2024 Topeka and Northeastern Kansas Strawberry U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Strawberry U-Pick Orchards in Topeka and Northeastern Kansas in 2024, by county

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

Douglas County

• Lawson Brothers Farm - blackberries, raspberries (Spring, red), strawberries, PUMPKINS, picnic area
  1862 N. 700 Road, Baldwin City, KS 66006. Phone: (785) 594-3936. Email: info@lawsonbrothersfarm.com. Open: See our Web site for current hours. Directions: From Kansas Highway 10, take the Douglas County Road 1057 exit; drive south on E. 1900 Road for seven miles; turn right on N. 700 Road and drive west for 14 mile; our farm is on the right \(north side of the highway\). . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. . From Kansas Highway 10, take the Douglas County Road 1057 exit; drive south on E. 1900 Road for seven miles; turn right on N. 700 Road and drive west for 1/4 mile; our farm is on the right (north side of the highway).
• Wohletz Farm Fresh - strawberries, tomatoes, potatoes, onions
  1831 North 1100 Road, Lawrence, KS 66046. Phone: 785-331-3468. Email: jwohl66@aol.com. Open: Call for availability. Directions: From 10 Highway West of Eudora turn South on East 1900 Road \(2.5 miles\). Turn West onto 1100 Road \(.75 miles\)to our farm on the South side of the road. Look for sign. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, SFMNP Vouchers. . Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. From 10 Highway West of Eudora turn South on East 1900 Road (2.5 miles). Turn West onto 1100 Road (.75 miles)to our farm on the South side of the road. Look for sign. Strawberries: Mid-May thru June. U-Pick produce patches are so much fun because you get to be a part of the process. Show your children where the fruits and veggies they see on their dinner plates really come from. They will take pride in eating the healthy produce they helped harvest, and you will feel good knowing it was sustainably and locally grown. Pack a lunch and enjoy eating in the shade in our picnic area overlooking our pond. Take a break from picking to see how we grow the other veggies we take to market, like broccoli, sweet corn, lettuce, beets, onions, tomatoes, and potatoes. Each one is unique and so interesting! A visitor writes on May 25, 2022: "U pick strawberries are $3.75/pound"

Franklin County

• Innisfree Fruit Farm - blueberries, raspberries, strawberries,
  2309 Riley Road, Ottawa, KS 66067. Phone: 785-242-8313. Email: berrygood@innisfree-farm.com. Open: Picking times are 8am to 7pm Monday through Friday, and 8am to 1pm on Saturday; Closed Sundays; Open Memorial Day. Directions: Exit #187 off of I 35. Go west into Ottawa on highway 68. From the intersection of highways 59 and 68, go 4 miles north to Riley Road, then 2 miles west. From Lawrence, Riley Road is 17 miles south of highway 10 on highway 59. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check.
  Innisfree Fruit Farm Facebook page. . . Crops are usually available in May, June, July. Note: formerly called Berry Good Farm.
  Comments from a visitor on May 30, 2009: "WOW!!! The owner's of Berry Good Farm are KID friendly! Selling Strawberries, blueberries and raspberries! The owners have parking in the shade and a beautiful pond. The kids could go play on the playground while I picked fruit. Restroom and cold drinks were available for purchase. I would take a lunch and eat in the back of my car!They provide bug spray-but I brought my own!They provide the buckets and give you a ride in the golf cart if you can't make it back to the car! Clean berries-NO PESTICIDES!!! Tasty! I would highly recommmend! I highly liked it and would tell all my friends to go! Free eating of the berries is encouraged from the owners! Make sure to get there early-they sell out of blueberries FAST! Take cash or checks They have two dogs-friendly just BIG!"

