2024 Eastern Central California Pumpkin U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Pumpkin U-Pick Orchards in Eastern Central 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

Nevada County

• Beirwagen's Donner Trail Fruit - U-pick apples, Pumpkins on weekends in October, apple cider,
  17437 Lower Colfax Rd, Chicago Park, CA . Phone: 530-477-5992. Open: weekends in October. Directions: Located next to the Happy Apple Kitchen in Chicago Park, CA at 18532 Hwy 174. Click here for a map and directions. * horse-drawn wagon rides * a corn maze * children's play area * farm animals * antique farm implements * picnic area and snack shack. The restaurant has WONDERFUL homemade pies. We open up our farm during the month of October for you to enjoy with your whole family. Pumpkin Patch, Apple Picking, Farm animals, fresh cider and weekends we open up the Snack Shack for our famous Apple Fritter Nuggets! Our Farm Market is . We offer a variety of seasonal produce grown and produced locally in Nevada and Placer Counties. More Info please call 530-273-4005. The Bierwagen Farm is also located in Chicago Park at 17437 Lower Colfax Rd. The Farm is only open to Farm Tours and Special Events and during the month of October for our Pumpkin Patch and Harvest Festival. More Info please call. Snack shack is serving hamburgers hot dogs, cupcakes and cookies until about 2pm. *Pumpkin patch and you pick apples are open. *Free parking and free admission

Placer County

• Amber Oaks Raspberries - Uses integrated pest management practices, blackberries, boysenberries, chestnuts, olallieberries, other berries, pumpkins, tomatoes, Other fruit or veg, U-pick and already picked, farm market, restrooms, picnic area you may bring your own food, school tours
  2770 Shanley Rd, Auburn, CA 95603. Phone: 530 885-3420. Email: amberoaksraspberries@gmail.com.. Open: Monday, Wednesday, Saturday By appointment, from 8:30am to 1 pm May to November. Directions: From Sacramento take interstate 80 east to Auburn. Exit Highway 49 turn left at the light. Travel about 3 miles on 49 turn left onto Atwood Road. Travel 1.5 miles turn left onto Shanley Road. Our drive way is the second left, just past the mail boxes. Look for the wooden carved sign Tim and Rhonda Berry Farm. Follow the gravel drive and keep to your right and follow signs for parking. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.
  Amber Oaks Raspberries Facebook page. Boysenberries and Olallieberries: End of May to June 16, Thorn-less blackberries: July to August, Chestnuts: Middle September to end of October, Pumpkins: October, Kiwi: November, also pick your own. We use integrated pest management practicesWe also Have other produce available for sale by orders. They include Rhubarb, loquats, summer squash, basil, amaranth, blueberries, sun gold tomatoes, early girl tomatoes, potatoes, pomegranates, concord grapes, eggplant, figs, persimmons, Corn and melons from another farm. Please just give us a call for availability and to place an order for pick up by appointment Monday to Saturday. We are hoping to have U-Pick Blackberries the first week of July. Our U-PICK days are by appointment on: Mondays: 8 am to 2 pm; Wednesdays: 8 am to 2 pm; Saturdays: 8 am to 2 pm/ PLEASE CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT in advance before the day you want to pick. Please do not schedule an appointment by e-mail or Facebook. We do not check e-mail daily.
  Comments from a visitor on September 07, 2009: "Had a great time picking blackberries. Very abundant, large, sweet berries. Very reasonably priced. Unfortunately I found out about this farm at end of berry picking season but will plan next year to get out more often to pick. They have kiwis and clementines in the fall. I believe you can pick those as well. Also have available a wide variety of tomatoes, delicious Stinsen watermelon(which they shared with us)figs, chestnuts and much more. They also have homemade jams and honey."
• Flower Farm - corn (sweet), cucumbers, eggplant, flowers, herbs or spices, melons, onions, peppers, pumpkins, summer squash, winter squash, tomatoes, other vegetables, Other fruit or veg, and prepicked produce, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, farm animals, weddings and wedding parties, school tours
  9280 Horseshoe Bar Road, Loomis, CA 95650. Phone: (866) 819-4899. Email: flowerfarmnursery@gmail.com. Open: Daily, 8 am to 6 p. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard.
  Flower Farm Facebook page. . m. except Mondays Sunday, 10 am to 4 pmCrops are usually available all year. We are certified organic for some cropsClick here for their Facebook page. Call before you go - Their website is gone, (Does anyone have current information, are they still offering pick your own? If so, please write me!)

 

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