RochesterNY

Bauman's Farm Market at Webster runs pick-your-own through the summer and is unusually direct about what it is for: "Come out and get strawberries in abundance from our fields for your jams and jellies." What You Can Pick Strawberries - June Peas - early summer In the farm's own words: "Summertime is pick-your-own season... We also offer pick-your-own peas." What Else is Available Greenhouses from late April, then "the harvest of fruits and vegetables – sweet corn, squash, broccoli, peaches, cauliflower". In autumn: "Sweet corn, pumpkins, fried cakes, LOADS of APPLES! Too many to list! Get ready to be spooked in our Scary Pumpkin Room. Score some great family photos by our teepee. Don't forget to make your way over to our hay maze (it's free!)." A poinsettia room and Christmas Tunnel close the year. Good to Know Open daily 10am to 5pm. In the farm's own words: "For the foreseeable future, we are going to be open daily from 10 am to 5 pm. If there is a change, we will post it. We truly appreciate your support." Pro tip: the hay maze is free, which the farm points out itself and which is worth knowing at a farm where most autumn attractions are not.

Chase Farms Market at Fairport grows a berry list most farms have given up on, including currants and gooseberries. What You Can Pick Strawberries - June Blueberries - summer, finished for this year Raspberries - a fall crop is coming Currants - summer Gooseberries - summer Pumpkins - autumn Good to Know As of late August, in the farm's own words: "Our U-pick blueberry season has come to an end. Our Fall raspberry crop looks great so stay in touch for updates on that." The market is open daily 9am to 8pm with "fresh in season produce. We have fresh dug garlic, sweet corn, peaches tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers and other in season produce", and the shortcake and sundae bar runs daily 10am to 8pm. Pro tip: a shortcake bar open until eight in the evening beside a berry field is a rare and civilised arrangement. Pick in the morning, come back at seven.

Bittner-Singer Orchards at Appleton sits between Lake Ontario and the Niagara escarpment, and explains better than anyone why fruit grows here at all. What You Can Pick Cherries - July The farm also grows apples, peaches, apricots, plums and pears, and sells them wholesale and at markets across Western New York. Why the Fruit Grows Here In the farm's own words: "The lake moderates the air temperature and the escarpment keeps the air moderate in the fruit growing season. These moderate temperatures hold back development of the fruit buds in spring, reducing the chance of damage caused by spring frost. They also allow for a longer growing season by delaying the first fall frost. Our rich-sandy loam soils also help our fruit crops to thrive." Good to Know The u-pick orchard is closed for the 2026 cherry season. Picking is a July event only: "In addition to our U-Pick Cherries in July, you can Find Us Locally at Farm Markets and other outlets in Western New York." Pro tip: this is a one-crop, one-month picking farm attached to a large wholesale orchard, so the July cherry fortnight is the whole opportunity. Ring in late June and put it in the diary.

Apple Barrel Orchards at Penn Yan is a fourth-generation working fruit farm on 86 acres in the heart of the Finger Lakes, with a cidery attached. What You Can Pick Apples - autumn Grapes - autumn Good to Know Picking was closed at the time of checking. The farm announces its dates to a mailing list rather than posting a calendar: "Sign up to hear about special events at our cidery, The Barrel Club membership, u-pick date announcements and more from the farm." Pro tip: get on the list. A farm that announces its picking dates by email is a farm whose dates move, and Penn Yan is seventy kilometres from Rochester, which is a long way to drive on a guess.

The Apple Farm Stand at Stonegoose Farms at North Rose opens for its 2026 season in August, with picking, hard cider and farm animals on one site. What You Can Pick Apples - from August What Else is Available In the farm's own words: "Hard Cider, UPICK, Fresh Baked Goods, Gifts Items, Pantry Items, Farm Animals." Good to Know The banner across the site reads "OPENING AUGUST 2026 - STAY TUNED!!!" and there is a U-Pick Dates page the farm maintains. Pro tip: the farm publishes a U-Pick Dates page rather than a fixed calendar, which in Wayne County is the honest way to do it. Check it the week you plan to go.

Blackman Homestead Farm at Lockport is a small family orchard with farm animals and cider slushies, and it keeps a cash-only cold store going after the picking finishes. What You Can Pick Apples - autumn Pears - autumn Grapes - autumn Pumpkins - autumn Good to Know Open daily 9am to 6pm. After the orchard closes, in the farm's own words: "The orchard is closed, however apples, cider and pumpkins are available at our cold storage area, using the Thrall Road entrance, for CASH ONLY sales." A visitor quoted on the farm's own site puts it well: "Blackman farm is a great small farm for families to go to to pick apples and enjoy a few farm animals and fresh cider slushies. It's a nice short drive from the Buffalo suburbs and you can just take a couple hours to have a great afternoon away." Pro tip: the cold store with the Thrall Road entrance is the thing to know. When the orchard shuts you can still buy apples and cider there, cash in hand, well after every other farm in the county has closed for the year.

