Orange County, California U-Pick Farms - 2018 PickYourOwn.org

Find a pick-your-own farm near you! Then learn to can and freeze! Since 2002! We update continuously; Beware the copycat websites!

Find a local pick your own farm here!

Looking for a local, pick-your-own farm in Orange County, California?  Scroll down this page and you will see the U-Pick farms in Orange County, California, sorted by county. Those that offer organic or sustainably grown produce are identified by the words "organic" and/or "sustainable" in Green, next to their name  (see "What does Organic mean?"). The U-pick crops they offer follow the name of the farm. To search the page for a specific crop, use Ctrl-F (or on an ipad or Mac, use their "search on this page" function) If they have a website, the name will be in blue and underlined; click on it and it will open their website. Beware of copycat websites (such as the one that starts with "Eatwell", "pickit" and the ones that ends with ".farm"; they do not verify or update their information, they just steal it from us once in a great while (they are plagiarists operating in Russia and China, as well as some 20-somethings trying to make a quick buck), so theirs are always out-of-date -and often copied incorrectly. Since 2002, I make updates daily (each farm as changes are reported, or I find it). See the customer and farmer menus at the top menu bar to submit updates and corrections and help me keep each current!

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! And if you know of any farms I missed and want to add a farm, please let me know!   I'm making updates for 2018 as fast as I can - if you find anything out-of-date, wrong or not working - please let me know!

What's in season in December 2018, and other timely information:

Notes for December 2018: Autumn is here! Apples, pears, Fall raspberries, figs, winter squash , corn mazes and pumpkin patches are here. And there are still tomatoes, corn and other vegetables in most areas. Check your area's copy calendar (see this page) and call your local farms for seasonal updates.

See these pages to find a local apple festival, and see our guide to apple varieties (when they ripen, best uses), . Also picking tips, recipes, canning and freezing directions for apples, pumpkins, peaches, tomatoes, corn etc.

See our comprehensive list of easy home canning, jam and jelly making, preserving, drying and freezing directions. You can access recipes and other resources from the drop down menus at the top of the page or the site search. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to write me! It is easy to make your own ice cream, even gelato, or low fat or low sugar ice cream - see this page. Also note, there are many copycat website listing U-pick farms now.  They have all copied their information form here and usually do not ever update.  Since 2002, I've been updating the information every day but Christmas; so if you see anything wrong or outdated, please write me!

Health insurance: Open enrollment is almost here.  You may have heard  that health sharing plans, like Liberty and Medi-Share are less than half the cost of ObamaCare plans. We have a complete, simple comparison of the 6 major health sharing plans here.

Children's Consignment Sales occur in both the Spring and Fall  See our companion website to find a local community or church kid's consignment sale!

