A classic summertime ritual is just getting underway at orchards across Northern California.
Whether your “jam” is cherries, berries, or stone fruits, you’ll find them ripe and ready to harvest at these U-Pick Farms—with everything from tomatoes to flowers popping up throughout the summer.
Grab your basket and head to these 10 pick-your-own farms in and around the Bay Area.
Strawberry picking at Blue House Farm(Courtesy of @bluehousefarm)
U-Pick Farms Close to Home
Strawberries at Blue House Farm
The strawberries are in full bloom in the fields at Blue House Farm on the coast between Half Moon Bay and Pescadero. Pick them for yourself every Saturday and Sunday this month and through the summer, from 12pm to 5pm. They’ll set you up with recyclable boxes to gather your certified organic harvest. // 950 La Honda Rd. (San Gregorio), bluehousefarm.com
Cherries at Papa’s U-Pick
If cherry pie is on your list of summer musts, to Papa’s U-Pick you must go. The East Bay farm’s prized fruit is ready to harvest now, every Monday through Friday from 8am to 4pm (until 5pm on weekends). They’ll supply the buckets, you bring your city-slicker dreams of farm livin’. // 201 Hoffman Ln. (Brentwood), papasupickcherries.com
Blackberries, Olallieberries + Marionberries at Webb Ranch
The U-Pick season starts in early June at Webb Ranch, a certified organic farm in Portola Valley. Come early for the best selection; they’re open for just three hours on designated days between 8am and 11am. The farm provides baskets for your bounty and has some wagons available in case you’re planning to bake up a storm. // 2720 Alpine Rd. (Portola Valley), webbranchinc.com
Pick plums and more at Cloverfield Farm.(Courtesy of @cloverfieldfarm.elsobrante)
Fruit + Flowers at Cloverfield Farm
At Cloverfield Farm in El Sobrante, there’s something ready to be self-harvested the whole year round. Multiple cherry varieties are on right now, along with plums and loquats; raspberries, pluots, mulberries, plums, and so much more will ripen in the next couple of weeks. Later this summer and early fall, look for everything from grapes and pears to apples, figs, and guava. The certified organic farm also grows a wide variety of flowers to pick your own seasonal bouquets. // 501 La Paloma Rd. (El Sobrante), cloverfieldfarm.us
U-Pick Farms For a Perfect Summer Day Trip
Blueberries at Sierra Cascade Blueberry Farm
Pick yourself a bucketful of certified organic blueberries at Sierra Cascade Blueberry Farm. The season begins this weekend and runs through mid-July. The family-owned operation allows guests to comb its fruit-heavy bushes Saturday and Sunday mornings from 7am to 11am, no reservations required. Bring cash! // 12753 Doe Mill Rd. (Forest Ranch), sierracascadeblueberries.com
Cherries at Stagecoach Lane Ranch
We’re right on the cusp of cherry season in Butte County, a short but bountiful interval that runs from the end of May through mid-June. Head to The Orchard at Stagecoach Lane Ranch to gather a 2.5-gallon bucket full of ‘em (about 11 pounds). If you can’t get enough of the ruby red beauties, stay overnight at the farm’s quaint (and affordable!) one bedroom cottage, Marie’s Potting Shed. // 11242 Nelson Bar Rd. (Oroville), upickcherriesnorcal.com
Raspberry season starts in June at Boring Farm.(Courtesy of @boringfarm)
Raspberries at Boring Farm
Boring Farm is anything but if you love yourself some summer raspberries. From June through September, the vines on this certified organic spot in Sebastopol are literally bursting with fruit. To get your hands on a basket or two, purchase a parking pass in advance to reserve a spot. New tickets are made available every Wednesday at 12pm for picking on Saturdays from 9am to 1pm. // 4200 Canfield Rd. (Sebastopol), theboringfarm.com
Berries, Cherries, Tomatoes + More at Johnson U Pick Farm
Between May and mid-October, Johnson U Pick Farm bursts with a huge variety of deliciousness. Show up with your own bags or containers and hit the orchards and fields, where you’ll currently find cherries, blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries ripe for the pickin’. Late June, the tomatoes, peppers, and plums mature, followed by grapes, peaches, nectarines, and apples. In September, you can harvest your own almonds and pumpkins, and kiwis ripen around mid-October. // 113 Higgins Ave. (Gridley), johnsonupickfarm.com
Apricots + Cherries at Mariani Orchards
Bring home a bucketful of golden apricots, yellow Rainier cherries, and dark red Bings from Mariani Orchards. Prep in advance for the Morgan Hill farm’s harvest season with a self-guided virtual tour so you’ll be ready to pick when it opens its doors to the public this Friday. Parking is limited on-site but street parking is available just across the road. // 1515 Half Rd. (Morgan Hill), marianiorchards.com
Late summer is for dahlias at Earthspoke Farms.(Courtesy of @earthspokefarms)
Dahlias at Earthspoke Farms
Every Saturday in August and September, regenerative flower growers Earthspoke Farms welcomes visitors to pick their own “farm-to-jar” bouquets. They’ll provide you with a pair of flower snippers and a mason jar for your bouquet, and give you a harvesting demo before setting you loose among 24 acres of blooms on the lovely Mendocino coast. // 13501 Point Cabrillo Dr. (Mendocino), earthspokefarms.com
