Credit: Special Arrangement
If you believe you have to plan a trip to Mahabaleshwar to visit a strawberry farm, you’re mistaken. Strawberry picking is now a popular activity near Bengaluru between December and March.
Located in Chikkaballapura, about 83 km from the city centre, Wholesome Farms started offering strawberry picking tours in 2020. “We started Wholesome Farms in 2018, initially cultivating crops like ginger, tomatoes and capsicum, but soon we realised that these markets were quite uncertain,” says Satish Reddy, proprietor, who moved on to strawberry farming a few years later. “The exotic fruit was not commonly grown in Bengaluru. Strawberry picking came as an afterthought as it was something we had experienced and enjoyed abroad,” he shares.
Thanks to social media, posts about strawberry picking soon went viral. “Staying cooped up during the pandemic led to a growing desire among city folk to connect with nature. We’d have people travelling over three hours just for some quiet time on a farm. This trend has continued. Every year, the number of visitors keeps growing,” he shares.
To ensure the strawberry beds are not damaged, only 200 people are allowed at the farm per day, divided between morning and afternoon batches. Over the years, 12,000 people have visited the farm to pick strawberries. Spread across 3.5 acres, the farm only produces Winter Dawn strawberries — an American variety that has become widely popular in India. Strawberries are priced at
Rs 500 per kg, and entry to the farm costs Rs 300 per person.
Multiple varieties
Bangalore Berry Company has taken a different approach. With two farms in Malur, the company grows about six strawberry varieties imported from the US, Europe, and Italy — including Winter Dawn, Murano, Elide and Ardea.
Both the farms also have a cafe called ‘Berry Bistro’ which offers a wide variety of strawberry delicacies including milkshakes, pickles, and desserts. In addition to the strawberries, the farms also have papayas, capsicums, leafy greens, cherry tomatoes and sunflowers. “The sunflowers have become a popular attraction, as they provide a good photo opportunity,” shares Chaitanya Mandavilli, co-founder. Entry to the farm costs Rs 500 per person.
Across the globe, strawberries are considered a part of the dirty dozen, a list of fruits and vegetables with the highest detectable levels of pesticide. These require stringent cleaning before consumption. However, the berries at Bangalore Berry Company are safe to eat without washing, claims Mandavilli. “We in fact encourage customers to try a few fresh strawberries straight off the farm, as no harmful chemicals are used in growing them and they are residue-free. Hence, it is unfair to compare their prices with supermarket prices,” he adds. At the farm, one kg of strawberries costs Rs 800, while the cost of strawberries at the supermarket or on e-commerce platforms is approximately Rs 400.
Since opening to the public in late 2021, the farm has seen a steady flow of customers from in and around the city. Last year, they received 10,000 visitors, their highest so far.
“This year, due to the unseasonal rains in 2024, the strawberry harvest season is a bit delayed. Plants started fruiting in November last year, but this year it was late into December,” he shares. Encouraged by the success of strawberry picking, the company plans to start farm tours focused on a variety of fruit and vegetables throughout the year.