Pick-it-Yourself Farms
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Pick-it-Yourself Farms
Sept 2009
Growing up in New England, we always went apple picking in the
fall. I would love to take my children on an apple-picking
excursion -- any recommendations for a farm/orchard that is
within an hours drive of Oakland? I'd like to find a spot that
is rural and simple - someplace where they send you out into
the orchard with a few baskets and that's it. I'd like to
avoid places that are really commercialized or combined with
Halloween activities.
Eve
We just went apple-picking last weekend and found a spot that
fits almost all your criteria! The place is called Gabriel
Farms, and it is in Sebastopol (which is a bit more than an
hour's drive, but not by much --- that's the only criterion it
doesn't meet).
The farm is completely low-key -- you get baskets and head out,
unaccompanied and unrushed, to pick apples and pears, all
organic. The kids loved it, and the tiny town of Graton is just
two minutes down the road (and there are two nice restaurants
right there, too).
d
The past few years we've gone to Gabriel Farm in Sebastopol
(http://gabrielfarm.com/portal/u-pick) - it's a family farm,
organic, super-friendly and low-key. The farmer or his wife
(often with kids or dog in tow) will give you a tour if you
like, or hand you some crates and let you loose to explore the
orchard. Email ahead to make sure they're home and still have
apples left. If you go, make time to have lunch at the Willow
Wood Cafe (http://willowwoodgraton.com/) - fresh, yummy and
quirky. This year for variety we're going to try Chileno Valley
Ranch (http://www.chilenobeef.com/upick.htm) in Petaluma - also
sustainable and family-run, and friendly in my email exchange
with them.
I Also Have Fond Apple-Picking Memories as a Kid
Gabriel Farm, in Sebastopol, is terrific. You need to call to
let them know you are coming, but it's very low key, organic,
and the couple who own it are really nice folk.
Another East Coaster who misses orchards
We just went apple picking this weekend. The nearest U-Pick
farms are in Sebastopol, we went to Gabriel Farms. They are an
organic family farm that comes to the Berkeley Farmers Market.
I think their specialty is juices - check out their website,
http://gabrielfarm.com/portal/web/guest/home. They have the best
golden delicious apples and Shinseki asian pears! Then we drove
the 16 miles out to Bodega Bay to catch the sunset and race the
tides, very fun!
You can also check out http://www.pickyourown.org/CA.htm for
other U-pick farms in Northern CA or
http://www.allaboutapples.com/orchard/ca03.htm for apple farms.
If you want to make a day of it, you can also check out Apple
Valley (just north of Sacramento) tons of varieties of apple
farms.
Happy apple picker
Jan 2009
Are there any farms within reasonable driving distance of the east bay
where you can pick your own berries (any kind) and the price for the
pick-your-own bulk is much cheaper than for berries in the supermarket?
We're looking to bake pies etc. but the price of fresh or even frozen
berries is too expensive to make this feasible. When I was growing up
in New York we used to head to the farms every May to pick our own
year's supply of berries for baking & freezing, wish we could do that
out here too.
Miss the berries
Phipps Ranch in Pescadero (south of Half Moon Bay on Highway 1) is
a great place to pick berries. While they do charge you an entrance
fee, if you pick a lot you definitely save $$ because the price per
pound is so much lower than in the store. We go every year and
stock up. They have raspberries and strawberries, but they always
seem to be picked over. We go for the ollalieberries (a West Coast
blackberry) which are usually ripe around the second week of June.
They also have a collection of exotic birds and a little grocery
store with a wide variety of heirloom dried beans. Their website is
http://www.phippscountry.com/.