Johnson County

• Gieringer's Family Orchard & Berry Farm - strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, peaches, gift shop, concessions or refreshment stand, picnic area, corn maze, pumpkin patch (pick in the field where they grow), pumpkins (in a market, stand or shop), jumping pillow, birthday parties, tours of the operation, group tours
  39345 W. 183rd Street, Edgerton, KS 66021. Phone: (913) 893-9626. Email: goberryfarm@gmail.com. Open: seasonally, usually May to October, check website or facebook for picking conditions and days, hours and additional information. Directions: See their website for directions. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx .
  Gieringer's Family Orchard & Berry Farm Facebook page. . . . 56 Highway to Edgerton Kansas. Edgerton road north 2 miles to 183rd. West 1.5 miles. For a map to our farm, Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx. We grow a variety of fruits and vegetables that we offer to the public on our U-pick farm. You can also buy our products at two local farmers markets, Overland Park and Lawrence. The season begins in early May with 50,000 strawberry plants which you can pick or purchase as pre-picked. We also have a limited supply of cheddar and purple cauliflower during this time. In June, our U-pick blueberries and blackberries ripen and can also be picked or purchased as pre-picked in the farm market on our property. During berry season, we have fresh strawberry or blueberry donuts and strawberry lemonade slushees. U-pick peaches and pre-picked tomatoes and sweet corn will be available from late June through August. Beginning in September, we will start our fall season off with a large field of sunflowers and U-pick pumpkins. Our pumpkins weigh anywhere between 1 to 100+ pounds and come in a variety of colors. Orange, yellow, white and even pink! There are always lots of family friendly activities for folks of all ages. Here are just a few. Interactive corn maze, pumpkin jump pad, giant corn pit, wagon rides, hay mountain, combine slides, pumpkin spice donuts and cider slushees which can be enjoyed in our shaded picnic area. We also support other local producers and our community. You can find locally made honey, pickled jalapenos, jams and jellies in our farm market on U-pick days. Another thing that we love to do is give group tours and we're a proud school field trip destination! Sharing agricultural fun facts and allowing everyone to have hands on learning opportunities is something we enjoy. Here is a produce & Fall Fest timeline: Strawberries (Early May) Blueberries (June) Blackberries (Mid June-July) *During berry season we make fresh strawberry or blueberry donuts and strawberry lemonade slushees. Peaches (Late June-August) Tomatoes (June-August) Sweet Corn (Late June-August) Sunflower Field (late September) U-Pick Pumpkins (October) *During our fall season we make fresh pumpkin donuts and apple cider slushees. (UPDATED: March 23, 2018)

Leavenworth County

• Salt Creek Valley Farms - broccoli, carrots, corn (sweet), cucumbers, eggplant, flowers, melons, peas, peppers, pumpkins, summer squash, strawberries, other vegetables, U-pick and already picked, concessions or refreshment stand, porta-potties, farm animals, school tours
  17842 Santa Fe Trail, Leavenworth, KS 66048. Phone: (913) 428-9450. Email: jessica@saltcreekvalley.com. Directions: From Leavenworth: Head North on Santa Fe Trail approximately 3 miles from city limits. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard.
  Salt Creek Valley Farms Facebook page. . . See ourFacebook page for hours/days open. Farm to table doesn't have to mean fancy, expensive restaurants. At we believe everyone should enjoy fresh grown produce, directly from the farm; our Farm to Your Table. Come walk our fields and select your own ingredients from a variety of vegetables. (ADDED: April 18, 2018)
• Schwinn Produce Farm - asparagus, pumpkins, strawberries,
  32263 179th Street (market) 17624 Santa Fe Trail (Event Barn), Leavenworth, KS 66048. Phone: 913 682 8356. Email: schwinnproducefarm@gmail.com. Open: See our Facebook page for seasonal hours. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. Schwinn Produce Farm Alternate Phone: 267 210 5041. .

Miami County

• Foxfire Farm - strawberries
  7195 W 327th Street, Louisburg, KS 66053. Phone: 913-837-1475. Click here for a map and directions. . They have new owners and offer You-pick in the spring.

 

Strawberry Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

In the U.S. strawberries typically peak during April in Florida and Texas, May in the deep South, and in early June in middle sections and later June in the far North and Canada. Keep in mind that crops are ready at various times of the month depending on which part of the state you are located. In order to produce good local strawberries, producers depend on ideal spring weather conditions. 