Orange County, California U-Pick Farms and Orchards in 2018, by county

Click on the resources drop-down above, if you need a county map

Orange County

  • Irvine Ranch Outdoor Education Center - Uses natural growing practices, lemons, oranges, other citrus, tangerines, Other fruit or veg, U-pick and already picked, farm market, restrooms, picnic area (bring your own food), ziplines, group reservations
    2 Irvine Park Rd, Orange, CA 92869. Phone: 714-923-3191. Email: [email protected]. Open: We are closed for the summer season; Navel Oranges ripen in late November - so cSouth Coast Farms - certified organic, strawberries,heck back for details. Directions: Go down Jamboree road and enter Irvine regional park. Follow the direction to enter Outdoor Education Center. Click here for a map and directions. We use natural practices, but are not yet certified Organic. Payment: Cash, only. We also have mandarins and kales for you to pick. There is an interesting story with photos about Picking Oranges and Lemons at Irvine Ranch here. (UPDATED: April 30, 2018, JBS)
  • South Coast Farms - certified organic, strawberries,
    32701 Alipaz St, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675. Phone: (949) 661-9381. Email: [email protected]. Open: As determined weekends in April and May Check our Facebook page for exact dates. Click here for current open hours, days and dates. Directions: Click here for a map and directions. Strawberry U Pick weekends in April and May determined by fruit production; See our FB for exact dates!. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa/MasterCard, Discover, AmEx. Click here for our Facebook page. (UPDATED: April 30, 2018, JBS)
    Comments from a visitor on July 16, 2011: "The ONLY pyo crops offered are: Strawberries, and only at the end of the season, for one day. This year (2011), it was Sunday, July 11th. They also have a pumpkin patch, fresh apple cider and crafts for Hallowe'en. Primarily, this is a farmstand and CSA. "
    Comments from a visitor on July 02, 2010: "Apparently they grow everything organic. They also have a CSA program. I have only been there once, but I am going back to pick strawberries this weekend! $1.25 a pound for organic strawberries! That's a great deal in this neck o'the woods!"
  • Tanaka Farms - strawberries, vegetables, pumpkins, Tanaka Farms - strawberries, vegetables, pumpkins,
    5380 3/4 University Drive, Irvine, California 92612. Phone: 949-653-2100. Fax: 949-653-9050. Email: [email protected]. Open: There are strawberry U-pick tours in the Spring and vegetable u-pick tours in the summer; U- Pick Tour times will be posted on our website when available; see their website or call about pumpkins in October (Saturdays & Sundays (now until July) every half hour from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm. No reservations needed. In 2018, STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL DAYS: 5/5 & 5/6, 5/12 & 5/13, 5/19 & 5/20, 5/26 & 5/27 with Food, games, vendors, crafts, and more). Directions: 2 miles north of I-5 and I-405 interchange, take I-405 to University Dr - South to Strawberry Farms Rd on corner. Click here for a map to our farm. and another map is here. Strawberry tours: This is a guided tour around the farm that takes approximately one hour on a tractor- pulled wagon. You will see how fruits & vegetables grow and sample many of those that are in season. The last stop on this tour is in the strawberry patch will you be able to pick and eat strawberries! Each person will take home a one (1) pound basket of strawberries! How Does It Work? Weekday school tours and group tours are available by reservation only. No reservations are needed for our weekend tours unless the group is large. Please arrive 25 minutes before to check in and receive instructions. Make Strawberry Tour reservations by calling (949) 653-2100 ext. 204 with the name, phone number, date, the time you wish to attend, the number of adults, children, and children ages 2 years old and under who will be attending. A confirmation will be sent to you by email.Harvest items TBD. (Will not include strawberries.) Vegetable U-pick harvest tours: What Is a Harvest Tour? This is a FREE, guided wagon ride around the farm, where you will be able to pick your own fresh fruits and vegetables in the fields! This tour takes 45 min to 1 1/4 hours. Remember to wear closed-toed shoes as you will be walking through the fields! How Does It Work? This tour is seasonal and generally runs during the off-season. No reservations are necessary; simply arrive 15-20 min previous to the start of the tour so you don't miss the tractor. Vegetable picking is seasonal and based on availability, but U-Pick produce may include: carrots, tomatoes, beets, baby bok choy, lettuce, kale, butternut squash and more. It's a surprise every day! Pay for what you've picked at the end of your tour. Group rates are available call for details. We also have CSA fundraiser available.  (UPDATED: April 30, 2018, JBS)  (UPDATED: October 19, 2017)
    Comments from a visitor on April 15, 2011: "Further clarification on the "U-Pic" part of the farm. For $15, you get to ride on the tractor, get a tour of the many fruits and vegetables on the farm, and a ONE POUND basket for you to fill up with strawberries."
    Comments from a visitor on March 27, 2011: "Tanaka Farms has a CSA program through Farm2Table Connect. There is no membership fee, you only pay for the box of fruits/vegetables. The large box is $30 and the small is $20. They will also donate a portion from each box to participating schools. Visit this website for more info. "
    Comments from a visitor on August 8, 2008: "I took my husband & son to Tanaka Farms for their "Pick-your-own- strawberries" we went on a guided wagon tour that included several stops to taste fresh picked produce from their farm, we then had 15 minutes to pick and eat as many strawberries as we could.  Our 1 1/2 year old son LOVED it. Sure they were the most expensive basket of strawberries ($13 per basket) my husband or I had ever purchased, but those pictures were priceless !!  They also offer a Watermelon tour which we intend to go do as well."

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