Jean
Check out www.farmtrails.org There is a list of farms in Sonoma
County where you can pick your own fruit, vegetables, berries, etc.
and cut down a Christmas tree (which we do every year). Have fun!
farm lover
Oct 2008
I'm planning a birthday party for a 9-year old in November, and I'm wondering
if there are any u-pick apple places that have other activities (cider press,
straw maze, who knows what else?) around that time. I've looked online but the
information I'm looking for isn't presenting itself. I'm looking at the
weekend before Thanksgiving. Any ideas very welcome!
nancy
I hope someone has a lead for you, but I just looked into going
apple picking last weekend and it seems like the season is over
- ended in September this year. We usually go the first week in
October and that's about the end of it. You can still find
places with harvest activities and apples to buy, but not on the
trees. I did get a lovely email reply to my inquiry from Rose
Family Farm in Sebastopol (707-829-7111 / duneflwr@aol.com)
offering some alternate activities for the kids, if you want to
look into them. Chileno Valley Ranch
(www.chilenobeef.com/upick.htm) also sounded good. Sonoma County
Farm Trails (www.farmtrails.org) has some other options. Or if
you just want generally outdoorsy and harvest activities, try
Ardenwood Farm in Fremont -- lots of fun stuff for kids there.
Fellow Apple Picker
You might find what you are looking for at Sonoma Farm Trails.
http://www.farmtrails.org/
Happy Picking!
LK
Gizdich Ranch in Watsonville is wonderful. They do have birthday
party packages. Apple slush is amazing! Delicious fresh-made
pies for $10. Lots of activities. Looks like apple picking is
over.
http://www.gizdich-ranch.com/ and
http://www.yelp.com/biz/gizdich-ranch-watsonville
Elaine
April 2008
My daughter is a big fan of Blueberries for Sal, and wants to pick
some herself (she'd love to also follow a mama bear in the process,
but we'll skip that part for now). Anyone picked blueberries anywhere
in the greater Bay region? We live in Berkeley, but know it's not
blueberry territory. Ideas?
Michelle
Check the lisitings of Sonoma Farms at www.farmtrails.org I did not
look through their brochure on line, but I am sure they have listings
for where you can pick blueberries (and many other things...)
Love Sonoma County
June 2007
Can anyone suggest a farm where one can pick their own blueberries
(U-pick)? Organic and within an hour of Berkeley would be even
better, but not absolutely necessary. I haven't been able to find
anything specific on the web or parents.berkeley.edu.
Thanks,
David
I don't know an exact place, but a few websites to explore could be www.caff.org
(Community Alliance with Family Farmers) and www.farmtrails.org (sonoma county farm
trails). I have brochures from both of these groups.
love u-pick
The only u-pick blueberry farms that I know of are up north in Humbolt County.
http://www.pickyourown.org/CAnorth.htm
It may be that blueberries don't grow well further south for commercial purposes.
Laurey
Try the Harvest Time in Brentwood website...not sure if they have
blueberries?
http://www.harvest4you.com/
mo
Oct 2006
Does anyone know of a place to go apple picking with a toddler?
We live in Berkeley but would be willing to do some driving.
Thanks so much!
- Deb
Greetings,
With a toddler it might be good not to head too far away,
especially since the actual apple-picking part of the day will be
short (unless you are in the market for a ton of apples....) We
go to Brentwood, north of Livermore on Vasco Road. It's
relatively close by and a pretty drive once you get on Vasco Road
(but beware of speed traps).
Enjoy!
farm girl
On a recent vacation to Cazadero, my mom and I wanted to take
my 3-year-old daughter apple-picking. I called a few places
listed in the Sonoma Farm Trails guide and ended up choosing
Gabriel Farm, an organic farm near Sebastapol. It was
definitely the highlight of the vacation for my daughter. You
have to make an appointment and you are expected to spend a
certain amount ($20, I think, which isn't hard to do at $2/lb.
for apples). We spent about $50 on apples, asian pears, juice
and preserves. It was so worth it! One of the owners, Torrey,
gave us a tour of the farm and his new solar panels (my mom
loved this part), and told us how to pick the apples. He
probably spent a good 45 minutes walking around and talking
with us. Then he left us on our own to do the picking. We
were also allowed to pick a few grapes and berries to taste.
My daughter talks about this trip constantly, a month or so
later, and was so proud to eat the apples and take them to
school to show her friends. She can't wait to go back! Check
out their website at http://www.farmtrails.org/gabriel/ You
can also visit Torrey at the Berkeley Farmers Market. He is
great. You can search for other upick farms on the Sonoma Farm
Trails website. Have fun!
