopped by while driving from Pennsylvania on their way to Sarasota, with countless others arriving from throughout Central Florida, proving the industry’s worth as an economic engine for the broader area.
   Blueberries and peaches have proven to be particularly popular crops in the growing industry, but Graham says her farm's 900 blackberry plants are also proving to be a popular offering.
   “Blackberries… we don’t have enough. We need to put in more.”
   Also, look for more peaches to join the farm’s current ten acres of offerings, with approximately 1/2 of the farm’s U-Pick citrus area to be removed for more peaches.
   Additionally, the farm's acre of densely planted sunflowers is drawing lots of attention.
   U-Pick isn’t just for fun, however, with both Graham’s and other spring crop growers selling their crops for bulk. Michael Graham of Graham Farms on Saturday said that he is undertaking special picking efforts for broader shippers.
   Additionally, this year’s local crop is taking a larger cut of the overall peach market, as seasonal weather has impacted crops in Georgia and South Carolina, as well as other parts of Florida.
   Graham Farms is located on CR 450 West of Umatilla, and is open daily except on Mondays. The farm features evening hours during the week, from 3-6 p.m., with special offers available for afternoon shoppers. The farm is expected to be open for picking at least through Mother’s Day.
   Broadly, agritourism continues to grow statewide, even as overall farmland is being lost to development. There are now believed to be over 1,000 agritourism farms of varying sizes and focus in Florida, a number that has seen steady growth since state laws began opening the door to such operations in 2013. Today, the Florida Agritourism Association serves as a resource for current and potential growers. The organization will host its annual conference in Gainesville from July 9-11, with both members and non-members of the association invited to attend. The conference will focus on finding new ways to earn income on farm property, including weddings and birthday parties, seasonal events, dinners, markets, and more. For more information, call 850-254-5355 or visit www.fataconference.com.