2024 Far Western North Carolina Corn U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Corn U-Pick Orchards in Far Western North Carolina in 2024, by county

Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for corn that we know of in this area. Not all areas of any state, nor even every state, have corn orchards that are open to the public. If you know of any others, please tell us using the add a farm form!

Remember to always check with the farm's own website or Facebook page before you go - or call or email them if they don't have a website or Facebook page. Conditions at the farms and crops can change literally overnight, so if you want to avoid a wasted trip out there - check with the farm directly before you go! If I cannot reach them, I DON'T GO!

PLEASE report closed farms, broken links and incorrect info using the "Report Corrections" form below.

Graham County

• Stoney Hollow Farm - Uses natural growing practices, apples, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, corn (sweet), flowers, grapes, melons, other berries, pears, peaches, peppers, persimmons, plums, pumpkins, raspberries, summer squash, winter squash, tomatoes, other vegetables, prepicked produce, farm market, gift shop, restrooms
  941 Ollies Creek Road, Robbinsville, NC 28771. Phone: 828-735-2983. Email: stoneyhollowfarm@outlook.com. Open: 5 days a week, 8 am to 6 pm; Closed Wednesdays and Saturdays. Directions: From the center of Robbinsville (Hwy. 129/Hwy. 143) go North on highway 129 3 miles. Just before the Ted Jordan Bridge, turn right on E. Buffalo Circle. Go 1 mile and turn right on E. Buffalo Road Go .3 mile and turn left on Ollies Creek Road Go .9 mile and you will see the farm on the left. Parking, farm map, and picking buckets are available in the barn at the top of the hill. Click here for a map and directions. Crops are usually available in April through November. Payment: Cash, Check. Jams and baked goods featuring products from the farm are available. Be sure to visit our website and sign up to receive a free e-letter with updates during the peak season. We use natural practices, but are not certified Organic. Click here for our Facebook page. (UPDATED: July 25, 2023, JBS)

Haywood County

• The Ten Acre Garden - Beans, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cantaloupe, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Herb, Peppers, Squash, Strawberries, Tomatoes, Watermelon, Cut Flowers
  276 Chambers Farm Lane, Canton, NC 28716. Phone: (828) 235-9667. Email: farmboy53149@yahoo.com. Open: Monday - Saturday call for hours of operation; May thru October. Click here for a map and directions. The Ten Acre Garden . From Canton come 6 miles south on Hwy 110 to intersection of 110 & 276, go straight through intersection onto Lovejoy Road approximately one mile. Turn right onto Chambers Farm Lane, signs posted. From Waynesville, 7 miles on Hwy 276 Bethel Community, turn right onto Lake Logan Road just past Bethel Grocery, one mile to Old Iron Truss Bridge on left, cross bridge and go right on gravel road, signs posted. Crop availability: Strawberries - May-June 10 Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower & Brussels Sprouts - June-September Greasy beans, Half Runner, Blue Lake sweet corn, Heirloom Tomatoes, Eggplant, Sweet & hot peppers, Cantaloupes, Watermelon, Squash, Cucumbers, Cut Flowers & Herbs - July-September. (UPDATED: June 11, 2014, JBSncdac)

