We shopped at a little farm cart while staying at a Thousand Trails Park in Orlando, Florida. The farmer had big, fresh onions for sale. We asked the farmer about the onions, and he told us they were Strawberry Onions, and they were planted around the strawberry fields in Plant City, Florida. He said, “They are the sweetest onions ever. I eat them raw, just like an apple!”
So, after visiting the farm cart, we wanted to know more about Plant City, Florida, and the strawberries and onions planted there.
We learned that Plant City is the Winter Strawberry Capital of the United States because it grows three-fourths of the country’s winter strawberries. Google Maps said Plant City was only 45 miles away, so we decided to drive to Plant City and see some of these Strawberry and Onion fields for ourselves.
When we arrived in Plant City, it was lunchtime. We researched the restaurants in the area and decided to eat at Fred’s Market, which provides southern farm-to-table goodies in buffet-style dining. When we arrived, Fred’s was packed! But after a short 20-minute wait, we were seated, and a server came for our order. We both chose the all-you-can-eat buffet for our lunch choice.
At first, the buffet looked a little small. But the buffet table was lined with pot after pot of home-cooked delicious meats and vegetables. We piled on everything that would fit on our generous-sized plates, headed back to our table, and began diving in!
The food was the best buffet food we have ever eaten!
After lunch, our next task was to locate some strawberries! Our first stop was Parkesdale Market. When we arrived, the market was very crowded, and we parked in the back lot and walked to the market.
In addition to selling produce, the market also sells strawberry shortcakes, which are very popular. We visited the market on a weekday, and the line to buy the shortcakes was about seventy-five feet long. We didn’t purchase any shortcakes because we were too stuffed from lunch!
We liked the Parkesdale Market but were a little disappointed because there were no strawberry fields and we had not seen any strawberry fields anywhere in or near the city. We wondered how this could be the strawberry capital of the country and not grow strawberries. We knew there must be strawberry fields somewhere, so we googled strawberry fields near Plant City. We discovered that many strawberry farms existed outside the city limits.
The closest farm was Berry Hill, and we realized it was a u-Pick farm when we arrived. So, after buying a quart of berries at Parksville, we decided to pick another quart from Berry Hill. We discovered onions planted at the perimeter of the field! The farm had row after row of well-manicured strawberry plants. Choosing the ripest, freshest-looking berries was a lot of fun!
Pulling an onion or two was tempting, but we decided that pulling onions might get us into a little trouble with the farmer.
After picking berries, we drove around some of the country roads. The landscape was dotted with berry fields, and planted on the perimeter of each field were onions!
We finished the day by visiting a local winery to sample some local brews. If you are curious, rest assured there is no such thing as Strawberry Onion wine.
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