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Apple U-Pick Orchards in northwestern Iowa, Sioux Falls area in 2024, by county

Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for apples that we know of in this area. Not all areas of any state, nor even every state, have apples 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.

Dickinson County

  • Little Sioux Orchard - apples, pumpkins, Honey from hives on the farm, Cider mill fresh apple cider made on the premises, U-pick and already picked, concessions \\/ refreshment stand, porta-potties, birthday parties, school tours, group reservations
    2618 160th Avenue, Milford, IA 51351. Phone: (712) 320-8707. Email: fun@littlesiouxorchard.com. Open: Saturdays 9am to 5pm Sundays Noon to 4pm Weekdays by appointment. Directions: 4 miles south of Milford on highway 71. 6 miles west on A43. Payment: Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.
    Little Sioux Orchard Facebook page. . . Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. (ADDED: September 18, 2019)

O'Brien County

  • Solsma's Punkin Patch - apples, cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, winter squash, tomatoes
    Amy Solsma, 6190 320th St, Sanborn, IA 51248. Phone: 712-729-3174. Email: jasolsma@mtcnet.net. Open: Monday to Thursday Noon to 6pm Friday and Saturday 10am to 8pm Sunday and weeknights by chance or appointment Corn Maze is open as long as possible, but sometimes it is finished before Halloween so come early. Directions: Located on Hwy 18, 4 miles east of Sanborn, IA or 4 miles west of Hartley, IA . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. . Click here for picking updates. Crops are usually available in August, September, October. Jay and Amy Solsma 6190 320th St. Sanborn, IA 51248 inspected beef, non-confinement pork, honey.

Woodbury County

  • Autumn Grove Orchard - apples, pumpkins, gift shop, concessions or refreshment stand, porta-potties are available, school tours, group reservations
    1658 180th Street, Sioux City, IA 51106. Phone: 712-204-5951. Alternate Phone: 712-943-1784. Email: autumngroveorchard@gmail.com. Open: Sundays only, 11 am to 5 pm Generally open September and October each year;  Labor Day weekend through the last weekend in October. Click here for current open hours, days and dates. Directions: Take Highway 20 Bypass in Sioux City. Take the Morningside Avenue exit and head east, out of city limits past Memorial Park Cemetery. Turn left on 180th Street. We are at 1658 180th Street, one mile east of the pavement. Click here for a map and directions. Eight varieties of apples over the course of our season. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover. (UPDATED: August 27, 2023)

 

Apple Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

Apples ripen from the outside of the tree towards the center, so the apples out the outside of the tree will ripen first.  Once they are picked, they stop ripening. Picking apples directly from a tree is easy. Roll the apple upwards off the branch and give a little twist; don't pull straight away from the tree. If two apples are joined together at the top, both will come away at the same time. Don't shake the trees or branches.  If the apple you are trying to pick drops, (or others on the tree) go ahead and pick it up. They're perfectly fine! But do wash them before you eat them! More info: How to tell when apples are ripe

  • Once picked, don't throw the apples into the baskets, place them in gently, or they will bruise and go bad more quickly.
  • Don't wash apples until just before using to prevent spoilage.
  • For an explanation of why apple slices turn brown and how to stop it, see this page!
  • Keep apples cool after picking to increase shelf life.  A cool basement is ideal, but the fruit/vegetable drawer of a refrigerator will work, too.  A refrigerator is fine for small quantities of apples. Boxed apples need to be kept in a cool, dark spot where they won't freeze. Freezing ruptures all of an apple's cells, turning it into one large bruise overnight. The usual solution is to store apples in a root cellar. But root cellars often have potatoes in them: apples and potatoes should never be stored in the same room because, as they age, potatoes release an otherwise ethylene gas, which makes apples spoil faster. If you can keep the gas away from your apples, they will keep just fine. Just don't store them right next to potatoes.
    Prevent contact between apples stored for the winter by wrapping them individually in sheets of newspaper. The easiest way to do this is to unfold a section of newspaper all the way and tear it into quarters. Then stack the wrapped apples . See more here: How to store apples at home
  • Apples don't improve or "ripen" after being picked - this is an urban myth - see this page for the truth - with references!

Which apple variety is best?

There are tens of thousands of varieties of apples, developed over centuries. They vary in sugar, acoidity, flavors, storing, crispness and many other attributes. See our guides to apple varieties:

Canning apples - fully illustrated, with step-by-step instructions

Recipes, illustrated with step by step instructions

Using fresh apples and miscellaneous

 

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