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STURGEON FALLS, Ont.— For the first time this pandemic-affected season, Leisure Farms will open the gates for a pick-your-own berry day.
Tuesday, the farm will open from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. to berry pickers but management is giving fair warning — the usual tractor rides from past years out to the fields will not be available. It will be "at least a one-kilometre walk," reads a post to the Leisure Farms Facebook page. Future pick-your-own dates will be announced by Leisure Farms but this option will not be available daily immediately.
Leisure Farms, located on Quesnel Road in Sturgeon Falls, is still offering bakery and crew-picked berries on-site daily and visits the North Bay Farmers' Market twice per week. However, the popular pick-your-own option has been a bit of a logistical issue due to the health and safety protocols related to the COVID-19 pandemic — but one Mitch Deschatelets and his staff have thought long and hard about before opening up to the general public completely.
See related story: Some berry, berry good news from Leisure Farms
At Leisure Farms this summer, there is no product weighing by staff prior to payment. To eliminate unnecessary handling of goods, two sizes of flat-rate containers will be available for berries.
And, Deschatelets confirmed with BayToday pickers will not hitch rides out to the fields by tractors. With 500–1,000 daily customers on the grounds, he said they would run out of available wagons quickly with physical distancing measures in place. So, he cautions wearing proper footwear is important because pickers will have to walk out to the field.
