The notion of farm-to-table has been gaining a lot of popularity lately. Many people are in search of better and healthier foods and they refuse to consume prepackaged and processed foods. As the whole nation is trying to change and find a healthier lifestyle, it is nice to know that here in the Quad Cities we have many farms where they practice the farm-to-table principle. Happy Hollow U Pick from East Moline is one of these farms.
Happy Hollow U Pick started to sell fresh fruits and vegetables in 1995. The first year they had strawberries, asparagus and a few other vegetables. They sold goats for meat as well. With the passing of year the owners Susie Navarro Andrews and her husband Stephen Andrews kept on adding more vegetables to the already the ones they grow.
“As the years have gone by, we have added many vegetables to the list of what we grow. As our customers ask for certain vegetables, we add them if we can find the seed,” Navarro Andrews explained. 
This year Happy Hollow U Pick is celebrating its 20th Anniversary. Many years have passed, but this farm continues offering fresh fruits and vegetables in town along with a fun experience of picking them yourself. The whole family can come and enjoy picking the freshest strawberries or tomatoes right off the plants in the field. If picking your own vegetables and fruits is not something you are very interested in, you can always just buy it at the farm. Many of the vegetables sold at the farm have been picked by the employees for your convenience.
The season for fresh fruits and vegetables has already started. Every fruit and vegetable has its own time when it grows and its ready for harvest. Usually the season starts with asparagus. The month of May Happy Hollow U Pick sells freshly picked asparagus and they are open from noon to 5 PM. The asparagus is picked by the employees of the farm. Happy Hollow U Pick has a full list of fresh fruits and vegetables they offer during the months of summer and fall. You can find a list on the webpage www.happyhollowupick.com or look for their page Happy Hollow U Pick on Facebook.
Due to harsh and cold winter the season for fresh fruits and vegetables will be a late this year. “We do have thousands of plants in the greenhouse just about ready to be planted into the ground. But, we have to wait for the ground to get warmer and more dry to plant,” Navarro Andrews told us.
In addition to wonderful fresh fruits and vegetables Happy Hollow U Pick also sells live goats for pets and for meat and lambs for meat. If you decide to buy a goat or lamb for meat you will have to take them off the farm alive. You are not allowed to butcher the animals on the farm.
If you feel like going to a farm might not be something you want to do, you can also find Happy Hollow U Pick fresh produce at the following farmer’s markets in Quad Cities area: Illinois Quad City Fruit and Vegetable Growers Farmers Market at Skate City in East Moline on Wednesday’s and Saturday’s from 8 AM to noon, the Trinity Parking lot in Moline on Saturday mornings until noon and the Freight House Farmers Market in Davenport also on Saturdays from 8 AM to 1 PM.
Happy Hollow U Pick is also a great option for new moms and their young children who receive WIC Farmer’s Market coupons and older adults who receive Senior Farmer’s Market coupons. The coupons are accepted between June 1 and October 31 at the farm and at farmer’s markets. Happy Hollow U Pick offers a unique opportunity to young moms and their children to come and pick their own fruits and vegetables. It is not only a fun experience; it is also a healthy one.
While a notion of farm-to-table is now becoming more popular, Happy Hollow U Pick has offered everyone a way towards healthier lifestyle for 20 years now. This farm is a fun experience for the whole family. Not only families can enjoy a nice afternoon together picking fresh fruits and vegetables they can also enjoy the fresh produce they picked themselves at home afterwards.
Happy Hollow U Pick is located at 17325 20th Avenue North; East Moline, IL.
For more information please call (309) 496- 1515 or visit their web site www.happyhollowupick.com or Facebook page.
Photos by Vey Rodriguez
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