2024 central Virginia, Charlottesville, etc. Blueberry U-Pick Farms and Orchards - 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!
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Blueberry U-Pick Orchards in central Virginia, Charlottesville, etc. in 2024, by county
Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for blueberries that we know of in this area. Not all areas of any state, nor even every state, have blueberries 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.
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Madison County
Sunrise Gardens - No pesticides are used blackberries, blueberries, tomatoes, 1168 Spring Branch Road, Brightwood, VA 22715. Phone: (540) 407-1424. Email: marghut41@gmail.com. Open: Mid June to August. Directions: On Spring Branch Road between Thoroughfare and Lester Utz road. Across from a house with solar panels. Look for pavilion and park near it. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, PayPal. . We do not use pesticides on the crops. Blueberry season typically mid May to third week June; Blackberry season typically mid June through July; Tomatoes July through September. We strive to grow healthy produce to help you eat healthier. . (UPDATED: June 10, 2021)A visitor writes on July 14, 2014: "We visited Sunrise Garden in Madison VA on 7/12/2014 and were very pleased by the blueberries (some were the size of quarters or larger). Very neat, well maintained farm. Saturday was honor system/self serve. We had no problems picking 4 quarts of great blueberries. Price on this date was $5.50 per pound. Blackberries were just coming into season- they were HUGE (thumb size) and delicious!! We would definitely go again. One note re if you use a GPS, it will tell you to turn on Sunrise Lane- we missed the turn and stumbled on the patch- it is actually just beyond (East) this lane on the main road and has a large sign to grab your attention."
Nelson County
Seamans' Orchard - apples, cherries, blueberries, strawberries, pumpkins, U-pick and already picked 415 Dark Hollow Rd, Roseland, VA 22967. Phone: 434-277-8130. Email: anneskidd@gmail.com. Open: Monday to Friday 8 am to 7 pm; Saturday 8 am to 4 pm and Sunday 12:30 pm to 5 pm; For updated picking information, availability and to reserve your pre-pricked berries. Directions: From Amherst: 29N to 56W, go one mile, turn right onto Roseland Road. Watch for signs. From Lovingston: 29S to 56W, go one mile, turn right onto Roseland Road. Watch for signs. Strawberries: Pick-your-Own or Prepicked May to June; Apples: Pick-your-Own Only third weekend in September. Payment: Cash, Check. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. Seamans' Orchard Facebook page. . Alternate Phone: 434-277-5824. Fax: 434-277-8128. . Apples: Open third weekend in September; Saturday 9am to 4pm and Sunday 12pm to 5pm. (UPDATED: May 2, 2019, JBS) Comments from a visitor on June 08, 2009: "You have this farm listed as apples only - they also do pick your own strawberries. We were just there a couple of weeks ago, so I know they are still doing it. We go there every year - our favorite for strawberries."
Orange County
Gold Hill Blueberry Farm - Uses natural growing practices, blueberries, 12290 Daffodil Lane, Unionville, VA 22567. Phone: (540) 222-7954. Email: Goldhill7@att.net. Open: Monday to Saturday from 7 am to 7 pm, July 4 to end of season sometime in August. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover. 51476 Gold Hill Blueberry Farm Alternate Phone: (540) 222-7374. . We use natural practices, but are not seeking organic certification. Grass fed and grass finished beef sold on site; reservations for quarters and halves taken. (UPDATED: June 22, 2022)
The Market at Grelen - Uses integrated pest management practices, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries (red), raspberries (yellow), raspberries (black), gift shop, concessions or refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, birthday parties, weddings and wedding parties, school tours 15111 Yager Road, Somerset, VA 22972. Phone: 540-672-7268. Email: info@themarketatgrelen.com. Open: June thru September, Tuesday thru Sunday, 9am to 4pm. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard, AmEx. The Market at Grelen Facebook page. . Alternate Phone: 540-672-5462. . Be sure to see their page for updates and changes. Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. We use integrated pest management practices. Pick-Your-Own options vary by season. Starting with blueberries, the berry picking starts late May/early June and typically goes thru September. Peaches ripen in early June & Apples are in the Fall (Sept-Nov). To stay up-to-date on what is ripe for picking, please join our email list to receive our e-newsletters. You can also follow us on Facebook. is a year-round destination farm market and garden shop on a 600-acre tree nursery in Somerset, VA (Grelen Nursery, Inc). In addition to produce, honey, flowers, plants, shrubs, we carry high-quality gardening gifts and supplies. Grelen Nursery offers superior landscaping, hardscaping, planting, and maintenance services. For more information, please email us. Available also are herbs, flowering perennials and a variety of trees and shrubs. Pre-picked produce includes Freestone Peaches, Apples, Asian Pears, Log Grown Shiitake and Oyster Mushrooms, and a variety of Seasonal Vegetables. We will be hosting berry picking field trips this summer for preschools, private and public schools, home schools, and other organizations. For more info on group outings, please email us.
