Introduced to Richardson Family Farms' remarkably good organic strawberries as available in 2 lb…read more flats in early September at the Boise Co Op by friend Carl Y and his wife, my husband and I found these fragrant, perfectly ripe, super delicious gems to be the best strawberries of the season. That they were local and organic and harvested so late in the summer intrigued us enough to seek out Richardson's in Emmett and pick our own. WORKING MEDITATION There is a sort of meditation involved in being in a place like this doing the work of picking berries. The only sounds were the wind rustling plants, the click of grasshopper wings in flight, the buzz of yellow jackets seeking out the fruit over-ripe and the upbeat voice of brother talking to sister in the next field as they picked berries for the market. Add in the aroma of the berries as warmed by the sun, it was a pretty sweet experience all around. THE DRILL The drill here to pick is pretty informal. When they see your car pull in, one of the folks who work on the farm (we met both the owner and his son) will ask if you're there to pick, give you a box for the berries and point you in the direction of the plants with the most ripe fruit. The owner even gave my hubby a strawberry picking tutorial, how to recognize the perfectly ripe ones from those that seem ready but aren't quite yet. When you're done, they'll weigh your boxes and tell you what a ridiculously little amount of money is owed. WEEDING FOR BERRIES The owner told us for folks who want fresh berries but who feel they cannot afford to buy them, he is happy to trade their work to help weed the rows for berries in return. Nice barter system it seemed to us. Work for food. THANKS TO FARMERS My strawberry picking days are in the rear view mirror due to limits introduced by MS but I had a lot of experience in my youth and enjoyed supervising my hubby's first time efforts! He thought it was fun for an agricultural excursion day and enjoyed every minute of his couple of hours. But he also recognized it would be back breaking to pick berries for a living. We both took a moment to tell the Richardson Farm family members who were doing that work, this is truly a family operation in the fields as the owner has more than a dozen children,, how much we value being able to simply swing by the Co Op to buy their fine berries because of their work. It was a verbal hug of America's family farmers of whom we think good thoughts all the time. CO-OP AVAILABILITY If you're planning on buying via the Co Op the berries should be available there at times into October. The folks we met at the farm went out of their way to say how much they appreciated having the Co Op as their partner. THIS N THAT: 1) PRICE: If you want a true appreciation for what a fair price is on these flats of berries at the Co Op, venture out and pick for a couple of hours and consider the cost to the farmer to organically grow them, pick them, package them and transport them to market. Then consider the cost of the Co Op to put them up for sale. 2 lb. flats at Co Op are $7.95, so just under $4.00 / pound. If you compare to the most commonly available CA Grower (Driscoll) for organic berries pound for pound, these locals are a lower cost. If you pick your own at the farm, they cost a mere $1.50 / pound. Factor in the cost of travel to get to Emmett and the opportunity cost for your time, that Co Op price is a bargain too! 2) ACCESSIBILITY: Hard packed, gravel covered pathway. Neither porta-pot is accessible. 3) OTHER FRUITS AND VEGGIES: Sometimes available. Yesterday they included cherry tomatoes, Armenian cucumbers and Italian prune plums. 4) CONTACT INFO & GETTING THERE: If you plan to venture out, the farm is a little tough to find. The best way to zero in is via their website linked here. http://idahoberry.wordpress.com/ 5) THE OWNER: Worth saying he is an eccentric type of man. He has run for Governor at least once and his personal, legal name is Right to Life. You are not going to meet Old MacDonald if you visit the farm.

I don't really know what I was expecting when I was heading to this place. I heard they a good pies…read moreand good fresh produce.. and when I came in to this place, I was in awe. The shelves were empty and seemed like nothing was really there, and the pies didn't seem fresh at all. They had cool jars of pickles and candies.. but that was it. Maybe it was just a bad day? Or maybe I went in the wrong time 0930am? I don't know. lol

Nothing organic there. Plus a huckleberry pie is $50. Better be good! The staff could use some…read moretraining. But... their homemade fresh salsa is amazing!!!!!!!!!and I'm pretty persnickety about salsa! I will stop there just for that! Update: had the pie. It was great. Expensive, but very good and not too sweet.

