Pick Strawberries Ahead of the Storm

There are so many lovely and cozy and bundle-up things you can do when a major storm sweeps through Southern California.

Donning your favorite pair of hand-knitted socks? Check. Finally making some headway with the stack of books your nightstand? For sure. Sipping cocoa, tea, or a hot toddy? Warm beverages were made for rainy days.

But sauntering out into a strawberry-packed field for a rigorous, under-the-open-sky pick session is probably not high up on your gotta-do-this-in-the-rain bucket list.

So strawberry buffs who are longing to fill up the fruit drawer in their refrigerator best find their way to Tanaka Farms, in Irvine, to gather, gather, gather all sorts of healthy goodies before the major March 10 storm arrives.

The historic farm, which has been a family favorite for decades, will be open on Monday, March 9.

"There is lots of rain in the forecast starting tomorrow, and lasting throughout the week, so TODAY is the day to come and pick your own strawberries!" is the call to action on the destination's Facebook page.

There are several times on the March 9 schedule, rounding at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Entry is eight bucks a person, and your basket, which you'll fill with strawberries over the course of your visit, is six dollars.

It's spring, or nearly, and our berry-seeking urges and longings for fresh things grown in verdant feels is on the rise.

And don't you want to bake a strawberry shortcake, or a dozen, while waiting out the storm? Your oven'll soon be humming with the bounty you find at this gem of an OC-based fruit bastion.