Staying safe when visiting Pick-Your-Own Farms 

Visiting a pick-your-own (PYO) farm is a fun and rewarding experience, allowing young children to learn where their food comes from as well as enabling families to enjoy fresh seasonal produce with the best possible flavour and nutritional benefits.

October 13th, 2025

Picking your own produce is not a risk-free activity as being in contact with soil, compost, natural water sources and unwashed fruit and vegetables can expose you to pathogens that may cause gastrointestinal illness.

Common pathogens associated with the handling and consumption of unwashed produce include:

• Campylobacter                 
• E. coli
• Listeria
• Salmonella
• Cryptosporidium
• Norovirus
• Hepatitis A

Common symptoms of these illnesses include:

• Vomiting and nausea
• Diarrhoea, possibly with blood
• Stomach cramps
• Fever and chills
• Headache and fatigue

For infants, young children under the age of 5 years, people with weakened immune systems, pregnant women and people over the age of 65 years, the consequence of food poisoning illness can be more severe and could result in hospitalisation.

Farms are also working environments where dangerous animals, unguarded water courses, equipment and machinery are likely to be present.  The risk of serious injury will be significant if visitors wander into unauthorised areas.

PYO DO’s and DON’TS

Do

	Follow signs and instructions from staff, and stick to designated picking areas.
	Supervise children at all times.
	Wash your hands with warm water and soap before and after picking your own produce, and especially before eating, drinking, smoking and vaping.
	Ensure hands are thoroughly washed with warm water and soap after using the toilet.
	Hand sanitiser should not be used as an alternative to hand washing. Hand sanitiser will not kill all bugs.
	Wash all fruit, salad and vegetables thoroughly at home before preparing and eating it.Wear suitable footwear – fields can be muddy and uneven.
	Ensure that hands are thoroughly washed with warm water and soap after changing your footwear.
	Pushchair wheels will also be muddy after visiting a farm, so ensure hands are thoroughly washed with warm water and soap after putting pushchairs in/out of the car.

Don't

	Don’t eat unwashed produce when picking in the field.
	Don’t eat unwashed produce when picking in the field.
	Don’t consume any produce until it has been thoroughly washed at home.
	Don’t assume all area can be accessed by the public – ask before exploring barns or outbuildings.
	Avoid contact with farm animals unless this is a supervised activity with staff.
	Do not ignore safety signs or farm rules
	.Do not access any ponds, lakes or water courses without permission of staff.
	Don’t play on, or access, any agricultural equipment and machinery unless this is a supervised activity with staff.

Wear suitable footwear – fields can be muddy and uneven.  Ensure that hands are thoroughly washed with warm water and soap after changing your footwear.

Pushchair wheels will also be muddy after visiting a farm, so ensure hands are thoroughly washed with warm water and soap after putting pushchairs in/out of the car.

Don’t consume any produce until it has been thoroughly washed at home.

Don’t assume all area can be accessed by the public – ask before exploring barns or outbuildings.

Avoid contact with farm animals unless this is a supervised activity with staff.

Do not ignore safety signs or farm rules.

Do not access any ponds, lakes or water courses without permission of staff.

Don’t play on, or access, any agricultural equipment and machinery unless this is a supervised activity with staff.