2024 southeastern Iowa Pumpkin U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Pumpkin U-Pick Orchards in southeastern Iowa 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

Lee County

• Appleberry Orchard - apples, pumpkins, winter squash, Honey from hives on the farm, U-pick and already picked, farm market, gift shop, concessions or refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, face painting, inflatables or bounce houses, petting zoo, farm animals, birthday parties, weddings and wedding parties, school tours, group reservations
  2469 highway 2, Donnellson, IA 52625. Phone: 319-372-1307. Email: info@appleberryorchard.com. Open: August Hours - Monday - Saturday 9 am to 5 pm and Sunday 11 am to 4 pm; September and October Hours - Monday - Friday 9 am to 5 pm, Saturday 9 am to 7 pm and Sunday 11 am to 7 pm. Directions: From the West, we are 7 miles East of Donnellson on Highway 2. From the East, we are 2.5 miles West of Ft. Madison on Highway 2. For a map to our farm, . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover.
  Appleberry Orchard Facebook page. is Iowa's oldest working orchard! The farm market includes a bakery, local honey, Iowa sorghum, jams/jellies, syrups, salsas, many other gourmet foods and gifts. Fresh apples & cider, Appleberry Acres & Petting Farm, bon-fire sites, barrel train rides, wagon rides, pumpkin chucker, food concessions, weekend activities and much more!. (UPDATED: June 29, 2016)
• Kathy's Pumpkin Patch - pumpkins, pumpkin patch-pick in the field, pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, corn maze, child-sized haybale maze, horse-drawn hay rides, tractor-pulled hay rides, wagon rides, Honey from hives on the farm, Fresh eggs, U-pick and already picked, farm market, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, birthday parties, weddings and wedding parties, school tours, events at your location (call for info)
  1977 highway 2, Donnellson, IA 52625. Phone: 319-470-1558. Email: info@kathyspumpkinpatch.com. Open: Monday to Saturday 9 am to 7 pm, Sunday 11 am to 7 pm. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover. The corn maze will be open September 5th to November 1st. The maze will stay open until 10 pm every Saturday in September and October for our Moonlight MadnessToday we have over 40 acres and 175 varieties of pumpkins, squash, gourds, vegetables, and other fall ornamentals. We believe that education and entertainment go hand in hand, and we offer a variety of rural focused activities and events for families, students, and groups of all sizes and ages. To plan your next daytrip to the beautiful Iowa countryside, browse our website to see all the family activities and special weekend events happening at the pumpkin patch.
  Comments from a visitor on September 3, 2007: "We make a trip to this place every year (this is our third). Looks like they just opened up again for the season on September 1st. The number of varieties of pumpkins and squash is endless. We love them. Hope this brings more folks to her place, it's really great! They have other events throughout the year, but of course, fall is their big season. "

Washington County

• Sass Family Farm - Uses natural growing practices, beans, corn (sweet), cucumbers, eggplant, melons, onions, pumpkins, summer squash, winter squash, tomatoes, other vegetables, Other fruit or veg, pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, straw or hay bale maze, and prepicked produce, gift shop, restrooms, picnic area, tractor-pulled hay rides, petting zoo
  3060 160th Street, Riverside, IA 52327. Phone: 319-648-3788. Email: sassfarms@netzero.net. Directions: Just east off Hwy 218 on 160th St, South of Riverside . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. Fax: 319-653-3297. Crops are usually available in July, August, September, OctoberEveryday 11 am to 7 PM Farm's market opens July 1st with fresh vegetables and sweet corn/melons, fall season opens October 1st with pumpkin patch, haunted barn and trail w/hayrack rides, straw maze, petting zoo.. We use natural practices, but are not yet certified OrganicFall decorating headquarters - corn shocks, bales of straw, pumpkins, Indian corn, gourds, etc.

 

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