FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Please park along the tree line to the right of the driveway, then head to the RV awning near the strawberry fields. We will ensure you have containers (you can bring your own or buy) and assign you a row so that you won’t need to pick behind other people. We have a flag system where you can mark where you left off so our next guests can find their place.

Typically, we are open Monday to Friday from 9am – 6pm in peak season. Saturdays we are open 8am – 5pm. Sundays we are closed. Our season usually runs through most of July and sometimes into August, weather dependent. Due to weather, demand for berries, and crop ripening needs, we may close suddenly or change hours daily.  Check the crop report section or our social media accounts for the most up to date information.

We are approximately 1 km south off of Highway 12 in Lacombe County near Bentley/Gull Lake on Range Rd 1-0.  See google map link on our contact us page for detailed driving instructions.  Our address is 40217 Range Rd 1-0.  Look for our sign at the black entrance gate; you will also see straw, high fencing and a white house/gray shop.   Only 15 minutes from Lacombe or Sylvan Lake and about 25 minutes from Red Deer.  We are very close to Lakeview and Brewers provincial campgrounds.

Note that our farm does not yet show up on google maps satellite imagery as it was previously bare land.  We have developed this farm from scratch starting in the fall of 2020.

Unfortunately, we are not set up to handle large RV’s.  Parking is free – follow the signage upon entry through our gate.

We recommend bringing a bottle of water, sunscreen, comfortable shoes and a good attitude.  If you have picking containers, they can be used at our farm.  This could be anything from a large mixing bowl to Tupperware or ice cream buckets.  We will weigh the containers before entering the field and mark them with a marker so that weight can be deducted off at check out (so you are only paying for the net strawberry weight)

If you don’t have containers, don’t worry.  A variety of sizes of containers can be purchased at the farm.  We sell our containers at our cost.

1L quart (holds roughly 1 lb of berries)

2L handled basket (holds roughly 2 lbs of berries)

4L handled basket (holds roughly 4 – 5 lbs of berries)

Flat (holds roughly 8 – 10 lbs of berries)

Sturdy 4.5L Koornneef Farms branded handled bucket (holds roughly 5 lbs of berries)

No, we do not charge admission. Our farm is not set up for long term stays (no toys or play structures for the kids, no hay rides or picnic tables, etc.)  As our farm develops and we figure out the demand, we may add these in future years. 

Of course.  It’s part of the experience as a family.  But they need to be well behaved, pick cleanly, and stay in your assigned rows.  We cannot risk damage to our crop and ask for a reasonable parent to kid ratio.  You will be asked to leave if damage to our field is observed.

We recommend washing our berries prior to consumption.  Strawberries are a high value crop and you likely don’t sample food at the grocery store before purchasing it.  Don’t make us weigh you before and after your visit (kidding!). Upon request, we are happy to provide a clean sample for you to try before going picking.

No pets are allowed.  We produce a food product and cannot risk contamination or damage to our fields.  Our field is fully fenced to keep coyotes, deer and other unwanted animal visitors out.  We have our own pets but they are kept out of the fields and used for rodent control and security.

We are not classified as an organic farm, however our spraying practices are limited to fungicides.  They are applied early and late in the season before and after the fruit is produced to prevent rotting and black spot or powdery mildew on the leaves.  We recommend washing the berries prior to consumption. 

 

We use beneficial insects for pest control and some good old fashioned hoes and manual labour to keep the field weed free. 

Berries ripen overnight and the best time is first thing in the morning.  Unless picking in the heat of the afternoon is your thing, try to come early for the best selection and quality.  Get those big ones before they are gone.

Cash is preferred. We also use Square payment processing and can accept Interac Debit, Mastercard, Visa, AMEX, Apple Pay or Google Pay. Minimum card transaction value of $10. 

Yes we do! We have developed a full line of strawberry products in collaboration with Mini Kitchen, a commercially inspected kitchen based in Edmonton. We currently offer: Strawberry jam, Strawberry blackberry blueberry jam, Strawberry vanilla compote, Strawberry Chipotle barbecue sauce, Strawberry syrup, and Strawberry mint lemonade (concentrated drink mix). We sell these on the farm and at markets, while supplies last.  Our products are also sold at local Co-op stores, Freson Bros and several small retailers (Gull Lake Honey Company, Pik n Pak and S4 are just a few examples). 

Yes we do! During our season we work hard to freeze our berries at the peak of freshness to last all winter.  Our frozen berries are available on the farm, just shoot us an email or use the ‘order now’ button to order – these are sold by weight so let us know how much you’d like. 

At this time we do not. You are welcome to bring your own as needed, but we do  ask that you leave them at the edges of the rows to prevent fruit and runner damage. 

  • Please stay in your assigned row and pick as cleanly as possible. Depending on the season, smaller berries are often sweeter than the big ones!  We want all our berries to be enjoyed, and if our guests only pick the easy ones, it’s difficult for our pickers to follow and find berries in a partially picked row.
  • No smoking on site
  • Please be respectful of our employees, family and property
  • We reserve the right to limit access during peak times or if rules are not being followed
  • Please book ahead if you plan to bring a large group of over 20 people 

Why Choose Koornneef Farms

Family Owned & Operated

Premium Alberta Berries

Locally Grown

U-Pick & Pre-Picked