swanton berry farm

We love to stop at Swanton Berry Farm for preserves (make great gifts) and to grab a bite of one of their fresh baked goods. Love the Honor System pay method! This visit we found the Slow Coast General Store - converted Airstream parked at Swanton full of clothing, jewelry, local cheese, soap, coffee. Too many things to name. Now we have two reasons to stop at Swanton Berry Farm EVERY time we are even close to Davenport!

Don't miss this little gem of a spot on Highway One. It's a quaint little building filled with old maps,album covers and California ephemera and serves up some of the best berry desserts I have ever eaten.The bakery is filled with really delicious things to eat. Try the Tayberry cobbler with real whipped cream that they make from scratch. We always end up taking something from the bakery with us when we go. The preserves are very good and make great gifts.There are some tables, chairs and sofas in the dining area, and a fun area for kids filled with some nostalgic toys and games. Next door to the bakery is an airstream trailer that has been converted into a fun little shop for natural and organic items, jewelery, clothing and soaps. Really cute and worth a stop.

This is a great little side trip if you are in the Santa Cruz area, fresh, delicious strawberries, all kinds of yummy baked goods and candies, and fresh ciders and lemonades, it's all done on the honor system, but you will be happy to pay for the delicious treats they have here!

My cousin and I stopped here while driving south. We didnt pick our own berries but we did buy some things from the store. Everything was so fresh and so delicious. I bought and ate way more then I shouldve. It was on the honor system. You add up your purchases and put your money in the drawer and take change if you need. All the desserts were so good. Definitely stop here for something.

We stayed just down the road and drove up to this place after breakfast at the Whale Bakery. Wished we had more room to eat but we didn't. Had chocolate berries and a taste of their jam. OMG. So fresh. Others were stopping by to pick berries, room inside to read and drink coffee. And a honor system for paying. Awesome place.

Swanton Berry Farm on the coast road just north of Santa Rosa. A small but interesting berry farm. The good thing about Swanton Berry Farm is that there is no "picking fee". The strawberries cost $3 a pound. They use an "honesty" system Pick up a cardboard tray at the little cafe/shop, walk or drive the 400m to the strawberry field, pick your strawberries ( eating just a few to sample ), back to the shop, weigh your collection of strawberries, pay at the "honesty counter" by "posting" high denomination notes in a secure box and taking small denominations and coins for change. This season, because of lack of rain the strawberries only average in size but still tasty. A very enjoyable side activity to break up the road trip.

On a recent road trip through California I had high hopes of the food along the coast and they were dashed- Good news is that three of the best food experiences I had were in this sunshine state- On our drive through Santa Cruz along the coast fog descended and felt as if we were being devoured by clouds- out of the fog we spotted a sign painted with a strawberry on a vintage truck saying open ! Organic Produce- my three favourite words- Here is the link- http://www.swantonberryfarm.com Berry Farm- berries are one of my favourite things- The place appeared a bit run down on the outside - but in the end that was part of the charm. I leaped out of the car to take pictures of a red tailed hawk sitting on a prickly pear bush – I was so pleasantly surprised to walk in the door and find this homey warm sort of rustic Cali establishment – It is filled with memorabilia and has board games for the kids and lots to look at and treats to buy- and yes organic produce and coffee. They have and honour system set up with the staff behind the glass were busy preparing food. I could sense the pride they had and as I checked out the berry jams I was thrilled to find flavours I had never encountered before- Olallieberries Prices vary depending on the berry-I chose the Ollalieberry Jam which was roughly 10 dollars for a 10 ounce jar – the best 10 dollars I have ever spent- that jam was a welcome companion at our little picnics along the way to Monterrey- I was sad when I scraped the last bit out of the jar- but I knew I could order more on line- We decided to pick up the tayberry shortcake in a tub- This was divine- pure cream- not oily substitute and it was perfectly sugared and the tartest berries and a melting shortcake- This we had to fight over- out of thankfulness to the driver I let him have the last bite- If you ever find yourself driving along the coast in Davenport California- watch for that vintage truck and berry sign - it is a great spot with out of this world jams and shortcake! You can read my full review about my road trip at bucky'sview.com.

We had just left San Francisco on route one and were taken by the sun, the open road and liked the thought of a rest break as we drove by and after a U turn in the road we entered Swanton Berry Farm which was in full sing with families picking their own strawberries. We weren't there for the strawberries but what a fabulous thing this is for the visitor especially foreigners like ourselves. Imagine a long, low barn like structure with one end stacked with fresh jams, cakes, delicious strawberry lemonade, cheesecake and coffee whilst the other end are tables chairs, games for children and all sorts of vintage Americana around the walls. The farm works on an honesty system with you leaving your money in the till. You cannot speak highly enough about the food which is divine but add that to the happy go lucky family feeling in the room and it is an inspiring place to be. Lucky we turned around.

If you're taking the PCH north to San Fransisco, this is a great place to stop for true local produce and goods. The people here are extremely nice and the "shop" is well-worth stopping in to take a look around (and hopefully buys some of their eco-friendly and well-made items). The "Slow Coast" trailer next store is also chalk full of great gift ideas and items that support sustainable living and help the environment. Take some time to chat with the people there, too. It's good for the body and mind.

From the "honor till" to the signs supporting undocumented migrants, this place is a little slice of California heaven. Try the strawberry lemonade--it's phenomenal. And as others have said, bring cash!

During a coastal drive with my family, we stopped by this berry farm because it looked like a cool place to stop (handmade signs, lots of color) and we're glad we did! I had THE BEST strawberry short cake I've had in my life. They have a jam/preserve tasting station, U-pick it farm during the season, and as I mention, heavenly deserts. This is a gem by the coast. BRING CASH.Also, you get to see the SLOWCOAST airstream (http://www.slowcoast.org/)

Love the strawberry chocolate truffles and the spiced cider was the BEST i have ever had! it's a quaint little place right next to highway 1 and it's definitely worth your 10-20 minutes!!!

We stopped over on our way up on pacific coast highway. The strawberry chocolate pie was absolutely amazing. The shop and place was very cosy and friendly.

This is my favorite place ever. It combines good food, atmosphere, relaxation and history. The strawberry shortcake is a must if you're stopping. But bring some real cash, because you'll want to buy everything. The Strawberry Rhubarb Jam is delicious, the blackberry truffles are fantastic and the coffee is damn good too. Take a sweater and a blanket and relax on the lawn chairs outside - it's windy.I am a Chicana, so I really identify with the message that Swanton Berry Farm is sending - fair wages for workers no matter who they are, and good, wholesome products. What else can you ask for in a business? Truly a gem.

Cute little place!I am reviewing only the farm stand because we didn't get the chance to pick at their U-pick locations for strawberries, olallieberries, or blackberries. Definitely check to see what is in season. Love the look and feel of this place! They sell strawberries, baked goods, and jams. Anything that you can think of that they can make with a strawberry or any of the berries that they sell on their property they create and sell at the farm stand. It was great because they have a jam tasting station that had different types of berries. They had a tayberry, loganberry, olallieberry, olallieberry and strawberry, and blackberry jams. I may have missed one or two. I never tasted a tayberry, loganberry, or an olallieberry before so it was a treat for me!It's cool how they have an "honor till". You calculate all the items you are purchasing on your own and then you go to the money till and get your own change back! Also inside of the farm stand they have a few tables that have little board games and things to entertain little kiddos. If we are ever in the area I definitely would like to come back and pick some fruit. Restrooms: They only have porta potties.