Henderson County

• Grandad's Apples N' Such - Apples, nectarines, peaches, pumpkins, pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, corn maze, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, petting zoo
  2951 Chimney Rock Road, Hendersonville, NC 28792. Phone: 828-685-1685. Email: grandadsapples@yahoo.com. Open: 7 days a week until mid November from 9 AM to 5 PM. Directions: I-26, Exit 49-A. Go straight on 64East 2 miles. Big barn with tractor on silo on left. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.
  Grandad's Apples N' Such Facebook page. . Click here for their Facebook page. Select pre-picked fresh apples right off the tree from our assorted bins inside the store or the opportunity to pick your own from the orchard is available! We offer more than 20 different varieties of apples that can be purchased pre-picked! We gladly let you mix and match your varieties. .Apple Varieties / Ripening Schedule . (UPDATED: August 16, 2020 JBS)
• McConnell Farms - Apple, Asparagus, Honey, Strawberries, Vegetables, Indian Corn, Pumpkins
  177 Old Dana Road, Hendersonville, NC 28792. Phone: (828) 692-2819. Open: Sunday to Saturday 9 am to 6 pm; March-November. Directions: Take Four Season Blvd in Henderson to Dana Road 2 miles to Howard Gap Road, turn left, go approximately 300 yards to Old Dana road, farm on left. . Click here for a map and directions. Crop availability: Strawberries - May-June Asparagus - March-May Bedding plants & Rhubarb - April-June Pumpkins & Indian Corn - August-November Mixed Vegetables - March-November Apples - August- December. Hanging Baskets & Homemade Ice Cream. 5.5 Acre Sunflower Field.
• Stepp's Hillcrest Orchard - Apples, grapes, pumpkin patch- pick in the field, corn maze, and prepicked produce, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, tractor-pulled hay rides, wagon rides
  221 Stepp Orchard Drive, Hendersonville, NC 28793. Phone: 828-685-9083. Email: apples@steppapples.com. Open: 9 am to 6 pm Monday to Saturday 10 am to 6 pm Sunday Mid August thru October Mid August - Mid October Directions: From Asheville, NC Take I-26 East to the US 64 East, Bat Cave, Chimney Rock exit exit 49A. Directions: From Asheville, NC Take I-26 East to the US 64 East, Bat Cave, Chimney Rock exit \(exit 49A\). Stay on 64E \(Chimney Rock Rd.\) for 4.5 miles. Turn right onto Pace Road. Go one mile and turn right on Stepp Orchard Drive. From Charlotte, NC: Take I-85 South to I-26 West in Spartanburg, SC. Take I-26 W to the US 64 East, Bat Cave, Chimney Rock exit \(exit 49A\). Stay on 64E \(Chimney Rock Rd.\) for 4.5 miles. Turn right onto Pace Road. Go one mile and turn right on Stepp Orchard Drive. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Visa, MasterCard. . 9 am to 6 pm Monday to Saturday 10 am to 6 pm Sunday Mid August thru October Mid August - Mid October From Asheville, NC Take I-26 East to the US 64 East, Bat Cave, Chimney Rock exit (exit 49A). Stay on 64E (Chimney Rock Rd.) for 4.5 miles. Turn right onto Pace Road. Go one mile and turn right on Stepp Orchard Drive. From Charlotte, NC: Take I-85 South to I-26 West in Spartanburg, SC. Take I-26 W to the US 64 East, Bat Cave, Chimney Rock exit (exit 49A). Stay on 64E (Chimney Rock Rd.) for 4.5 miles. Turn right onto Pace Road. Go one mile and turn right on Stepp Orchard Drive. Enjoy a visit to a working apple farm in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Western North Carolina! Ride on the farm wagon through acres of orchard and Farmer Stepp's pumpkin patch and grape vines. Pick your own bag of apples and/or pumpkin. Drink a cup of delicious local apple cider. Enjoy a short educational presentation in the apple barn. Find your way through our corn and/or soybean maze. Bring a picnic lunch to eat beside the orchard. (UPDATED: August 16, 2020 JBS)
• The Farm - beans, blueberries, broccoli, corn (sweet), eggplant, onions, peppers, pumpkins, strawberries, tomatoes, other vegetables, Other fruit or veg,
  2731 Chimney Rock Road, Hendersonville, NC 28792. Phone: 828-696-5375. Email: sharon_searcy@yahoo.com. Open: Monday through Saturday 9 am Until 6 pm May through October. Directions: Take interstate 26 to exit 49 A \(Hwy 64 east, Bat Cave\), go 1 12 miles and The Farm is on the left \(about a mile past Walmart in Hendersonville\). . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx. . Take interstate 26 to exit 49 A (Hwy 64 east, Bat Cave), go 1 1/2 miles and is on the left (about a mile past Walmart in Hendersonville).