Before you leave to go to the farm:

1. Always call before you go to the farm - strawberries are affected by weather (both rain and cooler temperature) more than most crops. And when they are in season, a large turnout can pick a field clean before noon, so CALL first!
2. Leave early.  On weekends, then fields may be picked clean by NOON!
    
3. Most growers furnish picking containers designed for strawberries, but they may charge you for them; be sure to call before you go to see if you need to bring containers.
   
   
   If you use your own containers, remember that heaping strawberries more than 5 inches deep will bruise the lower berries. Plastic dishpans, metal oven pans with 3 inch tall sides and large pots make good containers. I like the Glad storage containers like the one at right.
4. Bring something to drink and a few snacks; you'd be surprised how you can work up a thirst and appetite! And don't forget hats and sunscreen for the sun. Bugs usually aren't a problem, but some deet might be good to bring along if it has been rainy.

Tips on How to Pick Strawberries

1. Grasp the stem just above the berry between the forefinger and the thumbnail and pull with a slight twisting motion.

2. With the stem broken about one-half inch from the berry, allow it to roll into the palm of your hand.

3. Repeat these operations using both hands until each holds 3 or 4 berries. 

4. Carefully place - don't throw - the fruit into your containers. Repeat the picking process with both hands.

5. Don't overfill your containers or try to pack the berries down.

General Picking Tips

Whether you pick strawberries from your garden or at a Pick-Your-Own farm, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

1. Be careful that your feet and knees do not damage plants or fruit in or along the edge of the row.
   
2. Pick only the berries that are fully red. Part the leaves with your hands to look for hidden berries ready for harvest.
   
3. To help the farmers, also remove from the plants berries showing rot, sunburn, insect injury or other defects and place them between the rows behind you. If they are left in the plants, the rot will quickly spread to other berries.
   
4. Berries to be used immediately may be picked any time, but if you plan to hold the fruit for a few days, try to pick in the early morning or on cool, cloudy days. Berries picked during the heat of the day become soft, are easily bruised and will not keep well.
   
5. Avoid placing the picked berries in the sunshine any longer than necessary. It is better to put them in the shade of a tree or shed than in the car trunk or on the car seat. Cool them as soon as possible after picking. Strawberries may be kept fresh in the refrigerator for two or three, depending upon the initial quality of the berry. After a few days in storage, however, the fruit loses its bright color and fresh flavor and tends to shrivel.
   
6. For interesting and fun strawberry facts and trivia from the California Strawberry Commission, click here!

When you get home

1. DON'T wash the berries until you are ready to use them.  Washing makes them more prone to spoiling.
2. Pour them out into shallow pans and remove any mushed, soft or rotting berries
3. Put a couple of days supply into the fridge, wash and cut the caps (green tops) off the others and freeze them up! (Unless you're going to make jam right away) See this page about how to freeze strawberries.
4. If you like the strawberries you picked, ask the farm what variety they planted, and not the weather conditions the week or two before. The flavor of a strawberry is affected by the variety, the weather and the degree of ripeness when picked.
5. Now, get ready to make strawberry jam. It is VERY easy - especially with our free strawberry jam instructions - they're illustrated and easy.

Strawberry Recipes, Canning and Freezing Strawberries

• How to freeze strawberries!
• Strawberry jam (with pectin) (uses less sugar or honey and less cooking)
• Strawberry jam (without pectin) (requires much more sugar and cooking)
• Strawberry (and other berry) jams without sugar
• Strawberry jelly
• Strawberry-rhubarb jam!
• Homemade strawberry ice cream (regular, low fat, nonfat, low sugar, vanilla and even gelato)
• Canning strawberries
• Make gourmet chocolate-covered strawberries
• How to make fruit juice -  strawberry and other berries
• Strawberry pie filling
• Strawberry pie
• Easy Rhubarb-Strawberry pie
• Fig-strawberry jam
• Fig-strawberry jam, made with Jello gelatin