Noel
make a day of it to Santa Cruz and environs and try
http://www.gizdich-ranch.com
We decided to just buy already picked apples rather than pick-
yourself, but liked the place and the apples are YUMMY!
spreading the apple butter!
Funny you should ask! We just made plans to go pick apples next
week at the organic Gabriel Farm in Sebastopol. See
http://www.gabrielfarm.com/index_files/Visiting.htm for more
info (page sometimes takes a while to load). You can email them
(torrey[at]gabrielfarm.com) to set up a time to come visit.
JP
Try the Old Apple Orchard in Pinole. When my sons were younger
our playgroup went every fall. It's small, enclosed, and has
lots of trees with low branches accessible to toddlers
lizengan
Sept 2004
Every year, my little family and I try to find a U-pick Farm
where we can pick apples, and every year so far we have struck
out. We've either missed apple picking season, like last year
when we drove all the way out to Brentwood only to find that
the farm closed down several weeks prior, or can't find one
where you can pick the apples. I would love some
recommendations from folks who have done apple picking- where
you went, how much it costs, and if you felt like it was an
appropriate family activity (we have a 5 year old). Also, have
we already missed aplle picking season again? We would also
welcome some suggestions for places to go where we could
purchase a box of already picked fresh apples.
Thanks for your recommendations!
Jessica
Check out http://www.harvest4you.com/
This is a list of u-pick growers in Brentwood, including phone
numbers, addresses, hours, and crops grown. It's always a good
idea to call before you go so you're not disappointed :)
Another great place to pick apples is Sebastopol, for their
famous Gravensteins! Yum! I know the number of growers has
declined in recent years but also check out
http://www.pickyourown.org/CA.htm for a listing of growers by
county.
And your 5 year old will LOVE IT! My then 3-year-old thought it
was the best thing! Bring your camera.
Christina
I don't know of a U-Pick-It apple farm, but I do know a great
place to get a box of fresh apples. Walker Apples, 10955 Upp
Road, Sebastopol, Phone: 707-823-4310. Open: Aug 1-Nov 15 Daily
10-5. It is a real working apple farm, not very scenic but they
have lots of different varieties, you can sample them all and get
a box of some of everything you like. We always combine it with a
trip to our favorite pumpkin patch (which is pick it yourself)
nearby -- sorry, every year we find it but I have no idea how to
direct someone else there -- and a visit to Screamin' Mimi's ice
cream in downtown Sebastapol.
Looking forward to this year's trip
Apple Hill has all the apples (both u-pick and pre-picked)
and apple stuff you could ever want. It's about 2-2 1/2 hours
from the Bay Area, about 40 miles east of Sacramento off of
Highway 50. See http://www.applehill.com/
Patty
If you are willing to drive about an hour and a half there is a
great little pick it yourself farm called the Gizdich Ranch in
Watsonville. They are super nice, they like kids!! and they have
a cafe with terrific pie availible. We go there several times a
year when visiting in the area. They also do strawberry picking
in the summer. I believe apple season goes to the end of
September, but if you miss it they usually have pre-picked fruit
for sale as well as fresh apple juice.
http://www.gizdichranch.com/
Natalie
You can search Sonoma County at http://www.farmtrails.org/. There
are several U-pick apple farms listed. If you find a good one,
please post a recommendation on BPN!
David
April 2004
I would like to buy reasonably priced organic strawberries in
bulk in season for strawberry jam and for freezing. Any
recommendations of specific farms in the delta (or elsewhere)
with great strawberries and good prices would be appreciated.
Laura
Our CSA, Eatwell Farm invites people to come pick organic
strawberries at their farm. Give them a call.
http://www.eatwell.com/
Sarah
When we make strawberry jam we go first to an organic strawberry
farm, Swanton Berry Farm, located on the coast north of Santa Cruz. It's mostly ''pick
yourself'' but they sometimes sell large flats too. Delicious!
See http://www.swantonberry.com/ .
Elizabeth
Swanton Berry Farm close to Davenport has wonderful organic
strawberries. They'll pick them Saturday morning and deliver
them to the Farmer's Mkt for you. They have a website for
ordering. I honestly don't know how the prices compare, but the
flavor and quality are excellent.
Burr
April 2003
Where can we go to have a fabulous berry-picking experience?
