DetroitMI

Hoen's Orchard at Delta, in Fulton County west of Toledo, has been "Growers of Farm Fresh Produce for Over 50 Years", and it is the only farm in this region that will let you pick gooseberries. What You Can Pick The farm's own 2026 list, posted on 20 August: "We will have red & black raspberies, blueberries, blackberries, gooseberries, apples, and pumpkins available for picking for the 2026 season." [sic] Raspberries - summer, red and black Blueberries - July and August Blackberries - July and August Gooseberries - summer Apples - September and October Pumpkins - autumn Good to Know Cash and cheques only. In the farm's own words: "We accpet cash and checks for payment. We do NOT accept credit cards." [sic] Pro tip: gooseberries are the reason to make the drive, and they are a genuinely rare thing to find in a picking row anywhere in the United States. They come off the bush hard and sour in early summer and cook into something extraordinary. Bring long sleeves; the bushes have thorns and they mean it.

Verellen Orchards on Van Dyke has been going since 1920 and is open every day of the year, but its picking field runs for a few weeks in June and then shuts. What You Can Pick Strawberries - June Cherries - June and July Everything else the farm sells, including its apples, peaches and pears, is picked by Verellen and sold in the shop. What Else is Available A year-round farm shop with baked goods, produce, canned goods and cider. Good to Know In the farm's own words, in capitals on its homepage: "U-Pick IS CLOSED FOR THE SEASON! REOPENS JUNE 2027." The shop keeps farmer's hours all the same: Monday to Friday from 6.30am, Saturday and Sunday from 7am, both until 6pm. Posted at the gate: "Pets, smoking/vaping, firearms and drones are NOT permitted on Verellen property." Pro tip: a 6.30am opening is unusual for a farm shop and it is the real reason to know about Verellen. If you want the donuts and cider before work rather than as a weekend outing, this is the one place in the Romeo belt that will sell them to you at dawn.

Tantré Farm's Honey Bee U-Pick patch sits on Scio Church Road in Ann Arbor, a long way from the main farm at Chelsea, and it is open to anybody rather than to CSA members only. What You Can Pick Strawberries - June, at $6 a pound. Pre-picked $5 a pint Blueberries - July and August, Saturdays 8am to noon Raspberries - late summer and autumn, black Good to Know The farm uses natural growing practices. Payment is cash, cheques written to Tantre Farm, or Venmo. Cards go through PayPal with a 3% fee, so bring cash. As of late August: "The strawberries are over this season, but the blueberries are just beginning!" The blueberry window is a four-hour slot one morning a week and the farm warns that supply is limited. Pro tip: the address to drive to is 5700 Scio Church Road, not the Tantré Farm you will find if you search the name. The main farm is at Chelsea and does not have the picking patch. This trips people up every June.

Stotz Berry Farm at Monroe grows one crop, opened its fields to the public in 2017, and publishes a real per-pound price, which is rarer in this region than it should be. What You Can Pick Strawberries - June, at $3.00 a pound Already picked: $6.00 a quart, or $5.50 each if you buy eight or more. Good to Know In the farm's own words: "Hours and Days open change daily due to weather conditions and availability of Strawberries. Check our facebook page for updates during the Strawberry season." The picking field is not the homestead. It sits at 952 West Albain Road, two miles east of where the family lives, which is the address to drive to. Pro tip: a Michigan strawberry season is three weeks and this one is a single field. Follow the Facebook page in late May rather than ringing in June, because by the time a farm this size answers the phone the good picking has usually gone.

McCallum's Orchard & Cider Mill at Jeddo, out in the Thumb near Port Huron, has the longest picking list and the lowest published price in this region: strawberries at $1.50 a pound. What You Can Pick Strawberries - June, at $1.50 a pound after a two quart minimum Peaches - August and September. In the farm's own words, "U-Pick and We-Pick peaches" Apples - autumn. Northern Spy, Rome, Ida Red, Empire, Gala, Cameo, Jonagold, Cortland, Jonathan, Golden Delicious, Gravenstein and Granny Smith Grapes - autumn Pumpkins - autumn What Else is Available A cider mill, a peach pie in peach season and other peach-inspired things besides, a bounce pillow, a corn maze, tractor shows and game nights. The farm minimises its chemical and pesticide use. Good to Know Closed Monday to Wednesday. Open Thursday to Saturday 10am to 4pm and Sunday noon to 4pm, which is a short week and a short day, so plan around it. The farm asks pickers to ring first: "Stopping in for U-Pick? Give us a call!" Pro tip: Gravenstein is the surprise on that apple list. It is an old, aromatic, short-lived summer apple that falls apart into the best applesauce there is and that commercial growers gave up on decades ago because it will not travel. Ask when it is on.

