Taking children strawberry picking can be a great outing during the day or with your Host Family or friends on the weekend.

Do take some ziplock bags or other container to bring the fruit home as well as some money…You are charged for the strawberries you pick by the pound at a register near the exit.

Below is an excerpt from a very thorough article from an amazing DC family and au pair resource: KidFriendly DC website.

Butler’s Orchard in Germantown or Homestead Farm in Poolesville are two easy-to-reach strawberry picking farms in suburban Maryland…call or look on their webpages before you go for hours of operation and picking times.

Homestead Farm
Strawberry season is expected to open in early June this year, likely due to the cool temps we had for longer than usual. You can sign up to receive weekly updates by email, so you know when they open. Along with berry picking, there are animals to visit — goats, pigs, and chickens are some of the farm’s bestial residents. And Homestead scores high on aesthetics — the lovely pastoral setting in Montgomery County makes you feel like you’re way more than 20 miles from the city. The farm is open seven days a week from 9:30am – 6pm, though pick-your-own ends at 5:30.

Butler’s Orchard
The farm might be best known for it’s Halloween and Easter extravaganzas, but they have a bounty of great crops, too. Their strawberry season is expected to start late May or early June, and the fields will be open to visitors everyday. Go to Butler’s Pick Your Own `section of their website. Stay updated on their status by following on Facebook and Twitter. During strawberry season their hours are 8:30am – 6pm during the week, and 8:30am – 5pm on weekends.