Forget the trip to the farmers markets. The best way to get fresh fruits and vegetables is to go straight to the source. And at Brentwood's 150-acre Smith Family Farm the u-pick season is always on. Summer is filled with cherries, boysenberries, plums and peaches; fall brings walnuts, pomegranates, persimmons, pumpkins and apples. Grab a pail, stroll through fruit and vegetable crops, and pick to your taste buds' pleasure. Stay awhile. At the end of the property there's a large picnic ground with a table and hay bales for seats. Tall trees offer shade on hot days and Mount Diablo is in clear view. U-pick when to go: The farm's open year round.
TIP: Smith Family Farm is a member of Harvest Time, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving agri-tourism in the Brentwood region. Pick up their map to over 40 growers in the region.
Smith Family Farm, 4430 Sellers Ave., Brentwood; 925-625-5966. Directions are available on their Web site.