By Eryn Carlson, News Correspondent

Fruit, ice cream and beer are essential warm weather refreshments. But fresh produce, homemade frozen treats and good microbrews can be difficult to come by in the city. Luckily, you can find them with the help of another springtime essential – road trips (some are also accessible via commuter rail). Rent a cheap car on campus, through Hertz Rentals or ZipCar located in the North and Ryder Lots, grab a couple friends and make a day trip of visiting one of these specialty food hotspots.

Russell Orchards Farm Store and Winery

143 Argilla Rd., Ipswich

Visitors to this family owned and operated fruit farm, a popular choice for apple picking in the fall, come for the pick-your-own berries that are available through the summer months. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cherries and blackberries can be picked by the pound in containers provided. After an hour or two in the fields, visitors can stop in at the orchard’s bakery, which offers many seasonal pies and assorted specialties, or the winery that is open on the weekends where tastings cost only $5 for four varieties.

Cost: $3 entry; $4.25-7.50/pound (depending on fruit)

Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; opens May 1.

Kimball Farm

400 Littleton Rd., Westford

This former dairy farm in Westford (with stand locations also in Lancaster and Carlisle), is legendary for its homemade ice cream – so much so that it was named the “Best Ice Cream Stand in Massachusetts” by USA Today in 2010. Visitors can indulge in more than 40 delicious, creamy flavors while looking out at relaxing fields and meadows, and visitors to the Westford location – by far the most popular – can also take a swing on the driving range, mini golf course or in the batting cages, or take a spin in the bumper boats. Westford’s Kimball Farm also has a restaurant, The Outdoor Grill and Seafood Shack, a country store with gourmet foods and unique gifts, and a café with baked goods.

Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Blue Hills Brewery

1020 Tunpike St., Canton

Everyone knows that you can take tours at the Samuel Adams brewery here in Boston, but to make things more interesting – for your eyes and tastebuds – take a short drive down to the South Shore to Blue Hills Brewery. With the scenic Blue Hills in the background, this increasingly popular craft brewery produces microbrews such as Watermelon Wheat, a fun summer beer with natural watermelon extract for fruit lovers, or Black Hops, a black IPA with a malty, slightly dry taste. The brewery offers complimentary tasting and tours.

Hours: The gift store is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; complimentary tastings are offered from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Fridays and 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays.

Ferns Country Store

8 Lowell St., Carlisle

Ferns is a whole lot more than just a local country store; it’s a mega-center for food lovers. The store, which has been on the same site since 1844, has a specialty spirits department that offers more than 400 wines and 100 craft beers, a delicatessen, a bakery and coffee shop offering their own blends and the Smiling Duck Café, which includes beautiful outdoor patio seating while serving everything from BBQ to pizza to their so-called “world famous” Ferns Chili. Add in the fine gifts and groceries they offer, not to mention the old-time, friendly feel, Ferns is a place you’ll want to spend a few hours.

Hours: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Boston Hill Farm

1370 Turnpike St., North Andover

This farm in North Andover offers pick-your-own berries and peaches during the summer, and visitors can stop into the deli, which offers specialty meats and cheeses, and the bakery, which has an assortment of baked goods, pies, breads, fudge, beverages and Richardson’s ice cream. An added perk: a petting zoo with chickens, geese, bunnies, goats, sheep and calves. The farm is also known for its wide array of seasonal flowers which can be purchased at the farm store.

Hours: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.