2024 The San Francisco / San Mateo County area of California Pumpkin U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Pumpkin U-Pick Orchards in The San Francisco / San Mateo County area of California in 2024, by county

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

Not all areas of a state have pumpkins farms 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

San Mateo County

• Blue House Farm - Certified Organic, strawberries, Day neutral strawberries, carving pumpkins, pie pumpkins, picnic area, picnic area you may bring your own food, porta-potties, Cell service cell phones work here, No dogs allowed except for service animals
  950 La Honda Road, San Gregorio, CA 94074. Phone: (650) 879-0704. Email: info@bluehousefarm.com. Open: strawberry U - pick is typically open and abundant from May through October; Please see our website and Instagram for updates. Directions: From Highway 1, turn East onto Highway 84La Honda Road and continue for 0.8 miles. The farm entrance is on the right. From Skyline BoulevardHighway 35 turn West onto Highway 84 and continue for 14 miles. The farm entrance is on the left. We are certified organic for all . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, All credit cards, ApplePay.
  Blue House Farm Facebook page. From Highway 1, turn East onto Highway 84/La Honda Road and continue for 0.8 miles. The farm entrance is on the right. From Skyline Boulevard/Highway 35 turn West onto Highway 84 and continue for 14 miles. The farm entrance is on the left. We are certified organic for all crops! Click here for our Instagram page. (UPDATED: March 01, 2024) (ADDED: August 01, 2017)
• Webb Ranch - CERTIFIED ORGANIC, blackberries, boysenberries, loganberries, Marionberries, Olallieberries, pumpkins, raspberries (red), raspberries (yellow), tomatoes, porta-potties are available, restrooms, picnic area you may bring your own food, birthday parties, school tours, group reservations
  2720 Alpine Road, Portola Valley, CA 94028. Phone: 650-854-6334. Email: Deano@webbranchinc.com. Open: BY APPOINTMENT ONLY, CLICK HERE TO MAKE APPOINTMENT, APPOINTMENTS LIKELY FULL but more will be added as more berries ripen, Check back for availability. Directions: We are located off of Hwy 280 and Alpine rd east in Menlo Park. We are 15 mile south of San Francisco, and 15 miles north of San Jose, 300 feet right off of Hwy 280. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: cash, check, credit and debit.
  Webb Ranch Facebook page. All berries are certified organic by CCOF. The 2020 cost of U-Pick is as follows: $4 for entry (0-4 and 65+ are free) and $5.50 per pound of berriesWe grow varieties of blackberries and raspberries. Please remember, the field has a limited amount of ripe berries on any given day. The earlier you show up, the better the selection. For 2020, we planted cherry tomatoes inside the U-Pick field on the raspberry side. Call the produce hotline to check for availability from early JuneClick here for current dates and hoursWe are certified organic for all crops! Payment: Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx. is located in Portola Valley, just outside Palo Alto. Family Owned and Operated since 1922. All of our Farming is CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmer)the only thing we spray on our Crops is H2O!! :).Webb Ranch is following all water conservation rules for 2015. We are cutting back per guidelines, but this will not affect the berries. The weather is the biggest factor, and too much heat is the most harmful. The weather has been great and the berries are tasty, so come out to the U-Pick. All berries are CCOF. Use our baskets (no personal containers allowed). Lawn area available, bring blanket & lunch. No reservations necessary. PETS AND SMOKING ARE PROHIBITED. ALWAYS SUBJECT TO WEATHER/HEAT. Also see our choose and cut Christmas tree farm and U-Pick Pumpkins. New this year to the U-Pick will be cherry tomatoes (multiple varieties). The season for the cherry tomatoes usually begins in mid July. Entrance is $4 a person. Kids 4 & under and adults 65 & over enjoy free entry. Picking baskets are provided with your entry fee and eating while picking is OK :) *We are CCOF certified organic. All berries are weighed at $5/lb. We also have a kids jumpy house operating every day we are open(UPDATED: July 16, 2020 JBS)

 

Pumpkin

Pumpkin Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

Do you want it for a party, decoration or eating?

For a wedding or party:

See this page: Finding pumpkins for weddings

Decoration to paint or carve:

OK, Then you need only look for any pumpkin that is

• visually appealing, evenly a deep orange. The shape is just whatever appeals to you. If it grew on its side and has a flat spot, you can either make that the make or use it as part of your design!
• free from cuts, soft spots, bruises. The flesh should feel hard, and not give easily. Infections can invade easily and cause rot
• Make sure the stem is attached.

Store it carefully, especially if you pick it from the vine yourself. Cure a fresh-picked pumpkin by keeping it in a dry place. Don't handle or disturb it. Curing toughens the rind, making it less prone to rot. Pumpkins will keep for months in a cool (50 F to 65F dry, low humidity environment; such as a cool, dry basement.

Tip: If you like roasted or baked pumpkin seeds, you can save the seeds from any pumpkin!

To make a pumpkin pie!

Then you need a small, sweet type of pumpkin that has been developed for eating. They are smaller, typically about 8" to 10" diameter. The meat is much less stringy and smoother than a decorative pumpkin variety. Pumpkin is rich in vitamin A and potassium. One-half cup of cooked pumpkin provides more than the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A. One cup of cooked pumpkin contains only 81 calories. It's low in fat and sodium! Usually you can get these at the grocery store, and some of the pumpkin patches and farm stands have them. Be sure to tell them that you intend to use it for a pumpkin pie. Again, look for firm, no soft spots, or signs of any rot. See this page for easy, illustrated directions to make a pumpkin pie from a fresh pumpkin!

Varieties of Pumpkins

• Sugar - Excellent for baking
• Jack O'Lantern - most common for carving
• White Lumina - unusual, medium-sized white pumpkin
• Mini - Great for decoration
• Gourds - Many varieties, used for decorations

For a very complete, detailed list of many varieties of pumpkins and where to get the seeds, see this page!

Want to Grow Your Own Pumpkins?

Then see this page!

Pumpkin recipes

• How to prepare cooked pumpkin from a fresh pumpkin (for use in all the recipes)
• Illustrated instructions to make a pumpkin pie from a fresh pumpkin - the best pumpkin pie you will ever taste! (metric version for the UK, Europe, Australia, Japan, etc.)
• How to home-can pumpkin (in a cooked, cubed form) and why you shouldn't home-can the pureed forms.
• Traditional Pumpkin Pie
• Chocolate pumpkin pie
• Pumpkin Spice Muffins
• Pumpkin muffins
• Pumpkin Bread
• Pumpkin Butter!
• Pumpkin cheesecake - INCREDIBLE!!! You have to try this one!
• Pumpkin Cookies
• Pumpkin soup - even if you normally aren't a soup lover; you will love this one.
• Butternut-Chestnut Panchetta-Bacon Soup - Pumpkin or Butternut squash combines with chestnuts and bacon, ham or panchetta in this great soup
• Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
• No Sugar Pumpkin Pie
• Apple Cider Doughnut Recipe (with maple glaze or sugar glaze)

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