Blake Farms South Lyon is the Blake site on the western side of Detroit, the orchard that used to be Erwin Orchards, and the only one of the three where the raspberry field closes one day a week. What You Can Pick Apples - from 7 August. Ginger Gold and Paula Red Raspberries - from 24 July Squash and zucchini - from 24 July Green tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers - from 7 August Eggplant - from 12 August Good to Know In the farm's own words: "Raspberry picking closed on Mondays at Blake's Lyon Township for field maintenance." No other Blake site has that restriction. Apples start here a fortnight later than at Armada, which is the difference two counties make. Pro tip: if you have been coming here for years and know it as Erwin's, it is the same orchard on Silver Lake Road. Several directories still carry Erwin Orchards as permanently closed, which is how a rename gets recorded when nobody tells the directory.

Blake's Big Apple is the second of Blake's three picking sites at Armada, a mile and a half from the cider mill on North Avenue, and it picks the same three early apples on the same day, 23 July. What You Can Pick Apples - from 23 July. Paula Red, Zestar and Ginger Gold Eggplant and green tomatoes - from 31 July Peppers and cherry tomatoes - from 3 August. Sweet banana, green bell, Italian roaster and jalapeño Squash, zucchini and tomatoes - from 12 August. Roma, rounds and grape What Else is Available A store selling cider, donuts, caramel apples and fudge. In autumn the site turns over to Halloween properly: a Zombie Paintball Experience and a three storey haunted barn. Good to Know This is a different address from Blake's Orchard & Cider Mill and a different phone number, though both sit in Armada and both are Blake's. Check which site has the crop you want before setting off. Pro tip: Big Apple grows the same three early apples as the cider mill but without Funland attached, so on a July weekend it is the quieter of the two Armada orchards by a wide margin.

Blake's Orchard & Cider Mill at Armada calls itself "one of the first U-Pick orchards in Michigan", and it is the one farm in this region that publishes a start date for every crop it grows. What You Can Pick Apples - from 23 July, which is the earliest apple picking anywhere on this site. Ginger Gold, Zestar, Paula Red and Early Jonathon Raspberries - from 23 June, red and golden Purple plums - from 13 August Lavender - from 23 June Sunflowers - from 13 August The vegetable list is longer than the fruit list: broccoli, zucchini, squash, eggplant, nine kinds of pepper, cabbage and red cabbage, tomatillos, cucumbers and pickling cucumbers, green beans, cherry tomatoes, green tomatoes and cauliflower, each with its own start date. What It Costs The farm publishes flower prices and no fruit prices: peonies at $3.99 a stem or three for $10, and a mix-and-match bundle of snapdragon, dianthus and eucalyptus at $9.99 for up to 20 stems, or $15 with a Blake's Bud Vase. What Else is Available Funland, a petting zoo, the cider mill, a bakery, a farm market, a tasting room pouring Blake's own hard cider and beer, and in autumn haunted hayrides and zombie paintball. Good to Know Blake's runs four sites and the crops differ at each. In the farm's own words: "U-Pick dates and offerings vary by location. Check what crops are active at your local farm before you plan your trip out." Pro tip: Ginger Gold in the third week of July is the whole reason to come here rather than to a September orchard. It is a soft, aromatic, faintly tart apple that does not keep and is almost never sold in shops, and Blake's picks it a month before anyone else in the state.

