SPRINGFIELD — If it’s spring, then it’s strawberry picking-time in Effingham County.

The place to go for the tasty treats is Hodges Strawberry Farm. It is located just off Ga. Hwy 21 near the Screven County line.

The picking couldn’t be any easier. You pick up a red bucket and then walk up and down the rows of planted strawberries, selecting the ones you want to take home. 

After you get what you want, you just take the bucket back to the checkout stand to weigh them up and pay for the berries.

It’s a pleasant way for a family to spend a morning without crowds and get a little exercise and sunshine.

The farm specializes in strawberries but also offers blackberries.

The season for strawberries runs from early spring to about mid-May  when the blackberries are ready. Blackberries can be picked until the end of June. And unlike the berries you see in fields and near streams, these are up off the ground and offer very easy picking.

Owner Eddie Hodges said that more people are coming out to pick despite the COVID-19 pandemic. He emphasizes that customers must practice social distancing and some, including staffers, are wearing masks. 

In addition to the berry picking, there are farm animals nearby for children to view.

Hodges said his great-great-grandfather bought the land in 1869 and noted that it was even featured on Gen. William T. Sherman’s maps from the Civil War.

For directions or more information, call 912-754-7257.