Find a local pick your own farm here!

Looking for a local, pick-your-own farm in Australia Capital Territory (ACT), Australia,?  Scroll down this page and you will see the U-Pick farms in Australia Capital Territory (ACT), Australia,, sorted by area. Those that offer organic or sustainably grown produce are identified by the words "organic" and/or "sustainable" in Green, next to their name. 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. Updated frequently during the growing season, I've been maintaining this for 20 years. Help me keep this up to date, please tell me via the let me know of any changes, corrections and updates!

And if you know of any I missed and want to add them or correct the information, please let me know!  

What's in season in March 2024, and other timely information:

Notes for March 2024:Apples are usually January to May; Blueberries are ready in December to mid January in MOST areas of Australia. Strawberries can have a long season, November to April - depending on the variety. See your area's crop availability calendar for more specific dates of upcoming crops. 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.

Home canning and freezing directions. You can access it 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!

Australia Capital Territory (ACT), Australia, U-Pick Farms and Orchards in 2024, by county

Click on the resources drop-down above, if you need a county map.  If you know of any other PYO farms I've missed, please write me via the Suggest a farm form (or if you own the farm, use the Add My Farm form).

Australia Harvest Calendar / Typical Crop Ripening Dates for Australia

If you want to start your own food business in Australia, at home or otherwise, see this page.

Keep in mind that the wildfires have devastated many farms and orchards. That, along with COVID, means many farms may not be open this year, or have restrictions.  Give them your support!

New South Wales, Austriala PYO farm map

Australian Capital Territory (ACT)

  • Christmas Tree Keng - Christmas trees, Choose Your Own Christmas tree
    242 Shingle Hill Way Federal Highway, Canberra, ACT 2621. Phone: 62369689. Email: christmastreekeng@bigpond.com. Directions: From Canberra: We are 15 mins from Canberra. To get here take the Federal Highway towards Goulburn. Go past the 2 overhead bridges. Immediately after Middleton VC Rest Area turn left onto Shingle Hill Way. We are 2.4 km on the right (242 Shingle Hill Way). Open: Weekends: 9am to 5pm Weekdays: 3pm to 6pm All other times please ring 62369689 for appointment or email us Christmas Trees: December 1 to December 24. Payment: Please email or ring us for this year's prices
  • Riverview Homestead And Hazelnuts - Uses natural growing practices, Hazelnuts UPDATE for 2023 - they may have permanently closed!
    1173 Wallaroo Rd Via Hall , Canberra , ACT 2618. Phone: 026-230-2637. Email: lesrobdj@bigpond.net.au. Open: UPDATE for 2023, Their website is gone and there's nothing else about them that is current on the internet - I presume they have closed. Does anyone have current information, are they still offering pick your own or are even open? If so, please write me. Weekends from 7am to 7pm and weekdays by prior appointment. Fresh pick-your-own hazelnuts from late January to February each year. Directions: At Hall, ACT; Wallaroo Road is off Barton Highway. Riverview Hazelnuts is 11.73 kms from the Barton Highway. We use natural practices, but are not seeking organic certification. Payment: Cash, Visa, MasterCard.
  • Tanbella Orchard - apples and other fruit
    20A Beltana Road, Pialligo ACT 2609. Phone: +61 0490 401 683.  Email: apples@tanbellaorchard.com.  Open:  Late January to late May,Thursday to Monday from 10am to 4pm, find us at 20a Beltana Road in Pialligo, pick up a bucket ($5) and start foraging for your fruit bowl ($7/kilo). (Prices are 2021). Honesty cart open all other days. Mainly apples but also some peaches, plums, quince and pears.  (UPDATED: May 27, 2010, by a visitor)

The listings are frequently updated, but often they don't tell us current prices, so the prices unless you see this year's update date.

Other Information

In addition to listings of U Pick farms, I hope the following pages are helpful to you!

  • Canning equipment
    To can (bottle, jar) most acidic foods, like jams, jellies, salsa, fruit products like applesauce, apple butter, peaches, etc, you need the following:
    • A canner - a large pot, usually 33 qts, which can hold 7 quart jars or 12 8 ounce jars.  And large pot with a lid will work, so long as each jar will be submerged by at least 1 inch of boiling water.
      This is a good canner, and here is a canning kit, but Amazon seems to have difficulty keeping them in stock.
      If you want to can low acid foods like canned green beans, sweet corn, meats, etc., you MUST use a pressure canner.  It reaches higher temperatures which are needed to kill mold and botulism. The jars, lids and other equipment are the same.
    • Canning rack - The canning rack is critical, just be sure it fits inside your canning pot. It allows you to safely and easily lift the jars in and out of the canner.
    • Miscellaneous tools - Some kits contain most of the tools you'll need like this canning tools kit.
      Jar tongs (to pick up hot jars)
      Jar funnel - good ones also help you measure the headspace and cover the rim from splashes
      Canning Lid rack - to hold the lids while they are sanitizing in a small pot of boiling water
    • Supplies -
      canning jars - these come in the modern lid and ring system and some older version. Most have change to the two piece lid and ring method since it ENORMOUSLY reduces spoilage. Like everything else, jars can be hard to obtain.  Some commercial products, like spaghetti sauce, sometimes come in a sturdy jar that fits the standard lid and ring.
      lids and rings (a.k.a, "bands")
      Pectin (if you are making jam or jelly)

Home Canning Kits

Features:

  • Everything you need to get started with waterbath canning (fruits,pickles, jams, jellies, salsa, sauces and tomatoes)
  • 21-1/2 qt. enamel water bath canner
  • Funnel, jar lifter, lid lifter, bubble freer spatula
  • Ball Blue Book

This is the same type of standard canner that my grandmother used to make everything from applesauce to jams and jellies to tomato and spaghetti sauce. This complete kit includes everything you need and lasts for years: the canner, jar rack, Jar grabber tongs, lid lifting wand, a plastic funnel, labels, bubble freer, and the bible of canning, the Ball Blue Book. It's much cheaper than buying the items separately. You will never need anything else except jars & lids (and the jars are reusable)! There is also a simple kit with just the canner and rack, and a Pressure Canner, if you want to do vegetables (other than tomatoes). To see more canners, of different styles, makes and prices, click here!
 


 


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