Brookwood Fruit Farm on Bordman Road at Almont grows tart cherries for picking and then pits them for you, free, which no other farm in this region offers. What You Can Pick Montmorency tart cherries - July. In the farm's own words, "Pick-Your-Own with FREE pitting available" Apples - late summer into autumn. Paula Red, Ginger Gold and Fulford Gala among them Peaches - August and September. Glo Haven Pears - autumn What Else is Available A farm market, restrooms, honey from hives on the farm, and school tours. Good to Know As of late August: "The time to open the farm with Apples, Peaches, and Pears is almost here! Sign up for our email newsletter here to be the first to hear when we will open and when each variety will be ripe!" The farm writes its own variety notes, and they are candid ones. On Fulford Gala: "A larger-sized Gala, finishing with a blush rather than a stripe. Great for eating in-season, but is not a good keeper." On Ginger Gold: "A cross between a Golden Delicious and Albemarle Pippen. A larger sized yellow apple that many feel is the best early yellow apple of the season." Pro tip: free pitting turns a tart cherry trip from a chore into a good idea. Pitting ten pounds of Montmorency by hand is an evening's work and a ruined shirt; here you hand them over at the barn.

Dexter Blueberry Farm on Beach Road grows one crop in a natural outdoor bog, publishes a real per-pound price, and tells you exactly what to bring. What You Can Pick Blueberries - "Blueberry season starts sometime in July and runs about 4 to 6 weeks", at $2.75 a pound Good to Know Cash with exact change is preferred, and cards are taken, but the farm asks you to bring cash as a backup in case the card system fails. Bring a clean bucket or borrow one; bags are provided for taking the fruit home. Dress for the weather with long sleeves, sturdy shoes, a hat, repellent and sunglasses, and bring water, snacks and wet wipes. No smoking, alcohol or intoxicants. Pets are not allowed in the crop area except service dogs, and must be leashed outside the growing area. Children must be supervised. Pro tip: the bog is the reason to come and the reason for the long sleeves. It is a genuine wetland planting rather than a field of raised rows, which is why the berries are good and why the farm bothers to tell you about the repellent.

Kapnick Orchards at Britton is open every day of the year bar the major holidays, and its 2026 picking page is the most honest account of a bad season anywhere in this region: it tells you crop by crop what you cannot pick and why. What You Can Pick Apples - from late August. "Our apple crop looks great this year and we will open up for UPIC McIntosh in late August... All apples seem to be ripening ahead of normal so don't delay that family outing." Pumpkins - "We expect to open in late-September" What You Cannot Pick This Year Tart cherries - "Sad news! No pick your own this year. We lost 99% of our crop with all the spring frosts & freezes." Sweet cherries - "Sorry no UPIC in 2026 we have a fair crop but the trees are just too big to have pick your own." Blueberries - "Unfortunately we have had serious bird damage to our blueberry field and picking is far from ideal so we have decided to close our field up to UPIC." What Else is Available A country farm market with cider, doughnuts, honey and fruit baskets, a bakery, jams and jellies, a CSA fruit share, farmers market stalls, a greenhouse in spring, and apple shipping from September to January. The 47th apple festival is on 10 and 11 October. Good to Know The farm posts a full crop update, not just the good half: "We have a mixed bag this season. Apples, raspberries, pears, blueberries and grapes have a great crop. Peaches, sweet cherries, plums have about a half of a regular crop. Apricots, Nectarines, Tart Cherries and white peaches have little to no crop this season." Pro tip: go before the apple festival, not after it. The farm says in as many words that it is "not sure how much fruit will still be on the trees after that event", and with everything ripening early this year the second weekend of October may be the end rather than the peak.

Long Family Orchard & Farm on East Commerce Road is the u-pick orchard for the western Oakland County suburbs, and in late summer it turns into a sweet corn drive-thru before the apples come in. What You Can Pick Apples - autumn Pumpkins - autumn Asparagus - spring Peas and summer vegetables - summer What Else is Available A cider mill barn, and a Fun Zone with jumping pillows, a corn maze, a goat farm, a straw tunnel and play structures. Fire pits can be booked. Fall Fun is ticketed separately. Good to Know The apple page reads "U-Pick Apples CLOSED for the season" with picked apples available inside the cider mill barn, and the orchard reopens for autumn. In late August the farm sells fresh corn from two drive-thru points, the main barn car park and the field along Bogie Lake Road by the big red shed, "until we run out of Fresh Sweet Corn for the day". Pro tip: the farm keeps a picking hotline on 248-360-3774 and tells you to check back daily. Use it. This is a farm whose website says one thing and whose recorded message says another, and the message is the one that is current.

