2024 Greenville and far western South Carolina Blackberry U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Blackberry U-Pick Orchards in Greenville and far western South Carolina 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

Anderson County

• Callaham Orchards - strawberries, plums, peaches, blackberries, blueberries, figs, muscadines
  559 Crawford Road, Belton, SC 29627. Phone: 864-338-0810. Open: from late April and May, see our website or call for Hours Hours based on abundance of crop. Directions: 1 mile off Hwy. SC 20 halfway between the towns of Belton and Williamston on Crawford Rd. . Click here for a map and directions. Phonefrom late April and May, see our website or call for Hours (Hours based on abundance of crop) The orchard provides a place where people can have the farm experience without living on one. Children can enjoy watching and feeding the animals. Kids love to find different treasures in our gem mine and can have fun milking the "friendly" wooden cow. Visitors can take a ride around the orchards and vineyards in a tractor-drawn wagon (by reservation). In addition, the store sells Callaham label cider, relishes, and other products. We offer the following fruits and vegetables at the farmStrawberries (April-May) Yellow Squash (June-September); Peaches (June-August) Tomatoes (June-September)Blueberries (June-August) Cucumbers (June-September)Plums (August) Cantaloupes (July-September) Nectarines (July) Watermelons (July-September)Blackberries (June-July) Pumpkins (September-October)Figs (July-September)Muscadines (August to September)
• Golden Acres - blackberries, pumpkins, strawberries, Other fruit or veg, Honey from hives on the farm, Fresh eggs, concessions or refreshment stand, porta-potties are available, restrooms, picnic area, picnic area you may bring your own food, jumping pillow, farm animals, birthday parties, school tours, group reservations
  7900 Hwy 81 S, Starr, SC 29684. Phone: (864) 634-8023. Email: bessathens21@gmail.com. Open: UPDATE for 2021, Due to COVID , no pick-your-own in 2021, but it should return next year 2022, Friday 8-2 Saturday 9-2. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx. . UPDATE for 2021, Due to COVID , no pick-your-own in 2021, but it should return next year (2022), Friday 8-2 Saturday 9-2. They do have already picked in 2021, which you can order on their website. Strawberries: Mid-April through May Blueberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, Peaches, and Nectarines: Late June through July Muscadines and Scuppernongs: Late August through October Fall Fest opens Last weekend in September through first weekend in NovemberPlease call ahead for any pre-picked berry orders, picking conditions, and event details. :We are a you-pick/pre-pick berry farm growing, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, peaches, muscadines/scuppernongs, and pumpkins. Call for more details or questions! Availability is limited during slow times. From November through March we are open by appointment only.Formerly called Berry Acres (at the old location) also, formerly Hardy Berry Farm (or The Hardy Berry Farm) In the future, they may have blueberries, muscadine grapes,raspberries (red).

Oconee County

• Chattooga Belle Farm - apples, blackberries, blueberries, Muscadines, grapes, nectarines, peaches, persimmons, raspberries (red), Fresh eggs, farm market, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, birthday parties, weddings and wedding parties, school tours
  454 Damascus Church Road, Long Creek, SC 29658. Phone: 864-647-9768. Email: info@chattoogabellefarm.com. Open: 9 am to 5 pm, seven days a week and by appointment. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard.
  Chattooga Belle Farm Facebook page. Fax: 864-972-0646The farm has a variety produce through-out the seasons including apples and peach orchards, muscadines, scuppernongs, blackberries, raspberries and blueberries. We also have a variety of exotic fruits like persimmons, paw paws, Asian pears, figs, and more! Our Peach varieties include Red Haven, Georgia Belle, Elberta, Reliance, Contender, and Big Red. They are all Freestone. Table grape varieties include Concord, Thompson, and Vanessa. Wine grape varieties include Cynthiana, Chambourcin, Chardonel and Zinfandel. Apple varieties include Liberty, Golden Delicious, Pink Lady, Granny Smith, Gale Gala, Ginger Gold, Honey Crisp, Yates, Winesap, Mutsu, Arkansas Black, Fuji, Gibson Golden, Crimson Crisp, Grimes Golden, Hardy Cumberland, Freedom, Gold Rush, Ultima Gala, Pristine, Crimson Gold, Royal Empire, Caudle Cameo, and Royal Gala. And also a Distillery - We grow the fruit, ferment it, distill it, bottle it, label it and sell it all right here at the Distillery. We are open year round, 9 am to 5 pm, 6 days a week. Closed on Sundays. Must be 21 or older to partake in tastings. (UPDATED: July 4, 2022, JBS)
• Willow Springs Berry Farm - Uses natural growing practices, blackberries, blueberries, U-pick and already picked
  199 Willow Springs Road, Tamassee, SC 29686. Phone: (864)710-3329. Open: Monday through Saturday beginning July 1st from 8am until 8pm. Directions: between Walhalla and Salem off of highway 11. Follow the signs. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. We use natural practices, but are not yet certified Organicis where you can pick your own blueberries and blackberries in our 3 acre lot. Also we will be selling boxes of our produce!

Pickens County

• The Happy Berry - blackberries, blueberries, figs, grapes, muscadines
  510 Gap Hill Road, Six Mile, SC 29682. Phone: 864-350-9345. Email: Contactus@thehappyberry.com. Open: Regular Season Hours June to September. Directions: visit . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, credit cards.
  The Happy Berry Facebook page. Regular Season Hours (June to September). Monday to Friday: 8AM until dusk, Saturday: 8AM until 6PM, Sunday: Closed for farm managementour website for directions click here for picking updatesCrops are usually available in June, July, AugustBest to call first if you are making a special trip and to make sure we have what you are coming for. Be sure to ask us to set it aside for you. We could have it when you call, but sell out by the time you get there if we have not set it aside. We have added Goji, mulberries and even planted more Persimmons. They have not come on-line yet(UPDATED: June 13, 2018, JBS)
  Comments from a visitor on August 01, 2009: "Love it. is situated in beautiful rolling hills, a lovely site. Informative website. Recipe folders provided if you ask about how to prepare the fruits. "

 

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