Accessible Activity! Fruit Picking in Brentwood
Brentwood in the East Bay claims itself as the “U-Pick capital of the world”
By Arash Bayatmakou, NorCal SCI Executive Director
As challenging as it is to suffer a traumatic injury, inhabit a completely different body, and face all the accessibility limitations that exist for those of us with disabilities, it would be overwhelming to sink into that despair and feel frustrated all the time at all the things we can’t do. That’s why finding wheelchair accessible activities that align with one’s hobbies and interests is a feeling of accomplishment and success for most wheelchair users.
As a lifelong cook and lover of food, I’ve always enjoyed any opportunity to pick or harvest my own produce. Not only is it a great way to connect with the source of my food, there’s no doubt that everything tastes better (and is much more nutrient dense) when it’s picked fresh vs purchased at a supermarket.
I’d been fruit picking a handful of times before my injury, thanks to my mother’s interests and efforts, but never truly appreciated this activity until after my injury. Now that I know that it’s absolutely doable as a wheelchair user, our family makes it a priority to go fruit picking at least a few times each summer.
Brentwood – 50 miles east of SF/Oakland and the inner Bay Area – calls itself the “U-Pick capital of the world” as it has dozens of small farms that offer visitors the chance to pick their own fruit.
The process is simple: you show up, grab buckets or bags, head out to the orchard and pick as much fruit as you want, then you pay per pound for what you picked. Here’s the best part: while you’re picking, you’re also eating as much fresh fruit as you want, right off the tree.
The variety of fruit available reflects the incredible diversity of California’s agriculture and is of course, season dependent. Late spring (April- early June) is for strawberries, cherries and apricots, tasty fruits that have very short seasons. But for most of the summer, you can pick everything from nectarines, peaches, plums, mulberries, and more. There are plenty of options for conventional and organic picking.
Wheelchair access depends on the farm you visit but I’ve been to at least eight different farms and never had an issue with my manual wheelchair, albeit with a little help maneuvering the terrain at times.
One recent find that I’ve been back to several times is Airaya Farm and it has hands-down some of the best access with a variety of summer fruit: yellow and white peaches and nectarines, apricots, and plums. One driveway leads into the farm where there are fruit trees on either side. This means that from where you park your car to where you pick is as little as 10 feet!
The ground is dry and hard without many obstacles which means that rolling through with a wheelchair (even a power chair) is doable.
One other thing I love about fruit picking is that it’s a family friendly activity that kids really enjoy. I can say that spending some time in the shade of fruit trees, handpicking fruit, eating so much that all our faces are stained and sticky, and then coming home with tons of fresh fruit to enjoy is one of the more satisfying experiences I have with my kids.
So if you’re interested in doing a super fun, enjoyable, tasty (and healthy), family friendly activity, see what’s in season, head out to Brentwood, and pick to your heart’s content. You won’t regret it!
