For years, my family has enjoyed picking fresh fruit every summer. This is the first year we've ever noticed this.

You can find fresh fruit to be picked all over New York State. The farms here are top-notch, and their fruit is all delicious. You can get so many great fruits right from the tree or vin,e like berries, cherries, apples, and more.

This is the first year we've noticed this charge

Since I was a little kid, we've gone out picking almost every year. I can remember picking cherries, apples, and strawberries as a little boy. Then, when my kids were little, we made it a tradition to go apple picking every fall, and sometimes we'd pick blueberries or raspberries in the summer.

They would normally just charge by the pint or quart (or when dealing with apples, by the bushel). While researching places to pick cherries this year, I noticed that there's a new charge involved in picking fruit now.

Now, they charge an entrance fee, or a pickin' pass.  It's a fee just to pick the fruit.

Why are they charging you to pick your own fruit?

It's easy to think it's weird that some of these farms charge by the person to pick their own fruit. I mean, if you weren't picking it, they'd probably be paying someone to do it for them, right? So why are they charging you?

There are a couple of reasons.

First, it costs a lot of money to run a u-pick farm. In many cases, the farm will provide amenities such as restrooms and hand-washing stations. You have to pay staff to work the booth where people pay, and of course, you still have to pay laborers to grow the fruit. It doesn't get that beautiful and delicious without a little nurturing. That's just the tip of the iceberg. They also have to pay for fertilizer, irrigation, equipment, and more.

Secondly, it's entertainment for you. If it wasn't, you'd just go to the store to get your fruit. People will make a day out of picking fruit with their family. Why shouldn't you pay for someone else to provide an activity for you to do? Plus, it gives you the chance to select the best options and avoid settling for whatever is available.

Thirdly, are you going to tell me that you don't "sample" some of the fruit while you're picking? The more people there are in the fields "sampling," the more product you're going through.

Often, the entrance fees or "pickin' passes" are taken off of the overall bill at the end.  They're just there to make sure that you're not going to bring 20 people to the field and walk out with just one pint of fruit.

Farming is a tough job. You are a guest on their land. If you don't want to pay what they're asking, you can always grow your own.

The Best Places To Pick Your Own Cherries In Western New York

Gallery Credit: Brett Alan

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