Strawberry Facts, Measurements and Tips

• Picking the best strawberries: Select firm, fully red berries. Strawberries DO NOT continue ripen after they are picked! In the photo, only the berry on the far right is completely ripe.
• Strawberry festivals: Most areas that grow strawberries have a strawberry festival, at which you can taste all kinds of fresh strawberry foods, pies, jams, cakes - and most commonly, fresh strawberry shortcake.  To find out where and when there is one near you, see this page for a list of strawberry festivals, sorted by state!
• Strawberries measurements: government agriculture websites tell us that
  1 quart = 2 pints = 4 cups and is about the same as 1 liter and
  1 quart of fresh strawberries weighs 1 lbs to 1.25 lbs (or 450 to 600 g). Of course, the weight varies on variety and weather conditions. 
  1 quart is normally enough for 4 servings, although I'll admit my son can eat 1 pint by himself!
• How much to pick? In general, 1 quart of fresh, whole, just-picked strawberries = approximately 3.5 cups hulled, whole berries. In other words, removing the caps/hulls and the occasional mushy berry means you lose 1/4 cup to 1/2 (it depends how much fruit you remove with the hull) or about 7 to 12% of every quart you pick.
• One cup of strawberries contains only about 50 calories
• U-pick strawberries are much healthier than store-bought.  Consumer reports says store bought strawberries have so many pesticide and fungicide residues on they, that they don't recommend you eat them at all!
• U-pick strawberry farms typically sell berries by the pound. 1 lbs of fresh strawberries is about 2/3 of a quart.
• It takes about  10 to 15 minutes to pick a quart, if the berries are reasonably plentiful
• The strawberry plant adapts to wide variety of soil conditions, but does not tolerate drought well, and the berries quickly rot if the weather is rainy. For this reason, the plants are usually grown on raised beds through plastic mulch!
• Cultivation of strawberries began in Europe in the 1300's, but the berry only became very popular in the early 1900's in California.
• Do the math and be careful not to over-purchase as strawberries quickly mold when left at room temperature, and only last a couple of days in the refrigerator.
• You can easily freeze berries that you cannot use right away - just wash, cut the hulls off and pop them into a ziplock bag, removing as much air as possible.  Those vacuum food sealers REALLY do a good job of this! The berries will keep for many months frozen without air.
• Want to grow your own strawberries?  Here's an article about how to: Strawberries are an Excellent Fruit for the Home Garden, HYG-1424-98!
• See this page for many more fun and interesting strawberry facts, nutritional information and trivia

Other weird strawberry facts

• Strawberries are the only fruit with seeds on the outside.
• Strawberries were originally called strewberries because the fruit was 'strewn' amongst the leaves of the plant.
• California is king of strawberry productions because: California produces 75 percent of the nation's strawberry crops; one billion pounds of strawberries each year.  If all the strawberries produced in California in one year were laid berry to berry, they would go around the world 15 times. Each acre of land in California in strawberry production produces an average of 21 tons of strawberries annually, with a total of 23,000 acres of strawberries planted in California each year.

More conversions

1 pint (2 cups)  of fresh whole strawberries

• = about 8 oz (1/2 lb) of strawberries
• = 2.25 cups of sliced strawberries
• = 1 cup pureed strawberries
• = 12-14 large strawberries

2 quarts of fresh strawberries are needed for a 9" pie

A 10 oz package of frozen berries is about the same as 1 cup of sliced fresh strawberries

References:

• University of Illinois Extension
• Driscolls
• Ohio State University Extension
• Strawberries-Average retail price per pound and per cup equivalent

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

• Farm markets and roadside stands
• Local Honey Finder
• Local Meat, Milk and Eggs
• Venues: Farms, Wineries, Orchards for your event, wedding or party
• Easter egg hunts
• Children"s consignment sales
• Fruit and vegetable festivals
• Winery tours and wine tastings
• Horse rides, stables, lessons, trails
• Maple Syrup farms and sugarworks
• Bed & Breakfasts on Farms, Wineries, Ranches and Orchards
• Pumpkin patches
• Corn mazes
• Zombie Paintball venues
• Christmas Tree Farms & lots
• Environmental resources
• Consumer fraud information
• Wholesale food sources
• Resources for Farmers