Lovely staff and great options! Only wish would be for them to ditch the new AI generated banner…read moreand go back to the classic look that was much more inviting

I was in this store with my Boyfriend and I'm Black he's White I'm from out of town tell me…read moreWhy I was watched like a hawk followed down the isles . We were asking about some products when the Manager came and wanted to take our picture for the store website funny how that picture never made it on that website !!!! Yes I checked the page !Poor customer service so scared that a Black Person was in the store !Just discussing !!Bigots if I ever seen suck disrespect

Such a cute orchard!!! Came to pick some apples and left with about 20 pounds of golden delicious…read more They're also pet friendly! Brought our puppy with us. Stopped by the main shop to grab buckets then we had to drive down the road to the actual orchards. They also have cider and other goodies. Such a sweet family highly recommend for anyone and everyone! We'll be back for sure during other fruit seasons!!

Had a great time picking cherries! Super friendly. Easy to get to and fun to do with the kids…read more Thanks!

I researched something fun to do with kids and adults and found this hidden gem. The family that…read moreruns the farm is so kind and knowledgeable. The family grows and cultivates fresh herbs, freeze dried and fresh organic eggs, and take really good care of their animals. First, we saw their barn, then walked to the cows, then to their orchard, then two chicken coops, and then we met and pet the Goats (my son loved Pongo the best! ), qnd then saw Alpacas. Overall, my family and I loved it! We wanted to stay longer! Sweet family and maybe if they start up a Bed n Breakfast, we would love to stay.

This place is heaven on earth. For Christmas, my husband sponsored Pongo the goat for me and we got…read moreto go hang out with all of the animals! These babies are LOVED. Ron and Lisa are such wonderful people who really have passion for what they do. On our way out they gave us some eggs and they are THE BEST eggs we've ever had. We actually just picked up 2 more dozen today and some honey! I can't wait to order some more stuff from their country store. We will be forever customers of Back Forty Farm!

Flaky pie crust! So flaky...so delicious. I found Miss D'arcy on Yelp and took a chance for…read moreThanksgiving. We ordered a Banana Cream Pie and a Pumpkin Pie. Both pies were delicious with the Pumpkin being the best we've had. She has a plethora of flavors I am excited to try. Her shop is out in the farmland and very quaint. Make sure to call ahead for your orders.

Boom! Pecan Bourbon…read more Chocolate cream Peach pie Are you hungry yet? Miss D'Arcy is amazing!!! The Pecan Bourbon was the perfect dose for post turkey hangover!!! She is no longer in downtown Nampa, use the Lewis Lane address. If your going to go pick up pies/cakes make sure you call ahead an schedule a pick up time!

This place is great, everything local The local cherries are my favorite oh and the banana whip…read morewow! Everybody that works there so friendly and sweet