Fish Farm Market at Shortsville grows strawberries the neighbourhood turns out for: "U-pick Strawberries are a local fav!" What You Can Pick Strawberries - June Peas - early summer Pumpkins - autumn Good to Know In the farm's own words: "We have the freshest and sweetest fruits around. U-pick Strawberries are a local fav!" The farm publishes no dates or prices, so ring before travelling. Pro tip: Ontario County strawberries run a week or two behind the Monroe County ones because it is further from the lake. If Rochester's fields are picked out in the third week of June, Shortsville may still be going.

Fisher's Fruit & Christmas Tree Farm at Brockport grows five tree fruits using organic practices with no systemic pesticides, and publishes a season calendar and a price list, which almost nobody in this region does. What You Can Pick Sweet cherries - summer Peaches - tree-ripe, late summer Nectarines - late summer Pears - "Five varieties spanning seven weeks. Bartletts open in late August; Anjou and Concorde finish in mid-October. Picked firm, ripened on the counter" Apples - "From early-season Paula Reds to late-harvest Jonagolds", with Honeycrisp, Cortland, McIntosh and Sweet Sixteen at the peak Good to Know Fruit season runs 15 August to 1 November, Friday to Sunday 9am to 5pm. Christmas tree season runs from the day after Thanksgiving to 23 December, also Friday to Sunday. The farm publishes a 2026 u-pick price list by the quart, with most crops at $5 a quart and one at $9. On the growing: "We adhere to organic practices on every tree, every season. When you pick fruit at Fisher's, you're getting nothing but pure, delicious fruit — guaranteed." Pro tip: five pear varieties over seven weeks is an unusual thing to find open to the public, and the farm tells you what to do with them. Pears do not ripen properly on the tree, so pick them firm as instructed and let them come good on the windowsill.

The Apple Shed has just started picking, and names the two varieties it opened with. What You Can Pick Apples - "We just started picking our first apples of the season! NY 702 and Dandee Red!" Good to Know Open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Pro tip: NY 702 is a Cornell breeding-programme number rather than a shop name, and this is the kind of orchard that will tell you what it tastes like if you ask. Wayne County is the county those varieties were bred for.

Whittier Fruit Farm has been run by the Russell family since 1974, and the first thing they did was cut the orchard down to size: "Ray and Judy Russell quickly replaced the very tall and old apple trees with smaller trees which are ideal for picking." What You Can Pick Apples - 32 varieties, all in a fairly compact area Pumpkins - autumn Blueberries - mid-July to early September, at a separate field an hour away The variety list runs Paula Red, Zestar, Sansa, Ginger Gold, Jonamac, SweeTango, CrimsonCrisp, Gala, Twenty Ounce, AutumnCrisp, McIntosh, Honeycrisp, Cortland, Sweet Sixteen, SnapDragon, Fireside, Empire, Fuji, Macoun, SnowSweet, Red Delicious, Fortune, Jonagold, Golden Delicious, Topaz, Ida Red, Northern Spy, Crispin, RubyFrost, Suncrisp, Granny Smith and Cameo. The Blueberries Are Not Here In the farm's own words: "Our blueberries are located along Lake Ontario in Niagara County... To get to the blueberry field from the Rochester area, give yourself about an hour. Take Route 390 north to the Lake Ontario State Parkway and drive west until the parkway ends. Turn right (west) on Route 18 and continue for about 20 miles, half a mile beyond the power plant. Look for a sign on the right that says 'Russell's U-Pick Blueberries.'" Good to Know The store is open Monday to Friday 10am to 5.30pm and weekends 10am to 4.30pm. Picking runs separately. Pro tip: thirty-two apple varieties on short trees in a compact block is about the best arrangement for picking with children anywhere in this region. And do not set off for blueberries without reading the directions: the patch is sixty miles west, in a different county, under a different name.

G and S Orchards at Walworth runs a picking board that tells you plainly which crops are finished and which are still to come. What You Can Pick Cherries - early summer, season over Apples - from 12 September Pumpkins - autumn Good to Know The picking board as of late August reads simply: "Picking Hours: Closed until September 12th", with three crops marked "Season Over" and two marked "Opens September". The stand keeps its own hours and opens earlier in the year than the fields do. Pro tip: 12 September is a firm date on a board the farm actually maintains, which is more than most orchards in this region offer. Diary it rather than ringing in the last week of August.