Obstbaum Orchards on Currie Road has been a family apple orchard and cider mill in Salem for more than forty years, and it is one of the few farms anywhere that publishes picking manners rather than picking marketing. What You Can Pick Apples - autumn weekends, when the fruit is ready In the farm's own words: "U-pick rows open only when fruit is ready and weather allows." What Else is Available Fresh-pressed cider, donuts and pies in the store, hayrides when posted, estate wines and hard cider by special order, and Montmorency tart cherry juice concentrate that ships free anywhere in the United States all year. Good to Know Fall store hours are Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 6pm, and the farm is blunt that they follow the crop: "Hours follow the harvest, not a fixed calendar." Their own advice for the rows: "Wear closed-toe shoes and dress for mud on wet days. Bring bags or baskets if you like, though supplies are often available. Children should stay with an adult between rows. Pick only what you plan to purchase so trees stay healthy for the next guest." Pro tip: the orchard is at Northville on the postal address but the farm calls itself Salem, which is the township. If you are navigating by name rather than by 9252 Currie Road you will end up in the wrong village.

Plymouth Orchards & Cider Mill is a working organic orchard on Warren Road, and it is unusually straight with visitors about what it does and does not let you pick. What You Can Pick Pumpkins - October, from the farm's own patch Asked directly whether it has u-pick apples, the farm answers: "We do not offer U-Pick at this time." The sixteen apple varieties are picked by the orchard and sold in the store. What Else is Available Cider pressed on site from a blend of at least three Michigan varieties, sold by the glass, pint, half gallon or gallon, plus a cider slushy and hot cider. Donuts made daily. Scenic wagon rides through the orchard, a hay bale climb, live music most weekends, and farm animals: goats, sheep, turkeys, piggies and the farm cats. There is no charge to see the animals. Good to Know The cider mill runs 29 August to 8 November, 9am to 7pm daily, and the Red Shed Market 29 August to 25 November, 10am to 6pm daily. Tours run Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm, and take about an hour and a quarter. A stop in the pumpkin patch to pick a small pie pumpkin is added from 1 October, for an extra fee. Pro tip: the sister farm across the road, Gateway Farms, grows the organic vegetables and flowers, and the mill staff will talk about it if you ask. The two are one operation on either side of Warren Road, which is not obvious from the car park.

Porter's Orchard at Goodrich runs a farm market and cider mill on Hegel Road and a stall inside the Flint Farmers' Market all year, and in autumn it opens a u-pick pumpkin patch. What You Can Pick Pumpkins - autumn What Else is Available Picked apples from the orchard when they are in season, cider, a corn maze, hayrides, farm animals, orchard rentals for events, and paintball including a zombie variety. Good to Know Open for the season now, Monday to Saturday 10am to 6pm and Sunday noon to 6pm. The Flint Farmers' Market stall runs Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday all year round, which is the way to buy Porter's fruit out of season. Pro tip: the pumpkins are the only thing you pick here, and that is worth knowing before you drive out expecting apples on the tree. The apples are the orchard's own and very good, but somebody else picks them.

Slow Farm on Whitmore Lake Road is certified organic and grows around a hundred varieties across fifteen acres, which is why its picking list changes week to week rather than crop to crop. What You Can Pick Strawberries - June and July, at $7.50 a pound Raspberries - summer and autumn, red and autumn red Pumpkins - autumn Asparagus, tomatoes, peppers, winter squash, herbs and vegetables What It Costs The farm's own pricing, and it is refreshingly plain: crops are sold by the pound and by the bunch, most between $2 and $7 a pound, with strawberries at $7.50. Good to Know Picking is usually Thursday to Sunday, 9am to noon, and the farm says to check Google Maps for the most up to date information. There is a farmstand on site. Because the list turns over so fast, the farm points people at its newsletter and social accounts rather than publishing a calendar. Pro tip: a three-hour morning window four days a week is a small door for a hundred crops. Get there at nine rather than at eleven, and treat the visit as a shop rather than an outing: this is a market garden that lets you harvest, not a fairground.

