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

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

Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for blackberries that we know of in this area.

Not all areas of a state have blackberries 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.

New! As inflation remains high, see this page for reliable (tested) brands of generic canning lids at lower costs, and 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

Atchison County

• St. Andre Orchard - apples, blackberries, cherries, nectarines, peaches, plums, raspberries (red),
  5443 Rawlins Rd, Atchison, KS 66002. Phone: (913) 360-2592. Email: standreorchard16@gmail.com. Open: By Appointment. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover.
  St. Andre Orchard Facebook page. Picking updates: Click here for picking updatesBlackberry season is typically July 1 pm to 15 Peach season is typically July 1 pm to 31(ADDED: June 21, 2017)

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)

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)
• Happy Valley Farm - No pesticides are used asparagus, blackberries, blueberries, gooseberries, table grapes (with seeds), other berries, rhubarb, Honey from hives on the farm, Fresh eggs, Cider mill fresh apple cider made on the premises, porta-potties, picnic area, farm animals, school tours, group reservations, events at your location (call for info)
  29080 West 95th Street, De Soto, KS 66018. Phone: (913) 706-0370. Email: happyvalleyfarm.ks@gmail.com. Open: Picking by appointment only, please call or email for current availability. Directions: East on 95th Street from 95th Street and Kill Creek Road 1.7 miles. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.
  Happy Valley Farm Facebook page. Picking updates: Click here for picking updatesKaw Valley Farm Tour is the first full weekend in October every year;. We do not use pesticides on the cropsOur most current information is found on our Facebook page. (UPDATED: October 31, 2018)

Leavenworth County

• Oregon Trail Farm - Uses natural growing practices, blackberries, blueberries, other berries, raspberries (red), raspberries (Spring, red), raspberries (Autumn, red), raspberries (black), raspberries (Spring, black), raspberries (Autumn, black), Honey from hives on the farm
  18962 Santa Fe Trail, Leavenworth, KS 66048. Phone: 520-249-0480. Email: oregon.trail.farm@gmail.com. Open: June through August Tues - Sunday 1008 am to 1900 when berries are ripe. Directions: 4.9 miles from Fort Leavenworth KS back gate along the Santa Fe Trail. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover.
  Oregon Trail Farm Facebook page. June through August (Tues - Sunday 1008 am to 1900 when berries are ripe)Picking updates: Click here for picking updatesBerries Mid-June through August. We use natural practices, but are not yet certified OrganicWe began amending the already fertile soil by incorporating horse manure from local stables and over 10,000 pounds of coffee grounds and coffee chaff in the first year alone. Working with numerous local tree trimming services more than 70 tons of wood chips were saved from landfills and aid in weed control and water conservation. (ADDED: May 21, 2015)

Miami County

• Cy & Dee's Blackberry Farm - blackberries
  28615 Rockville Road, Louisburg, KS . Phone: 913-837-2254. Click here for a map and directions. . (ADDED: June 19, 2009, from visitor)

 

Blackberry

Blackberry Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

Blackberries typically peak during June in the South of the U.S., and in July in the north and in Canada. 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 Blackberries, producers depend on ideal spring and early summer weather conditions. See this page for a list of blackberry festivals around the U.S.

Before you leave to go to the farm:

1. Always call before you go to the farm - 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 Blackberries, 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 Blackberries 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 Blackberries

1. There are two types of blackberries to know about: thorny and thornless! Obviously, the thornless are easier to pick, but some people claim the thorny varieties are sweeter. With the thorny plants, you want to reach into the plant in the gaps, so you don't need to touch anything but the berry you're after, avoiding the thorns.
2. A ripe blackberry is deep black with a plump, full feel. It will pull free from the plant with only a slight tug.  If the berry is red or purple, it's not ripe yet.
3. Repeat these operations using both hands until each holds 3 or 4 berries. Unlike strawberries, blackberries are usually pretty tough, I dump mine into the bucket. Repeat the picking process with both hands.
4. Don't overfill your containers or try to pack the berries down.

General Picking Tips

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

1. Pick only the berries that are fully black. Reach in between the stems to grab for hidden berries ready for harvest. Bend down and look up into the plant and you will find loads of berries that other people missed!
2. Avoid placing the picked berries in the sunlight 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. Blackberries may be kept fresh in the refrigerator for up to a week, 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.

When you get home

1. DON'T wash the berries until you are ready to use them or freeze 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  off the others, drain them and freeze them up! (Unless you're going to make jam right away) Blackberries are less perishable than blueberries or strawberries, but refrigerate them as soon as possible after picking. Temperatures between 34 F and 38 F are best, but, be careful not to freeze the blackberries (while they are in the fridge)!
4. Even under ideal conditions blackberries will only keep for a week in a refrigerator, so for best flavor and texture, use them as soon as possible after purchase

Blackberry Recipes, Freezing and Jam directions

1. How to make Blackberry jam - It is VERY easy - especially with our free Blackberry jam directions - very easy!
2. How to make Blackberry jelly
3. How to freeze berries
4. Blackberry syrup, make and can it! 
5. Seedless blackberry pie!
6. Blackberry Festivals: Where, When and More to Find an Blackberry Festival Near You this year:

Blackberry Facts and Tips

• Black Raspberries, also known as "black caps" are a very healthy food; packed with anthocyanins!
• The USDA says 1 cup of blackberries has about 62 calories.
• 1 cup of blackberries, not packed down weighs about 140 grams.
• Select plump, firm, fully blackberries. Unripe berries will not ripen once picked.
• Ohio State University's Article Regarding Their Prevention of Cancer
• Oregon Berry Black Raspberry Brochure
• Blackberry tea was said to be a cure for dysentery during the Civil War. During outbreaks of dysentery, temporary truces were declared to allow both Union and Confederate soldiers to "go blackberrying" to forage for blackberries to ward off the disease.
• Blackberries were enjoyed by the ancient Greeks, who believed them to be a cure for diseases of the mouth and throat, as well as a preventative against many ailments, including gout.
• The blackberry leaf was also used as an early hair dye, having been recommended by Culpeper, the English herbalist, to be boiled in a lye solution in order to "maketh the hair black".
• Guide to blackberry varieties
• Researchers have known for quite some time that berries contain antioxidants which help to fight cancer causing free radicals.  A study at the University of Ohio has found that blackberries are the most potent cancer fighting berries of them all, by nearly 40 percent!
• U-pick Blackberry farms typically sell berries by the pound. A quart equals 1 and 1/2 pounds of fresh berries.
• Do the math and be careful not to over-purchase as Blackberries 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 go to a blackberry festival? See this page for a list!

 

 

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