Luna Farms at Newfane grows strawberries on the Niagara lake plain and publishes both its hours and its prices on one page. What You Can Pick Strawberries - June into early July Good to Know The season is over. In the farm's own words: "The Strawberry U-PICK is now closed." The farm keeps a page headed U-Pick Hours and Prices, which is more than most single-crop berry farms bother with. In season it opens Monday to Friday 8am to 7pm and weekends 8am to 6pm. Pro tip: a twelve-hour weekday and an eleven-hour weekend is unusually generous for a strawberry farm, and it means the last two hours of a June evening are yours alone. Most people go on a Saturday morning.

Noto Fruit Farm at Williamson grows six fruits and starts you in the field: "Start by picking your own fruit." What You Can Pick The farm grows "a wide variety of apples, peaches, pears, plums, cherries and blueberries": Cherries and blueberries - summer Peaches and plums - late summer Apples and pears - autumn Good to Know There is a cider mill on site. The farm publishes no dates, prices or hours, so ring before travelling: (315) 589-4430. Pro tip: six tree fruits and a cider mill in one place is a Wayne County speciality and this is a small operation, so what is open changes week to week. The phone is the only reliable source.

Hurd Orchards at Holley writes about its own fruit better than any farm in this region: "Summer brings the opportunity to connect with the season by picking your own sun warmed strawberries, raspberries, and cherries." What You Can Pick Strawberries - June Sour cherries - early summer Red raspberries - through the season and into September Blackberries - late summer Peaches - late summer Apples - early varieties from September, including Honeycrisp and Yellow Transparent Good to Know Picking hours are Wednesday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm, running from 1 June to the end of the season. As of late August the donut peaches were sold out for the season. The farm is as much a kitchen as an orchard: "fabulous luncheons in our Barn and curated culinary dinners hosted in our 18th Century Farmhouse. Teas in May & December." The market runs mid-May to 24 December and, in the farm's words, "radiates each season with spirit and style. We grow and gather, cook and stir and bake all season long." Pro tip: Yellow Transparent is the reason to come in the first week of September. It is a translucent, intensely tart early apple that goes to sauce almost as you cook it, it will not keep a week, and hardly any orchard still grows it.

Wickham Farms at Penfield picks from a five acre orchard on a hill, and runs a hayride up to it every day the farm is open because the view is worth the trip on its own. What You Can Pick Apples - from Zestar, "Our first apples of the season, great juicy taste!" What It Costs Admission is required, and the apples are an add-on: "Sunflower Spectacular Admission is required through 9/7", and "ADD APPLES TO YOUR ADMISSION FOR JUST" a further charge. Season passes are sold. "We provide 1/2 peck apple bags at admissions and in our orchard. Each bag fits about 6-7 lbs of apples." Good to Know Open Thursdays to Sundays. On the hayride: "Because our orchard is on a hill overlooking the farm, we make sure to run our orchard hayrides every day that the farm is open. You'll get to enjoy one of the best views in Rochester, along with your delicious apples!" Pro tip: work the admission out before you go. This is a farm you visit as an outing with apples attached rather than an orchard you drop into for a bag of fruit, and the sunflower admission is compulsory until 7 September whether or not you came for sunflowers.

Schutt's Apple Mill at Webster has dedicated over six acres to picking and is open every day of the year. What You Can Pick Apples - "end of August – October", over six acres Cherries - summer Raspberries - summer Flowers - July to September, "Come create your own bouquet" In the farm's own words: "Our family offers U-Pick apples, cherries, and raspberries. This fun family experience is worth the trip. Having homegrown fruit at your fingertips is a delight of living in Western New York. Please call for specific details as to our u-pick dates." Good to Know Picking hours are 9am to 4pm, inside longer store hours: Sunday to Thursday 9am to 5pm and Friday to Saturday 9am to 8pm in summer. The farm is open all year and closed only on New Year's Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. The 2026 apple crop is in: "Welcome in the 2026 apple crop! Now on the pound." Pro tip: picking shuts at four while the shop stays open until eight on a Friday. Do the orchard first and the cider mill second, not the other way round.

