Summer sparkles with family vacations, catching up with friends and children enjoying school break. For many farms in the Valley, summer is the peak growing season and also a time of robust agritourism offerings. In general terms, agritourism is the marriage of farming and tourism, offering farm-based experiences for the public on a working farm.
Jenelle Wilkins, director of operations, explained what it means for Quonquont Farm in Whately. “Agritourism for us is all about creating opportunities for people to connect with our property, the land that we steward; to see how our farm changes throughout the seasons; and get a little bit closer to the people who grow their food, and to the food itself. We’re a working farm, but we believe that inviting people into the farm helps build more appreciation for agriculture and for healthy foods.”
She concluded, “We take deep enjoyment from getting people onto the property and helping them experience both our farm products and the property.”
Kristen Sykes is the president of marketing and communications at Pie in the Sky Berry Farm, which sits on the Conte Wildlife Refuge in Northampton.
“Our farm is 100% pick-your-own (PYO), and we really want people to come to the farm. We’re in a beautiful location in the Northampton Meadows — we call it Big Sky Noho,” she said.
Sykes explained that visiting Pie in the Sky is simultaneously a visit to a nature refuge. “We have tons of birds and butterflies, frogs and fireflies, so we want people to come out to the farm and experience picking crops,” she said. “It’s our greatest delight, to see kids who are picking vegetables or flowers for the very first time, come out of the field with faces suspiciously smeared with fruit juice.”
Getting kids outside is a recurring theme for farm-based activities. Anne Porter combines her childhood love for horses with farm-based educational opportunities for children through an annual farm summer camp at the Porter Family Farm in Ashfield. The camp is full for summer of 2026, as it fills quickly when registration opens in February.
“The most important thing is the kids are outside all day,” she said.
Co-owners Anne and Josh Porter combined Anne’s background in education with Josh’s background in farming. The family farm supplies high quality meat and eggs to the community while offering an engaging schedule of equestrian and farm-based social opportunities throughout the season.
“The lifestyle that I’m leading now is very different than the lifestyle I grew up with, so I can appreciate the value of offering some of these experiences to people who may not have them,” she said. “It’s a great life and I feel lucky to be raising my kids in this type of farm environment, so we want to share it with others.”
Farming responds to the seasons and the weather, and the menu of crops, products and events changes throughout the year. Once fruit crops are well underway, farmers open for PYO, and once open, the public hastens to pick blueberries, peaches or raspberries for as long as possible before the fruit is gone.
While the picking is good, families make memories. “We’ve made many friends as people come to pick. We have witnessed a baby’s first strawberry or mother-daughter dates,” Sykes said. “People being able to pick their own food teaches how things grow. I think it benefits people by being outside and being in nature and being in a peaceful, beautiful place.”
In addition to ongoing opportunities like PYO, many local farms offer special events. The array of possibilities for farm events in the summer is dizzying: sipping local wine or beer under the stars, hosting a private family wedding, science-based activities for families, hands-on art activities for adults and more. Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture, CISA, has a special web page, buylocalfood.org/farmfun, to search for activities by season.
At Quonquont Farm, Wilkins previews their summer offerings, which include floral design workshops; an Artisan & Maker’s Market; a date for Pilates and Flower Picking; and Patio Pours, a laid-back series of golden-hour gatherings set in the heart of the farm where visitors sip mocktails and cocktails, bring a picnic, and relax. In August, Valley Wild, a hands-on nature experience, brings caterpillars, snakes and birds of prey to the farm for a fun day for all ages.
Events at the Porter Family Farm highlight equestrian opportunities, both for visitors who own their own horse and those who are curious or harbor lifelong passion for horses but do not own them. Cattle sorting is a type of game, where a pair of riders on horseback organize or “sort” cows in numerical order into a pen. Riders must have their own horse for cattle sorting, and beginners are welcome. Curious onlookers are welcome to come watch the event.
Additionally, the farm has a riding ring, and they offer open ring nights, where riders can bring their own horses and enjoy riding in a beautiful space, where both horse and rider can meet new friends. Women who love horses but don’t own one can enjoy Equine Ladies Night — a chance to experience basic horsemanship and a taste of riding.
Farm events allow the community to enjoy beautiful spaces, try new activities and make connections to their farmers. “Since we started cattle sorting events and now that we have the ring, we’ve been promoting ladies nights and different activities,” Porter said. “We’ve met so many new people, and many have become good friends of ours.”
For Sykes, the joy lies in watching people immerse themselves in the farm. “We really do love offering people the ability to pick their own food. When people come to the farm and they pick a fresh blueberry for the first time, they’re like, ‘wow, this is like a blueberry I haven’t ever had before,’” Sykes said. “I think being able to experience the ripest, freshest food that you can, while standing in the field amidst the flowers with an incredible view brings people joy. We feel lucky to steward the piece of land that we have and to invite people to enjoy the farm.”
Wilkins concluded, “Watching families come and create memories together and then return year-after-year is something that brings immense joy. Giving people a chance to slow down and get a little bit closer to nature and their food is incredibly fulfilling to us.” She added, “At Quonquont, we enjoy giving people a place to gather and celebrate. Our Event Barn has given guests a place to celebrate some of the most meaningful times in their lives and just being able to support them through that experience is fulfilling for us.”
Quonquont Farm is located at 9 North Street in Whately. For events, including pick-your-own (PYO) fruit and flowers, see quonquont.com or their social media. The full farm stand is open for the season, with blueberry and flower picking open now. More PYO crops to come include peaches, apples and extensive flowers, including dahlias. Hours are Tuesday through Sunday (closed Mondays) from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The next Patio Pours are July 23 and Aug. 6, from 5 to 8 p.m. Guests are welcome to bring food, and leashed dogs are welcome.
Pie in the Sky Berry Farm is a 100% pick-your-own farm. Enjoy picking berries, flowers and vegetables. Blueberries and sugar snap peas are available now. By mid-August, they should be open for PYO tomatoes, sweet peppers, edamame, garlic and flowers, including more than 90 varieties of dahlias! The farm is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Containers are provided, and they take cash, credit cards and Venmo. The farm is accessible on foot, bicycle, car and airplane! (Really!) See their Facebook, Instagram and their farm page on CISA’s online guide for updates. buylocalfood.org/directory/listing/pie-in-the-sky-berry-farm
The Porter Family Farm is a working farm producing meat — beef, goat, pork, chicken and lamb — and eggs that they sell at their self-serve farm stand at 93 Steady Lane in Ashfield, open seven days per week. They take cash, checks and Venmo. They run a summer camp for children ages 5 to 11 that is full this season but watch their social media for registration information around February. Events are posted to Facebook, with more information at theporterfamilyfarm.com.
Lisa Goodrich is a communications coordinator for Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture. To find pick-your-own farms, farm stands, and farms offering fun activities, see buylocalfood.org.