Blueberry
Blueberry Picking Tips, Recipes and Information
Blueberries are one of the easiest fruit to prepare and serve.
There's no peeling, pitting, coring or cutting. They have few natural pests,
(other than birds), so pesticides are generally unnecessary! This year's crop is
fantastic (see
related news story), thanks both to the weather and to
more farms planting more blueberry bushes due to increased consumer demand
over the past few years as more studies proclaim the anti-oxidant and other
health properties of blueberries.
If you are looking for information about a similar
berry, the saskatoon (also called the June berry or Serviceberry)
see this page about
saskatoons.
Picking
tips:
Select plump, full blueberries with a light gray-blue color. A berry with any
hint of red isn't fully ripened.
Ripening AFTER picking?
First, it is key to know that once picked, blueberries will NOT become any sweeter, nor will the flavor improve. The only change that occurs
is the color. They will APPEAR to ripen, but it is only a color change, from white to green to rose to red to pale blue to fully blue. So, white and green colored blueberries will not
"ripen" after they are picked; while blueberries that have already turned purple,
red or blue-ish usually DO change color after they are picked (if they are kept at room
temperature to "ripen").
As the blueberries ripen ON THE BUSH, the flavor goes from tastless to bitter to tasteless tart to tart blueberry flavor to sweet blueberry flavor.
Grocery stores sell blueberries that are tart, not sweet because they had them picked unripe by machine so they are very firm and can handled being
bumped around in shipping. They may look good, but are not as tasty as those picked when actually ripe.
So, the key is, PICK ONLY RIPE BERRIES!
How to pick blueberries
Since blueberries hang on the bushes in bunches a but like
grapes do, the easiest and fastest way to pick them is hold your bucket under
them in one hand and with your other hand, cup a ripe bunch and gently rub them
with your fingers. The ripe berries will drop into your bucket, while the
unripe ones will remain attached to the bush.
When the bushes are at peak, I can easily pick 2 gallons per
hour (if I'm not being distracted by the kids and the sun isn't too hot!).
A newbie might do 1 gallon per hour.and at the beginning or end of the season it
takes more time as the berries are not as plentiful nor concentrated
in clusters.
Tips for storing blueberries after harvesting:
Once picked, don't place the berries, still warm from the sun, in a
closed bag or container. Leave the container open so moisture doesn't form
in the container.
Don't wash berries until just before using, to prevent berries from
becoming mushy.
Chill berries soon after picking to increase shelf life. Store
your fresh blueberries in the refrigerator as soon as you get them home,
without washing them, in a covered bowl or storage container. If
refrigerated, fresh-picked blueberries will keep 10 to 14 days.
Freeze berries in freezer containers without washing to keep
the skins from toughening. Place berries one layer deep. Freeze,
then pour the frozen berries into freezer containers. Because unwashed
blueberries freeze individually, they can be easily poured from containers
in desired amounts. Remember both frozen and fresh berries should be
rinsed and drained just before serving. Just before using, wash the berries
in cold water.
Blueberry Measurements and Conversions
Keep in mind that blueberries vary considerably in density and moisture
content, so these ranges are approximates.
1 gallon of blueberries weighs about 7.5 lbs or (4
liters of blueberries is about 3.5 kg)
1 pint of fresh blueberries weights about 3/4 of a pound. (1
liter of blueberries is about 700 grams)
1 pound of fresh blueberries is usually between about 2 and
3 cups
of berries.
If you have trouble with blueberries settling to the bottom of muffins and
blueberry breads, try one or more of these tips:
Coat them with flour before adding to the batter. Just gently shake the
blueberries in a bag (plastic or paper) with 1/2 cup of flour, then dump
them mix in a sieve to remove excess flour.
It may just be that your batter is too thin. try making the batter a
little thicker!
Fill the muffin cups or baking pan up to 1/4 full with batter (which
hasn't had blueberries added to it yet); then stir the blueberries into the
remaining batter, and continue to fill the muffin cups or bread pan. The
blueberries will start off higher in the mix!