Burnap's at Sodus is picking peaches and flowers right now and, in its own words, offers "Pick Your Own of many different fruits". What You Can Pick Peaches - open now Flowers - open now Strawberries - June Cherries - early summer Raspberries - summer Apples and pumpkins - autumn What Else is Available A garden cafe: "When you are finished with one of our farm to table lunches don't forget to try one of our homemade desserts or ice cream on a homemade waffle cone." The farm also bakes "some of the best pies around", and there is a corn maze in autumn. Good to Know Closed Tuesdays. The current banner reads "Pick Your Own Peaches & Flowers NOW OPEN" and "Farm Fresh has arrived! OPEN for the season." Pro tip: a farm-to-table lunch and a waffle cone at the end of a peach row is not the usual Wayne County arrangement. Go hungry.

Blue Barn Cidery at Hilton describes itself in five words: "Specializing in pick-your-own fruit." What You Can Pick Apples - autumn The farm is open July through October. What Else is Available A cidery with a tasting room, and free live music outdoors: "Free Admission! Live music will take place outside. Picnic blankets and lawn chairs are welcome in our lawn area." Good to Know Closed on Labor Day. The season closes with a Season Farewell event, also free. Pro tip: a cidery that opens in July is telling you it grows more than apples. Ring and ask what is on before you assume it is an autumn-only trip.

Partyka Farms at Kendall is straight about which of its crops you actually pick, and the answer is the pumpkins. What You Can Pick Pumpkins - "Saturdays and Sundays in October, we offer hayrides to our pumpkin patch to pick your own pumpkin" What You Do Not Pick The apples. In the farm's own words: "In season, many Varieties of mix and match apples are available to pick from our bins, along with a full assortment of fall vegetable." [sic] Picking from bins is choosing, not picking. What Else is Available Dry roasted, no-shell pumpkin seeds, "grown, processed and roasted as ordered for freshness on our family farm". A grill from Mother's Day to Labor Day, an ice cream bar to mid-October, wreaths and Christmas trees, and "a large free family picnic area with a playground". Good to Know Open seven days a week. The farm bills itself as a destination: "This is a place where friends, families, neighbors, ball teams and visitors come throughout the season to experience the sounds, tastes, country scenery, fun and laughter on the farm." Pro tip: the pumpkin seeds are the thing to come away with, and the farm roasts them to order. Ask at the counter rather than taking a bag off the shelf.

Panek's Pickin' Patch at Albion started small and grew, and the farm writes about the growing rather than the selling. What You Can Pick Strawberries - June Raspberries - summer Blueberries - summer Good to Know In the farm's own words: "We started small scale and over the years have grown and expanded to Raspberries and Blueberries and markets and CSAs. From figuring out what frost protection is to learning how to start an irrigation pump in the middle of the night (when the temperatures are dropping below 32) by myself to having a patch overgrown with weeds to having a picture perfect (well almost weed free) patch, and experimenting with different varieties to see what tastes best (remember bigger isn't always better) we have traveled the rows and gained so much along the way." The farm keeps a What's In Season page and a blog, though the blog is candid about its own frequency: "I always start the season with the best of intentions. I tell myself I will write one every two weeks or so. That works fine for the first couple months then goes by the wayside as weeding and picking take over." Pro tip: "remember bigger isn't always better" is the farm telling you something real about strawberry varieties. Ask which row is planted to flavour rather than size, and pick that one.

Price Blueberry Farm at Lewiston offers what it calls "a quiet relaxing U-pick experience", which is a modest and accurate description. What You Can Pick Blueberries - summer Pre-picked berries are sold alongside. Good to Know The farm uses integrated pest management practices, per the county directory. At 110km this is one of the furthest farms in the region, out past Lockport towards the Niagara gorge. Pro tip: "quiet" is the selling point and it is a real one. Every blueberry farm within half an hour of Rochester is busy on a July Saturday; this one is an hour and a quarter away and will not be.

The Blueberry Treehouse Farm at West Falls is an organic u-pick farm built around a treehouse, on ground that has grown blueberries for over thirty-five years. What You Can Pick Blueberries - summer, organic Good to Know Closed for the season at the time of checking, with every day of the week showing closed. In the farm's own words: "The Blueberry Treehouse Farm is a family-friendly, fun, and picturesque event space created by owners Jyl and Rico Rivera in the rural, vibrant community of West Falls, NY (near Buffalo). They have taken a historic farm growing blueberries for over 35 years to the next level by opening it to thousands of visitors. They combine the farm with their business and passion so visitors can see, experience, and treasure a treehouse for themselves." Their stated aim: "to change the image of a farm to become a cool place to visit often, connect with nature and benefit the entire community." There is a Treehouse Cafe, and the site is hired for parties. Pro tip: there is an admissions page as well as a hours page, so check what entry costs before you go. This is a farm that has deliberately become a destination, and destinations charge.