Couponing, case lot sales, food coops, farmer's markets and gardening are all great ways to reduce your family food bill.

But have you tried picking your own produce?

There are pick-your-own farms in towns all over the country. And great savings can be had by spending an hour or two picking your own fresh food.

Our family spent a couple of hours this afternoon picking raspberries. We paid $2 per pound for them, which is a STEAL compared to grocery store prices.

And we got more out of it than simply inexpensive berries. Although that would have been reward enough by itself.

The kids enjoyed some time out in the berry patch seeing how they grow and learning how to find the perfect berries. They felt privvy to a great secret when they figured out that the canes that were bent over were hiding a cache of heavy red berries beneath their leaves.

My young son declared that he didn't like raspberries when we set out to find the berry patch. But once we got there and he mastered the skill of finding the ripe berries, he could barely stand to put any berries in the bowl. He would have happily eaten them as fast as he could pick them.

Kids are more likely to try different foods if they can be involved in some other level of it. Whether it's growing it, preparing it or even just plucking it from a plant.

Keep your eyes and ears open to any local opportunities to pick your own produce and save some money while building memories and a love for fresh food.

It's not too late in the season. There is still a bounty of produce to be had for a little bit of time and far fewer dollars than you would spend at the grocery store.

Here's a great website for finding pick your own farms in your area.

https://www.pickyourown.org/index.htm