Granny May’s Strawberry Farm

Granny May’s Strawberry Farm is a fun activity when summer days are long, lazy and hot. Lucky for us, strawberries thrive during our hot, dry summers. There are several you-pick-farms in the area, but Grannie May’s Strawberry Farm has always been our go-to for fresh berries.

The venue

Strawberry season in Sacramento runs from the end of April to mid-July, and there are so many cute little strawberry stands on the sides of the roads. Even better is finding a strawberry farm that offers you-pick berries.

Granny Mae’s is an adorable family owned Strawberry farm in Granite Bay, but cousins Elisabeth and Jessica operate it during the summer. The farm is located on Auburn-Folsom road, just South of Cavitt-Stallman. It can get really busy depending on the day, so book in advance. When Meg and I went, reservations were required due to Covid protocols. Double check when you go, to see if they’re requiring reservations.

Parking is easy – just pull into the venue and park. The parking lot can get crowded, which is why we book the earliest time slot. And the parking lot is dusty and so is strawberry picking, so dress like a farmer!

At the entrance of the farm, we meet the sweet hostess, Elisabeth. You can see (part of!) her as she holds up the cute Granny May’s white bucket. Not only does this farm have strawberries, but they also have a fresh cut-flower garden and a little stand where they sell various produce and local items. Some of these items include:

blackberries
blueberries
red, yellow, white & green onions
eggplant
thai chili pepper
white & yellow peaches
white nectarines
watermelon
cantaloupe
tomatoes
cherries
local honey
fresh bouquets and jars of flowers

The Layout

This farm is on ten acres and is surrounded by beautiful trees. The mixed strawberries fill up the five acres at the front of the farm, and the rows are long and perfect for those that need space. The grounds are well maintained and you can tell the family puts a lot of labor and love into their farm. Our favorite part of the farm is the small details, such as the large strawberry prop at the entrance of the farm, the little signs that dot the landscape, the white buckets that are labeled with Granny May stickers, and the sweet family that runs the farm.

The Varieties

The strawberry farm has several different varieties of strawberries, including Albion, Merced, Chandler, and Camarosa. I wasn’t able to find a lot on the Merced variety of strawberry, but it looks like a new type that was designed by UC Davis and is made to withstand the NorCal heat.

Piqued your interest on strawberries?! Here’s a website that lists several different varieties.

To Meg and I, a strawberry is a strawberry, and none of these varieties disappointed us. Each strawberry we picked was plump, juicy, and red.

So, we grabbed our cute little buckets and filled them up. There were plenty of berries to pick from, and since we went early, the heat wasn’t bad. We spent about an hour here, which was the perfect amount of time for the kids.

The Pickings

We scored a lot of berries. And guess how long until we ate them all?!! Less than a day- they were that yummy.

Granny Mays is an adorable farm and a perfect, laid-back activity for families. Check out their Facebook page and their Instagram page and have fun picking! Support local and small businesses!