Looking for a local, pick-your-own farm in Desoto and Hardee counties, west Florida? Scroll down this page and you will see the U-Pick farms in Desoto and Hardee counties, west Florida,
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. If you find anything outdated or
inaccurate, see the customer and farmer menus (as appropriate) at the top menu bar to submit updates and corrections and help me keep each current!
New! As inflation remains high, see this page for cost-saving measures for
getting fruit and vegetables and home canning.
If you are having a hard time
finding canning lids, I've used these, and they're a great price & ship in 2 days.
New! Road tripping and camping is a great way to have a fun, safe and inexpensive
family trip. The national and state parks and monuments are open, and campgrounds usually cost between $10 and $40 per night. September to November is the best
camping weather. See our new website Road Tripping and Camping.com for tips, tricks,
guides, checklists and info about parks, monuments and other places to visit.
New! We just went live with our latest website,
FunFactoryTours.com - As they name implies, you can find a fun factory tour, including chocolate, automobiles, historical forts and sites, famous buildings,
Active Federal facilities even fun geology: like fossils and volcanic areas
Note: Beware the copycat websites like the one that stole
our name and uses .farm extension: they copied my work and do NOT even update
the info! I make updates EVERY day. They use tech tricks to get higher rankings,
but have many more inaccuracies and out-dated info. Obviously, I cannot check
every farm every day, but I do check as many as I can every day, and respond to
all requests. They don't. Don't support the scammers!
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 this year as fast as I can - if you find
anything out-of-date, wrong or not working -
please let me know! This website is supported by purchases you make
through the links to products on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn
from qualifying purchases. This allows me to continue to maintain the
website and make improvements!
What's in season in March 2024, and
other timely information:
Notes for March 2024: Spring is here! Strawberry season
is here. It started in February in Florida, Texas, southern California and a few other areas of the
Deep South; then March along the Gulf coast, April in the Deep South and west
coast, May through much of the country, and June in northern areas. Blueberries are
next, about a month later. Of course, cool weather crops, like Rhubarb,
asparagus and greens should be available almost everywhere. Check your area's
copy calendar (see this page) and call your local farms for
seasonal updates.
You may also be interested in finding a local:
We also have
home canning, 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 from 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!
Desoto and Hardee counties, west Florida U-Pick Farms and Orchards in 2024, by county
Click on the resources drop-down above, if you need a county map
Note about strawberries in Florida:
There are a few strawberry u-pick farms in Florida open during the
entire season, which lasts from December through April). Most
commercial farms do not open their fields to the general public
until the end of the season, which is usually in April (depending on
the weather).
NOTE: The exit numbers on the Interstates have
changed, but we have no way of knowing what the new correct exit numbers are
until the farmers correct their listings; so be sure to ask when you call the
farms!
Desoto County
-
A.L.L. Blueberries, LLC - blueberries, porta-potties are
available
3151 Sw Gator Trail, Arcadia, FL 34266. Phone: (863) 993-3686.
Alternate Phone: (863) 990-1739. Email:
allblueberries2012@yahoo.com. Open: During the off - season, we open our
field as the blueberries are become ready; Please see our Facebook page for
more details; Our regular harvest time is mid - April through the end of
May. Directions: Hwy 72 to Gator Trail. Two miles to field on right. For a
map to our farm,
click here. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard. (UPDATED: October 05, 2016) (UPDATED: May 30,
2016)(UPDATED: April 28, 2016) (ADDED: April 26, 2015)
- Circle C Farm - blueberries,
880 North
Johnson Ave, Arcadia, FL 34266. Phone: 239-908-8589. Alternate Phone:
239-248-9254. Email:
karenknotek@att.net. Open: 8am till 4pm, Monday thru Sunday, Usually weekends from late though mid-May. Directions: cross street highway 17 and west Gibson,
Arcadia FL. For a map to our farm,
click here. Payment: Cash, only. (UPDATED: May 27, 2016) (ADDED: May
14, 2016)
