Although summer has ended and fall has officially begun, there are many outdoor activities offered in Lancaster County. Picking fruit from pick-your-own (PYO) fields is one of them. People can enjoy the fruits of their labor and take home fresh produce straight from the source. PYO operations are said to have started in the Depression era, when farmers couldn't afford to pay their pickers, so they cut out the middleman and invited the consumer to come straight to the source. Another theory is that PYO fields have been around for as long as farmers have grown more than they can sell at wholesale or consume on the farm. Nevertheless, PYO operations have become a fun and sustainable tradition that benefits both the farmer and the consumer.

Picking produce from a PYO field can provide many benefits. For one, it's an adventure. People can go by themselves or with friends or family; bring a picnic lunch; get some sun; breathe in the fresh air; and surround themselves with nature. It's also good for the environment because supporting local farmers promotes sustainability and ecological preservation, which benefits the Earth. The food people pick will likely be fresher than produce from any market and taste even better. Simply being outside can improve a person's mood, reduce stress, and boost the immune system.

"Pick-your-own is an experience," said Phyllis Shenk, who has worked at Cherry Hill Orchards in Lancaster since 1977. "At first, pick-your-own was a cost-saving measure, but now it's recreation; it's that experience of picking my own and eating my own."

In the local area, PYO options are available year round, with crops including cherries, strawberries, peaches, apples, pumpkins, blackberries, and flowers, including sunflowers.

Fruits have different ripening dates, and autumn is the prime time for apples. Among the varieties that can be picked locally are McIntosh, Early Gold, Jonathan, Akane, Smokehouse, Fuji, Empire, Honeycrisp, Cortland, Jonagold, JonaMac, Ida Red, Stayman, and York.

"People like to know where their food comes from, and they can do that with the pick-your-own field," stated Corey McCleaf, co-owner of Cherry Hill Orchards.