Transylvania County

• Davis Family Farm - Strawberries, Raspberries, Grapes, Squash, Cucumbers, Potatoes, Tomatoes, Blue Hubbard squash, Pumpkins, Corn
  81 Honeybee Lane, Penrose, NC 28766. Phone: 828-877-3881. Open: Sale on the local farmer market on Tues Thur and Sat. Click here for a map and directions. Davis Family Farm 7am-12noon. Other times you can call and place an order.

 

 

Choosing and Picking Corn

Corn reaches it's peak sweetness and flavor when the kernels are full, and just touching each other, like a good set of teeth!  They should not be bloated and smushed so tightly that there is no space left at all. The bloated overripe ears will have a bland, starchy taste.

Here's what to look for:

• The tips of the silks coming out of the ear should be a light brown.
•  If you break a kernel with your fingernail, the liquid should be slightly milky in color.
•  The ears should be filled out and have developed good girth but not bloated.

Harvesting

 To harvest, snap off the ears by hand with a quick, firm, downward push; then twist and pull.
 Avoid twisting or yanking the ears, as this can damage the stalk or the ear itself.

Storing the corn

Corn is at its prime eating quality on the stalk for only 72 hours before becoming over mature. The most important factor is cooling it as soon as possible after harvesting it.  Get it into the fridge or cover it with ice! Many farmers say you should remove the shucks right away, too.  I've found that removing most of the shuck, but leaving a few leaves to cover each ear is best to prevent the kernels from drying out.  See this page for more about storing corn before using it.

Cooking:

The worst mistake people make is overcooking corn.  In fact, corn isn't really cooked; it's just heated up. If you cook it form more than a few minutes (3 minutes), then you are simply breaking down the sugars and turning a nice, crisp sweet ear into bland mush. It's not a pot roast; the purpose of heating it is NOT to break down the cells, just to heat them to bring out the flavor and melt the butter!

Here's how to cook the corn:

1. Fill a large pot (large enough so the shucked ears can fit inside, laying down) about 2/3 full of water and start bring it to a boil
2. Shuck the ears, and snap off the stalk end and the very tip of ear (especially if you will use "corn stickers" , (handles) to hold the ears.
3. When everyone is sitting down at the table and you are serving the rest of the meal, put the corn in the boiling water and set the time for 3 minutes.
4. After 3 minutes, using tongs, retrieve the ears and serve them with butter (Corn boats are wonderful for corn!

 

Freezing Corn

You can easily freeze the sweet corn and have that great taste in the dead of winter! 

• Freezing whole ears of corn on the cob
• Freezing corn, cut off the cob

Canning Corn

This too, is easy... but it DOES require a Pressure Canner.  You cannot safely do this with a water bath canner.  Food poisoning is no joke!

• Here is how to can corn!
•  how to make canned creamed corn.
• Southern Chow-Chow (also called Piccalilli)
• Pickled corn relish

Other corn recipes

• How to make sweet corn ice cream
• Corn bread, or sweet corn muffins (like Chi Chi's)

• Corn fritters (a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch breakfast

Other Local Farm Products (Honey, Horses, Milk, Meat, Eggs, Etc.)
(NOT pick-your-own, unless they are also listed above)

• Farm markets and roadside stands
• Local Honey Finder
• Local Meat, Milk and Eggs
• Venues: Farms, Wineries, Orchards for your event, wedding or party
• Easter egg hunts
• Children"s consignment sales
• Fruit and vegetable festivals
• Winery tours and wine tastings
• Horse rides, stables, lessons, trails
• Maple Syrup farms and sugarworks
• Bed & Breakfasts on Farms, Wineries, Ranches and Orchards
• Pumpkin patches
• Corn mazes
• Zombie Paintball venues
• Christmas Tree Farms & lots
• Environmental resources
• Consumer fraud information
• Wholesale food sources
• Resources for Farmers