Spicer Orchards at Fenton is the largest picking operation on the northern edge of the region, and the only one that runs a wagon out to the rows and weighs your fruit on the way back. What You Can Pick Strawberries - June Blueberries - "opened on June 29th" and closing around 14 August Raspberries - most of the summer. "Raspberries, will ripen, then be sparse, then ripen again so it changes daily" Apples - from August. Summer varieties are Paula Red, Ginger Gold, Gala and Sweet Maia Pumpkins - autumn Peaches are market only this year. In the farm's own words: "Red Haven peaches are here. We had a small crop this year, we are supplementing this small crop with Michigan peaches from the west side of the state." How Picking Works "Start by getting a picking container from the counter out front or at the cashier in the market. Then enter the wagon line. Ride the wagon out to pick. When you return, have your fruit weighed. Then pay for your fruit in the market." On autumn weekends picking runs from the red barn at the top of the hill instead. What Else is Available A farm market open 9am to 7pm daily, a winery open 11am to 8pm daily, a cider mill, a bakery, fudge, a corn maze, and a 5K race series. Good to Know The last wagon goes out at 5.30pm and everyone is off the field by 6.15pm. Rain closes picking, sometimes for the rest of the day: "It takes several hours for the trees, grass, bushes, etc to dry off enough for comfortable picking." No animals except service animals, under Michigan's agricultural practice rules. Accessible wagon rides and vehicle access into the orchard are available by appointment. Pro tip: strollers and wagons are welcome, but the farm searches them on the way out and may ask you to open a backpack, because that is how fruit walks off a farm this size. Take a soft bag you do not mind opening and it will be quicker for everyone.

Stony Creek Orchard & Cider Mill has been in the Ross family since 1939, and it is the only farm in this region that says in plain words: "There is no admission fee to come on our farm!" What You Can Pick Apples - autumn weekends only Raspberries - autumn weekends only, red and black What It Costs The farm's own prices, and they are charged by the container with people included: Half a bushel of apples, $35, covers four people One peck of apples, $20, covers two people Any additional person, $3 Black raspberries, $6 a pint, u-pick only What Else is Available Cider pressed on the farm's own mill, donuts made daily in the Donut House, a picnic area with straw bales for children, antique tractors to photograph, frozen pies, caramel apples, jams, honey and maple syrup. Moonlight hayrides and group outings are booked separately. Good to Know The salesroom's tentative opening is Friday 11 September at 10am. Picking is weekends only, and on quieter days there may be none at all: the farm says picking happens "on a busy fall weekend". Pro tip: the $6 pint of black raspberries is the thing to come for, because Stony Creek says it does not sell them any other way. Black raspberries are a two or three week crop, they bruise if you look at them, and almost nobody grows them commercially.

Westview Orchards & Winery has been farming the same ground on Van Dyke since 1813, and it publishes a crop-by-crop picking board that tells you plainly what is finished as well as what is ready. What You Can Pick Sunflowers - open now, 10am to 5pm Fall raspberries - from 22 August, 10am to 5pm Apples - from the beginning of September. First varieties Gala and McIntosh Pumpkins - October Strawberries, sweet and tart cherries, and saskatoons - June and July, finished for 2026 What Else is Available A farm market and bakery open 8am to 6pm daily, the Loft Barn Winery with a porch open noon to 6pm at weekends, field trips, party bookings, and Basic Farm Fun 10am to 5pm daily, weather permitting. Good to Know The farm is careful about its own calendar: "harvest calendar is an ESTIMATE of the seasonal crops as we can not predict the weather or guarantee we will have picking. Everything is weather dependent- Thank you!" Posted at the gate: "No Pets, No Smoking/Vaping, No Firearms, and No Drones on Westview Property." Pro tip: put saskatoons in the diary for next June. They are a prairie berry that looks like a blueberry and tastes closer to almond and cherry, they are barely grown anywhere east of the Dakotas, and Westview is the only farm across nineteen US regions on this site that offers them for picking.