-
English Lake Farm- blueberries, grapefruit, oranges, other
citrus, peaches, mangos, avocados, permissions, already-picked produce
7288 South West Lime Drive, Fort Ogden, FL 34267. Phone: 863-990-6164.
Alternate Phone: 863-494-0911. Email:
Englishlakefarm@aol.com. Open: Monday to Thursday, from 9am to 5pm;
Friday, Saturday and Sunday, from 8am to 5pm. Directions: Call for detailed
directions to the farm. Off of Highway 17, halfway between Punta Gorda and
Arcadia; located in SW Florida in Ft. Ogden, off of Highway 17, halfway between Arcadia and Punta Gorda. Look for the little Post Office.. For a map to our farm,
click here. Blueberries are available March 15th until June. Payment:
Cash, Check. It looks like this year's crop will be a great one and the
peaches are also on the way to getting ripe. Come on out while the weather
is still not too hot. We're looking forward to seeing all our old friends
and to making a lot more! We also have a limited supply of raw Orange
Blossom Honey as well as a selection of jams and jellies. We have for
U-Pick: Peaches - May, June; Blueberries - April, May, June; Persimmons -
July, August; Citrus - November, December, Jan., Feb; Honeybells, Meyer
Lemons,Ruby Red Grapefruit, Tangerines, Tangelos; Avocados - July, August.
Comments from a visitor on September 16, 2010:
"I went there this summer on several occasions and even brought along a
gaggle of friends, to pick the most delicious and BIG blueberries!! Farmer
Walter and his lovely wife are still there. Additional veggies available in
smaller quantities, just call and ask. SPOKE WITH WALTER TODAY: The next
crop will be CITRUS (HONEYBELLS, MYER LEMONS, ETC) starting Dec.2010. Walter
also grows lots of fun things like apples, watermelons, avocado, persimmon,
peaches and sells trees too, during the season. Very close to Punta Gorda /
Pt Charlotte. "
-
Ryder Berries, LLC - blueberries, U-pick and already picked
2490 Sw Gator Trail, Arcadia, FL 34266. Phone: (863) 990-7671. Alternate
Phone: (863) 990-1586. Fax: 9412967877. Email:
ryderberries@comcast.net. Open: Saturday and Sunday, from 8 am to 8 pm
beginning May 6, 2017 until the end of the season. Directions: From Arcadia:
Highway 72 W to Horse Creek Bridge. Turn left on Gator Trail and go 1 1/2
miles to 2490 SW Gator Trail, Arcadia, FL. From Pt. Charlotte: Kings Highway
to highway 72, turn left, then turn left on Gator Trail and go 1 1/2 miles
to 2490 SW Gator Trail, Arcadia. From Sarasota: Highway 72 (Clarke Road) to
three miles inside Desoto County Line. Just before Horse Creek bridge, turn
right on Gator Trail and go 1 1/2 miles to 2490 SW Gator Trail, Arcadia.Click
here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards,
Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx. (ADDED: May 05,
2016)
- Sandhill Citrus - U-Pick Citrus Grove
6014 County Road 760,
Arcadia, FL 34266. Phone: 863-780-4302. Does anyone have more information
or current status? If so,
please write me!
Hardee County
-
Center Hill Farm - peas, strawberries,
2949 Center Hill Road, Bowling Green, FL 33834. Phone: 863-781-6900.
Alternate Phone: 863-781-6901. Email:
centerhillstrawberry@gmail.com. Open: Monday to Saturday, 8 am to 6 pm; strawberries are usually done by mid-March.
Directions:
Click here for a map and directions. Picking strawberries until the end of March. Payment: Cash, only. Center Hill Farm U-Pick offers a wide variety of
produce throughout the year, featuring u-pick strawberries during the winter months. (UPDATED: April 6, 2021 JBS)
- Jack Green Farms - blueberries
1250 Broadus
Williams Road, Zolfo Springs, FL 33890. Phone: (863) 375-4901
Click here for a map to our farm. Crops are usually available in May.
Open: Monday to Sunday, 7 am to 7 pm Payment: Cash, Check. (UPDATED: April
20, 2015, JBSFDACS)
- Gardner Farm - strawberries, tomatoes, other
vegetables,
160 Fish Branch Road, Gardner , FL 33890. Phone:
863-781-5273. Email:
gardnerfarm@yahoo.com. Open: Call before you come; Tuesday thru
Saturday 10 am to 5:30 pm; Closed Sunday and Monday, and on
Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years day. Directions: 10 miles south of
Zolfo Springs, 9 miles north of arcadia, on highway 17. Crops are usually
available in January, February, March, April, May, June, November, December.
Strawberries, vegetables and citrus available November 1 thru June 1,
blueberries April, May, June; grapes not available till 2010 and wine in
2012. Payment: Cash, only. oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, lemons available
November through May. EZ-pick will be available starting in 2010. Tropical
and Landscaping plants now available, and strawberry plants. (UPDATED:
April 20, 2015, JBSFDACS)
For
availability of other non pyo crops (berries, vegetables, etc.) in
Florida, click here!