For those who want a little exercise and fresh air at the same time, there are many Texas farms that allow patrons to pick their own fruit and vegetables. Visitors are instructed about what to look for and how to pick the best fruit or vegetables to harvest, there's definitely something special about eating a peach, orange or apple you've just picked off a tree. And if you have kids or grandkids who've only seen fruit and vegetables at the local grocery store it's a memorable experience for everyone to "pick your own". Before you hit the road in search of produce there are a few roadside terms you should know. PYO - stands for pick your own, RS - roadside stand, FP - fresh picked on the farm sales. Some farms and roadside stands even have an honor system for payment, trust me these are few and far between but there is something very charming about seeing this in this day and time. There will usually be a bucket or box for you to slip in the posted amount for the produce. Here's just a few of the wonderful products you can find across the state. This chart is provided by the Texas Department of Agriculture: Regions for Roadside Produce Stands: Poteet The Poteet Strawberry Festival® is one of the oldest, most popular events in the state and is recognized as the largest agricultural festival in Texas as well as one of the most exciting, dynamic festivals in the Greater Southwest. The festival has been chosen as one of the Top 250 Events in the nation. Here's the kicker and a warning you MUST attend the festival in order to actually eat a Poteet strawberry! The demand for the sweet Poteet strawberry is so great that all the berries grown in Poteet are sold during the festival each year. Roadside vendors on the edge of town may have plenty of strawberries to sell, but the berries are from California! Medina They're delicious, they're tasty and they're simply irresistible. And they're the pride of the community of Medina. Welcome to the Apple Capital of Texas, Medina, a secluded pristine part of the Texas Hill Country that's full of wild rivers, big ranches and...well, great apples. Love Creek Orchards Hwy 16 P.O. Box 1401 Medina, TX 78055 800-449-0882 830-589-2588 Fax: 830-589-2880 Email: adamsapples@lovecreekorchards.com Fredericksburg Whether you call them Fredericksburg Peaches, Stonewall Peaches or Texas Hill Country Peaches they are all delicious! Until you've tasted a Texas hill country peach you haven't lived, many of these roadside stands also sell homemade jams, jellies and salsas made with these glorious peaches. Marburger Orchard 5 1/4 miles south of Fredericksburg (830) 997-9433 Vogel Orchard 2 miles west of Stonewall 10 miles east of Fredericksburg city limits 12862 Hwy 290 East (830) 644-2404 Luling & Edinburg Texas Royal Sweets, Jubilees and Yellow Dollys - varieties of delicious Luling watermelons, begin rolling in just as the Texas summer days become really hot. This small community of 5,000 people celebrate the harvest in style with the annual Luling Watermelon Thump come mid June. It's the best time of the year to search out the sweetest and coolest melon in the nation. In the Rio Grande Valley another mecca for the melon resides in and around the community of Edinburg, Tx.  While most anything can grow in the valley melons do exceptionally well here because of the sandy soil and hot temperatures. SANDIA DEPOT Andy Lozano Edinburg, TX 78540 956-386-1083 Fax 956-386-1289 Email: gerrylozano@sandiadepot.com GREEN GOLD FARMS, INC. MIGHTY MIKE MELONS Mike & Valerie Helle Edinburg, TX 78539 956-227-6998 956-316-3450 Email: mightymik@emelons.com Pecos Cantaloupes have been grown in this community since the 1880's and gained notoriety among the rich and famous such as Presidents Eisenhower and Johnson who insisted on eating only Pecos melons. Today the melons are served in many exclusive restaurants of New York City and Chicago as a delicacy. Pecos Cantaloupe Shed (432) 447-2123 2101 S Bickley Ave Pecos, TX 79772 Pecos Cantaloupe Company P.O. Box 1389 Pecos, TX 79772 Contact: Clay Taylor Phone: (915) 447-2123 Fax: (915) 447-6871 Crystal City/Winter Garden Region of Texas Crystal City located in the Middle Rio Grande Valley is famous for two major crops, spinach and  the popular and fantastically sweet 1015 onions.  Though onions were the first crop cultivated here it was in the 1930s the city developed a reputation as the "Spinach Capital of the World." In 1936 the first annual spinach festival was held, and the following year a statue of the cartoon character Popeye, that mighty consumer of spinach, was erected across from the city hall. Today however onions have once again taken over as the most popular crop grown in this community as the world has discovered the 1015 onion. Mission This community is most famous for its grapefruit orchards in factb by 1929, John Shary had acquired the reputation as the "Father of the Texas Citrus Industry". But believing this soil could produce the best avocados in the world as well, Sharyland Orchards took on cultivating Texas avocados that put California and Florida avocados to shame. The buttery flavor of these beauties are treasured among most Texans especially those in the area who get the very best the orchard has to offer. Sharyland Orchards, LLC 2409 East 4 mile line,  4 mile line & N. Shary Rd. Mission, Tx. 78572 1-866-583-0091 Bayview Texas ranks just behind California and Florida as the largest supplier of oranges, and the Texas Ruby Red grapefruit is known far and wide for its tender meat and sugary flavor. Trust me if you have never been a grapefruit fan you will change your mind after picking a ruby red right off the tree and eating it. Citrus season begins as early as late October and if we're really lucky it will last as long as mid-April. While other areas of the valley have huge citrus orchards, the bay view area is unique and quite beautiful. Many of the orchards are nestled among old river beds called "resacas" that run majestically through palm lined orchards. Famous South Padre Island is only 20 minutes away. The area is filled with smaller orchard operations many of them opting for organic growing practices Bayview Citrus Gardens Toll Free 1-888-871-7494 Fax (956)233-5541 Nacodoches While the community is best known for it's contribution to early Texas history and it's gorgeous springtime azalea trails, the blueberry is bringing more notoriety to this beautiful city in deep East Texas. With the consumption of blueberries on the rise (doubling in the last 5 years), it's no wonder this area has grown in popularity for it's yummy blueberries. Don't miss the annual blueberry festival where you'll enjoy some of the most uniqe blueberry dishes you've ever eaten. Blueberry Farms 451 CR 2052 Nacodoches, TX. Phone: 936-559-9157 Birdwell’s Blueberry Busy 983 Shady Acres Nacodoches, TX. Phone: 936-564-5625. Jacksonville Jacksonville was once known as the Tomato Capital of the World. Between 1930-40 more tomatoes were shipped from Jacksonville than anywhere else in the world. Though their role as tomato king has diminished, Jacksonville continues to honor it's historic connection to the fruit. Jacksonville still can boast of a multimillion dollar bedding plant industry that includes all types of plants and vegetables. Apparently the soil around these parts is perfect and the climate is well suited for the bedding plants. Jacksonville Best Tomato Co. 461 Alabama Jacksonville, TX 75766 Contact: David Claiborne Phone: (903) 589-0094 Make sure you get the freshest homegrown Texas crops year round by visiting www.picktexas.com, which features products available by month and region. Bon appetit!