Newly re-opened this week (on 6/8/26) and now with Symms Fruit Farm, a 100+ year old grower of…read morecherries, several kinds of stonefruit, pears and sometimes quince that is still family operated, as owner operators of this partly Farmers Market partly grocery market store in an old barn like building in Boise. Looking at this Yelp page I was surprised to see reviews, some not flattering, dating back to the 2010 - 2012 era for the same business name at this location but that one closed, years ago it seems, and this is now new ownership and focus but the same business name. Recalibrating. As it were. My first visit in had me eager to go back again as new place wobbles get worked out and the growing season allows them to bring in more local produce. They have what is available in that now and for the other produce they stock it is all organic so works for me! WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE HERE SERVICE: I'll mention product below, but what stood out for my husband and me on this visit was what nice people work here, how helpful everyone is and how much one feels a good spirit of welcome and care in the space. Delightful. PRODUCTS: Produce, flours and grains from local mill, local honeys (the one we chose from Panoptic Apiary in Middleton is excellent), local poultry and beef in a freezer case, dairy (including raw milk if that's your thing) in a dedicated refrigerator case and another with things like a variety of really good salsas, house made guacamole, jarred sauerkraut and...the list goes on. They had Symms cherries, the first of the season's crop, in the store and they are excellent. I picked up some other produce to round out what I needed at home, most of it not local farm grown at this point in the year but all of it fresh and organic. I'm hopeful they'll be able to expand to bring in some farmers, like those who are at the Boise Farmer's Market, to round out their local produce offerings. Gaston's Bakery bread was on a rack and I learned the baker delivers to them daily. They were giving away flowers from a local grower and said they would have more coming in to sell in the store. The flower farm name was Sunny Stems (Caldwell ID) and on the card that came with the flowers, I loved that the owner, Ineke Severa, identifed herself as "grower & dreamer". HEALTHY AND SWEET TREAT SURPRISE!: There is a 'Smoothie' sign above the check out counter and given I have never learned to appreciate those, I didn't study it but then just as I was leaving I saw the sign alongside for a frozen banana whip sweetened with dates. I am a sucker for dates so I ordered one with optional fresh strawberry topping. It was dee-licious and even in the smallest size (only $4 for 9 oz), it was shareable by two. I would go back just for one of these again. PARKING: Ample amount in private lot. ACCESSIBILITY: There is an spot marked with wheelchair emblem paint in the lot near the door but it is not compliant with state building code or ADA because the striped access aisle is on the wrong side of the vehicle. I pause here for a little venting, I don't know who owns the lot but for Pete's sake, there have been crystal clear guidelines in both the ADA law and code for what will be 36 years next month and how this is gotten wrong is beyond understanding. It makes a big difference to people who use wheelchairs and it is embedded in law and code for a reason. That the city of Boise allows these things to go uncorrected is maddening because it is their job to enforce the Access Building Code, including in parking lots. End of vent. Other than that the inside is fully accessible for floor space and check out counter height. LOO: There is one so you can plan accordingly if you want to order a pot of their French Press coffee that was listed on a board. IN THEIR OWN WORDS AS PS: Owners spend time to write marketing material and mission statements and I think it is important to share them. Here are these owners comments as shared on their site titled: ROOTED IN IDAHO. BUILT FOR YOUR TABLE. "town and Country Market was born from a simple belief: the best ingredients don't come from a warehouse across the country. They come from the farm down the road. We've built relationships with Idaho's finest growers, ranchers, and artisans so that you don't have to wonder where your food comes from. When you shop with us, you're buying from the people who planted it, picked it, and made it with their own hands. That's not a marketing claim. That's just how we do things. From the rolling orchards of the Snake River Plain to the cottage kitchens of the Treasure Valley, every item in our store carries a little piece of Idaho in it. Come on in and taste the difference."

Went to pick berries in early July and the raspberries were great, but the strawberries were a bit…read morepicked over by that time. I agree with previous reviews that the animals don't appear to be kept well. No shade for the sheep at all, they were all heavily panting in their wool coats with a small water source and small pen. Please provide shade for the animals when it's nearly 100°!! I know it's a family run small business but they could at least provide shade for the sheep. Wish I got a picture :/

Was really disappointed in how the animals are being treated. No room to roam. The sheep's hooves…read morewere so overgrown and they looked like they were in pain. Some were even scared to come get treats from us. The cows had absolutely no room to even move, so basically laying in their own feces, no shade for none of the animals except maybe a little for the horse. Some of the cows were literally bones. No fat in them whatsoever. The hay ride was ok, it once in the patch you literally were able to pick along the road. So much overgrowth and not well kept. The areas to take pictures with our family were disgusting. Everything was covered in cobwebs and thick amounts of dirt. Needed to throw a few Kleenexes and a bag away and not a single garbage can in site. Completely dissatisfied as unused to take my children here a long time ago and wanted to do this with my grandson. I will not be back.