Strawberry season is from winter to spring in Okayama, the fruit kingdom. In addition to popular varieties, we are also interested in prefectural and regional branded strawberries. Not only can you buy sweet, ripe, fresh strawberries, but you can also go strawberry picking, buy original products, and even have a cafe where you can enjoy menus made with strawberries. Introduction.
2024.03.251. Okayama Fruit Farm/Freshly grown Okayama Marche (Okayama City)
Okayama Fruit Farm's direct sales store ``Torete Okayama Direct Marche'', which sells local products such as vegetables and fruits in the Saidaiji area of Higashi Ward, Okayama City, is about 5 minutes from both Saidaiji IC and Setouchi IC on the Okayama Blue Line. location. We have vegetables and fruits from our own farms and contract farmers, as well as bento boxes and bread.
We also have a wide range of products that last for a long time and can be used as souvenirs, such as sweets and dressings that are unique to Okayama. Fish is also sold on certain days of the week.
Strawberries will start appearing in stores from December. There are five to six varieties available, including Benihoppe, Yotsuboshi, Yumenoka, and Kaorino.
In addition to the packs for each variety, there are also boxes of strawberries filled with non-standard strawberries, which are 2.5 packs worth of regular strawberries! Sometimes it's just one variety, and sometimes it's a mix of different varieties, so it's something to look forward to that day.
When you come here, you definitely want to check out Okayama Fruit Farm's original variety, Minataruhime. It has an overwhelming aroma, a rich flavor, a balance of sweetness and sourness, and a satisfying texture, all of which are perfect. You won't find it anywhere else, so don't miss out on buying it if you see it!
I found bread made with fresh strawberries at a direct sales store! The farm's proud fruit coppée, which was featured on TV, and melon bread filled with minashihime's jam-filled fresh cream.
At "Old Folk House Cafe & Cafe Hanare", which opened in 2023 behind the direct sales store, you can enjoy sweets made with strawberries harvested at the farm. The tart is filled with the day's recommended strawberries. A perfect combination with chocolate! The chocolate tart is also popular.
``Okayama Fruit Farm'' where you can pick strawberries for unlimited time and all you can eat. Strawberry picking starts early in Okayama Prefecture from late November and can be enjoyed for a long period of time until early June. You are free to enter and exit on the day, so you can spend the whole day in a luxurious style, buying and eating lunch at a direct sales store or having tea at a cafe.
Admission fees are weekdays (Tuesday to Thursday): 2,000 yen for adults (junior high school students and older), 1,300 yen for elementary school students, 900 yen for infants (2 years old and older), free for children under 2, and 2,300 yen for adults on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.
*Weekdays are 1,500 yen after April 9th, and Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays are 1,500 yen after 5/11.
*Reservations given priority. Unlimited time, all you can eat. Reservations can be made online 24 hours a day.
Click here to make a reservation for strawberry picking at Okayama Fruit Farm
[Okayama Fruit Farm]
Address: 545 Saidaiji Monmae, Higashi Ward, Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture
TEL: 086-224-2273 Business hours: Direct sales store...9:00-18:00, Strawberry picking (reservation priority)...Weekdays (Tuesday-Thursday) 10:00-16:00, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays 9:00-16:00 00
Regular holidays: Direct sales store…1/1, Strawberry picking…Monday and Friday (closed the next day if it is a holiday), January 1st to 3rd
Parking lot: 30 regular cars, large buses available
2. Nomaru Gardening Kibiji Farm (Soja City)
"Nomaru Gardening Kibiji Farm" is located in an easily accessible location, approximately 7 minutes from Kurashiki IC on the Sanyo Expressway and 10 minutes from Okayama Soja IC on the Okayama Expressway, and is one of the largest tourist farms in Chugoku and Shikoku.
The farmers' market is filled with seasonal fruits, vegetables, flowers, local sake, and other local specialties.
The four varieties of strawberries that will be harvested that morning in a greenhouse on the premises are ``Akihime'', ``Sachinoka'', ``Benihoppe'', and Okayama Prefecture's new brand ``Haruichigo''. Immediately after the store opened, customers started picking it up one after another. Ripe strawberries that are red all over are best eaten now. A curled stem is a sign of freshness.
Packs of substandard strawberries with irregular shapes or small grains. Although it says "for jam", these are also ripe strawberries picked in the morning. The taste is definitely delicious, so I recommend it for home use.
We also have a wide variety of original menu items using strawberries harvested in the morning. At the cake factory, you can enjoy a luxurious roll cake made with approximately 350g of strawberries, at a cafe, you can enjoy a parfait with plenty of strawberries on the top and inside, at the bakery you can find special strawberry sandwiches, and in addition, there are also fresh vinegared rice mixed with strawberry sauce. The lineup includes a variety of sushi, including sushi topped with fresh strawberries.