Big Red Orchard on 32 Mile Road describes itself as "one of the oldest Cider Mills & U-Pick Orchards in Michigan", and says it started picking "when the concept was a very new and exciting trend... back in the 70s". What You Can Pick Apples - from September. The orchard grows 20 varieties Pumpkins - autumn, from three separate patches What Else is Available The cider mill and donuts, the Main Barn market, homemade pies, a straw mountain for children, and the Legacy Bar. Sunflowers are planted out front as a photograph stop in summer, and wildflowers surround the orchard once picking begins. Good to Know The farm is closed until the 2026 season begins in September. It changed hands in 2023 and is no longer trading as Miller's Big Red, though a good deal of the local internet still calls it that. Pro tip: the u-pick page on the farm's own site has not been touched since 2024 and still reads "Closed for the 2024 Season". Ring 586-752-7888 rather than trusting the dates on the page, and if you want EverCrisp, note that the trees were only planted in spring 2023 and the farm says they need three to five years.

Montrose Orchards sits at the far northern reach of this region, in the town that holds Michigan's blueberry festival, and it opened its picking field this year on 16 July. What You Can Pick Blueberries - "Open Daily 9-5pm Mid-July to Early September". Blue Crop and Jersey Apples and pears - autumn What Else is Available Cider and donuts, a bakery, caramel apples, a market, squash and pumpkins in autumn, and an estimated ripening calendar the farm keeps updated. Good to Know The farm runs four different sets of hours across the year: Tuesdays and Fridays noon to 6pm from January to early June, daily 10am to 6pm from mid-June to early July, daily 9am to 6pm through the harvest from mid-July to October, and daily 10am to 6pm in November and December. Picking itself runs 9am to 5pm, an hour shorter than the market. Dan and Debbie Hill want the place used: they invite people to picnic, hold family gatherings, and in their own list of what the orchard is for, "even training cadaver dogs". Pro tip: Jersey is the variety to ask about. It is a late, firm, small-berried heritage blueberry that most farms have grubbed out in favour of bigger modern types, and Montrose still picks it. The farm notes it is available to pick or to order.

Wiard's Orchards & Country Fair on Merritt Road has been letting people pick apples for more than eighty years, and it is the only farm in this region where you cannot reach the rows without buying a ticket first. What You Can Pick Apples - autumn. Golden Delicious and Red Delicious Pumpkins - autumn What It Costs Admission to the Country Fair, which is what gets you into the orchard: Wednesday to Friday, $18 a person Saturday and Sunday, $27 a person Season pass, $46 a person, Wednesday to Sunday Babies 23 months and under, free The fruit is charged on top. Every ticket tier lists u-pick apples and pumpkins as "(Additional Cost)", and you buy your picking bag separately. Good to Know In the farm's own words: "The u-pick orchards are inside the Wiard's Country Fair. If you are not coming as a Country Fair or a Field Trip guest, we will have apples & pumpkins available in our store for the same prices as u-pick." The farm reopens on Tuesday 8 September 2026. Group discounts run from $3 to $4 a ticket for parties of ten or more. Pro tip: work out before you go whether you want the fair or the fruit. Two adults picking on a Saturday are $54 through the gate before a single apple, and the shop sells the same apples at the same per-pound price with no ticket at all.

Hy's Cider Mill north of Romeo has been run by one family since the early 1900s, and it publishes a start date for every one of its twelve picking varieties, each available for two to three weeks. What You Can Pick McIntosh and Gala - from 6 September Empire - from 13 September Jonathan and Cortland - from 20 September Ambrosia and Golden Delicious - from 27 September Red Delicious - from 4 October Ida Red and Northern Spy - from 11 October Fuji - from 18 October Golden Russet - from 25 October Pumpkins - autumn What Else is Available Wagon rides out to the picking areas, outdoor picnic areas, cider, donuts, caramel apples, jams and jellies, and a petting farm. Good to Know Weekends only. In the farm's own words: "Saturday & Sunday ONLY. HOURS 11am-6pm (U-pick til 5pm). Sept.6th - Nov. 2nd." Picking shuts an hour before the mill does. Pro tip: Golden Russet from 25 October is the one to plan a trip around. It is a small, rough, dull-skinned apple that looks like a potato and is widely held to be the best-flavoured russet in America, and Hy's is one of very few orchards in the region that will let you pick it.