Looking for a short day trip -- wondering where a couple of kids
and their parents can pick strawberries in particular but other
berries, too. We checked the website and already know about
Brentwood but haven't found u-pick berry places there. Someone
also told us to look around in Sonoma County, but a Google
search isn't turning up much info. Do you have any great tips
for specific places to go? Thanks!
Brenda
Here's a place that was recommended to me by a friend. Go to
the main site and click on Summerfield Berry Farm.
http://www.applehill.com/site/guides.html
Elaine
I just spoke with the folks at Phipps Ranch in Pescadero,
about 90 minutes from Berkeley, off Hwy. 1 (near Half Moon
Bay). Sounds like the perfect pickin' place. Strawberries
should be ready mid-May and they are open 7 days a week.
Check out http://www.phippscountry.com/berries.htm
Have fun!
Sooz
Check out Brentwood--between Antioch and Livermore. Here's a
good link to a website detailing all their farms selling pre-
picked and u-pick produce: http://www.harvest4u.com/
I've picked strawberries at some of the farms in the past but
the list on harvest4u.com just shows strawberries that are pre-
picked. I would just call a few of the farms and see if they're
selling u-pick strawberries. And if you're into boysenberries a
number of farms offer u-pick boysenberries. Such a fun thing to
do with your kids!
Christina
A very nice place to pick olallieberries (they are like huge
blackberries) is CoastWays Ranch, which is on highway 1 south of
Half Moon Bay. If you know where the elepahnt seal preserve is at Ano Neuvo, it's
practically right across the street from there. Really nice
picking with a view of the ocean. Their website:
http://www.well.com/user/dmsml/coastways/index.html
Ginger
April 2003
Can people recommend local places to take a now 18 month old fruit
picking this summer? I guess we're looking for a ''U-Pick'' that's a
reasonable driving distance from Berkeley -- picking that's not too thorny
or high for a little one (strawberries?) -- organic or clean would be a
plus. Thanks for any suggestions.
Check out Brentwood--between Antioch and Livermore. Here's a
good link to a website detailing all their farms selling pre-
picked and u-pick produce: http://www.harvest4u.com/
Christina
We've been to Ardenwood Farm in Fremont and had a wonderful
time. Last fall we picked indian corn to decorate the house and
popcorn to eat. We are still popping it and loving it. Our son
had a blast.
The farm is historic and organic. As different crops mature,
they have picking sessions. In addition, they have a lot of
historic activities that are fun for the whole family. their
focus is on family education, so they accomodate all ages very
well. They have lovely picnic areas and good facilities for
diaper changing, etc.
The farm is located right at the corner of 880 and the turn-off
for the Dumbarton Bridge. Check out their website.
http://www.fremont.gov/Recreation/ArdenwoodPark/default.htm
Karen
Does anyone know of any You Pick Orchards around here?
Thanks!
I go to Brentwood to pick. You can get a map from them by writing to
Harvest Time,
P.O. Box O,
Brentwood, CA 94513
Dawn
Here's a website that lists u-pick farms, farm stands, farmers
markets, and other farmer-direct produce in California:
http://www.caff.org/farmfresh/
Charis
Check out the UPICK farmers' website: www.harvest4u.com
Dashka
This looked like a great place to go in Brentwood, but not organic. You
could call and
ask about pesticide use:
www.brentwoodfruit.com
Organic Pick-it-Yourself
I have a very special childhood memory of me and my family fruit picking at
Brentwood in the
summer. We use to eat the fruits straight off the tree.
We never waited to wash them first. That was before we all became aware of
harmful pesticides
and other agriculture chemicals. Now that I am an adult, I try to be more
earth concious and organic.
Can I share my childhood experience with my kids? Is there a place I can
take my children fruit picking?
Does such a place exist?
Nory
Here are some organic farm sites I found on the web for brentwood. You
could call
and find out if they do U-Pick or who does.
http://www.knollorganics.com/
http://www.froghollow.com/index.html
This next site is for certified organic farmers and provides you with a
list of organic farms
doing u-pick anywhere in US:
http://www.ccof.org/cgi-priv/findafarmer.cgi
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