We use strawberries produced by Nomaru Gardening, such as ``Icchigo Rusk,'' ``Icchigo Drop,'' ``Icchii's Strawberry Milk Popcorn,'' and ``Icchigo Sugar,'' all of which have Nomaru Gardening's cute character Icchi printed on them. There is a wide variety of strawberry products available.
You can also enjoy strawberry picking in one of the largest greenhouses in the prefecture, with a total area of approximately 2,150 tsubo. Multiple varieties are grown in one building, so it's great to be able to taste and compare.
Admission fees are 1,980 yen for adults (junior high school students and older) on weekdays, 2,200 yen on weekends and holidays, 1,650 yen for children (elementary school students), 990 yen for infants (3 years old and older), and free for children under 2.
*Reservations preferred, all-you-can-eat for 40 minutes. Reservations can be made online from 2 months in advance to 3 days in advance.
*Reception on the day available (will end as soon as capacity is reached; reception may not be accepted on some days depending on the strawberry situation)
Click here to make a reservation for strawberry picking at Nomaru Gardening Kibiji Farm
[Normally Gardening Kibiji Farm]
Location: 411-1 Nishigun, Soja City, Okayama Prefecture
TEL: 0866-94-6755
Business hours: Direct sales store...9:00-18:00, Strawberry picking (reservation priority)...①9:00-,②10:30-
Closed: Year-end and New Year holidays
Parking: Up to 340 regular cars, large buses available
3. Waterwheel Village Fruittopia (Yakage Town)
Waterwheel Village Fruittopia, located in the eastern part of Yakage Town, is a popular tourist spot where you can experience harvesting and making your own food, go shopping, and enjoy barbecues empty-handed. Although located in the suburbs with plenty of nature, it is conveniently accessible from the expressway, approximately 20 minutes from Kamogata IC on the Sanyo Expressway.
The direct sales space is right in front of you when you enter the building. We have seasonal fruits that are harvested from our own farm or nearby. From winter to spring, the store is filled with strawberry red! Freshly harvested, ripe strawberries are shiny and shiny, and as you approach them, their sweet scent tickles your nose.
The strawberries that are harvested every morning and delivered to stores include ``Sagahonoka,'' which has a good balance of sweetness and acidity, and ``Akihime,'' which has a high sugar content and soft flesh, as well as ``Akihime,'' which has been rapidly gaining popularity in recent years and is characterized by its rich sweetness. There is also ``Yotsuboshi,'' which is red all the way through. Many customers come from outside the town to buy the products, and Yakage Town's hometown tax program is also attracting a lot of attention.
The direct sales store also sells processed products such as strawberry jam, gelato, and drinkable vinegar. The cafe's showcase also features strawberry tarts, Mont Blanc, panna cotta, and other homemade sweets that can be taken out.
The parfait, which uses plenty of fruits and agricultural products to taste the seasons, is very popular. It has a reputation for being cute and looks great in photos, so many people come just for that.
The cafe at the back of the direct sales shop has a great view. You can also try making sweets like parfaits, French toast, and crepes using the strawberries you picked yourself.
Three types of strawberries are grown in a greenhouse on the premises using water from the foot of Mt. Washimine. The inside of the house is well-maintained, and the aisles are wide enough to accommodate strollers and wheelchairs. Another good point is that it is easy to pick because it is grown on a raised platform.
Admission fees are 2,200 yen for junior high school students and older, 1,900 yen for elementary school students, 1,400 yen for ages 3 and older, and free for children under 2. (Prices as of February 2024)
*Reservation required, all-you-can-eat for 40 minutes. Reservations can be made online from the official website.
*Please inquire by phone if there is a slot available on the day.
Click here to make a reservation for strawberry picking at Waterwheel Village Fruittopia
In addition to the elevated cultivation greenhouse, there is also a soil cultivation greenhouse next door. We are growing delicious strawberries with a rich flavor. If you don't have a lot of red berries in your raised cultivation house, you can pick strawberries here.
[Watermill Village Fruittopia]
Location: 3974-20 Higashi Mitsunari, Yakage-cho, Oda-gun, Okayama Prefecture
TEL: 0866-83-3423
Business hours: Direct sales store…9:00-17:00, Strawberry picking (reservation required)…9:00-17:00
Closed: Wednesdays (open if Wednesday is a public holiday), year-end and New Year holidays
Parking: 90 regular cars, 6 buses
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