Erie Orchards & Cider Mill sits in the far south of Monroe County, close enough to Toledo to be an Ohio trip, and it opens its rows with a sentence most orchards would not bother to write: "we welcome you to come and pick your own fruit at our farm." What You Can Pick Blueberries - July and August Raspberries - summer Peaches - August and September Apples - September and October Pumpkins - autumn What Else is Available A cider mill, a corn maze, hay rides, an animal centre, magic shows, weekend special events through September and October, and an apple festival. School tours run from May right through to December. Good to Know The farm is open for the season now, 9am to 7pm Monday to Saturday and 11am to 5pm on Sunday, which is a longer day than almost any other orchard in the region keeps. Pro tip: five pickable crops on one site is rare here, and the July to October spread means Erie is worth two trips rather than one. Come in July for the blueberries and again in October for the apples and the maze, and you will have seen the whole farm.

MacQueen Orchards at Holland, on the west side of Toledo, grows 16 varieties of apples and 10 of peaches and has been running its picking field the same way for years: you prepay, you take a ticket, and you pick at least half a bushel. What You Can Pick Apples - "usually begins around September 12th, and continues through the 3rd week in October". Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Jonathan, Granny Smith and Ida Red Pumpkins - autumn How Picking Works In the farm's own words: "When you are ready to pick your own, see the attendant before entering the orchard. There is a minimum of 1/2 bushel to enter. You prepay, and are given bags according to how many you want to pick, along with a ticket. Prices are by the 1/2 bushel. On the way out you will be asked for your ticket and the amount of pumpkins picked." What Else is Available A farm market open all year with fruit, vegetables, pies and bakery, a large cider press, a packing plant, gift shops, a Christmas store, school tours, and an Apple Butter Festival. Good to Know The picking window shifts with the crop: "depending on crop and weather conditions. Please call to see what we are picking and when." The farm's fresh apple season runs far wider than its picking season, "from as early as mid-July through the end of October", but the early apples are picked by the orchard. Pro tip: half a bushel is around twenty pounds of apples, or forty to fifty of them. That is the smallest amount you are allowed to pick, so this is a trip for people who make sauce and pies rather than for a bag to eat in the car.

Johnston Fruit Farms at Swanton, west of Toledo, has the longest picking season of any farm in this region. In its own words: "We are not just an apple orchard! We have several seasons of fruit and flowers to keep us going from early July until past Christmas!" What You Can Pick Strawberries - "starts around the 4th of July for about 2-3 weeks of good picking" Raspberries - two waves. "1st wave: red and black raspberries start around strawberry season, sometimes late June!", then autumn varieties Blueberries - "starts around the second week of July", at a separate patch three miles away Apples - "starts around Sep 10th through October 31st. Over 20 varieties available for u-pick" Pumpkins - "Starts around 3rd weekend in September through October 31st" Lavender - late June and early July Flowers and sunflowers - "starts early July, ends at frost (mid-end of October)" The Apples "We grow over 60 varieties of apples and more than 20 of those are available for U-pick." The farm names Pixie Crunch, Candy Crisp, Sun Crisp, Winesap and Gold Rush as its specialty picking varieties. Honeycrisp is a different matter: "Honey Crisp starts for a limited time around the 1st - 2nd weekend in for 1-2 weekends only. Unfortunately the HC u-pick is dependent on how well the crop does each year. Call in advance to check HC u-pick availability." [sic] What Else is Available A cider mill, fresh donuts made daily, a petting zoo, honey, fresh eggs, pre-picked bouquets, and a 2026 U-pick 5 Bouquet Punch Pass. Good to Know The blueberry patch is not at the farm. It is three miles away, on the corner of County Road 3 and County Road D, and the farm keeps it for pickers only: "We only have customers pick from this patch, so it is very plentiful picking during peak season!" Peak is the second week of July. Pro tip: Gold Rush is the one to hold out for, and it is the last apple picked anywhere. It is hard and sharp off the tree in late October and turns intensely sweet after two months in a cool cupboard, which is why almost nobody sells it and why a u-pick orchard is the only place to get it.