2024 Boise and Southwestern Idaho Pumpkin U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Pumpkin U-Pick Orchards in Boise and Southwestern Idaho 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

Ada County

• Cabalo's Orchard and Gardens - Uses natural growing practices, apples, blackberries, pumpkins, Turkeys (organic, not-hormone-fed), Honey from hives on the farm, Cider mill (fresh apple cider made on the premises), U-pick and already picked, porta-potties are available, school tours
  2087 W. King Rd, Kuna, ID 83634. Phone: 208 922-3301. Email: cabalosorchard@gmail.com. Open: Friday and Saturday 9 am to 6:00 Sunday 12 am to 6:00. Directions: From Falcon Crest Charter School on Ten Mile Road Go south one mile to King Road Then right on King Road one tenth of a mile, first farm on left. Sign Posted. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.
  Cabalo's Orchard and Gardens Facebook page. We use natural practices, but are not seeking organic certificationCabalo's Orchard is a family run orchard owned and operated by Chan and Cathy Cabalo, with help from our children, grandchildren and other family and friends. On our ten acres we raise pesticide free tree fruit and vegetables. Our fruit is tree ripened so you get it when it is at its best. AND YES we are conventional pesticide free, that is, we use only natural farming practices of fertilization and insect control. We are a seasonal business that opens when the produce is ready in the late spring or early summer and continues throughout the end of our Pumpkin Patch in October. We are open to the public on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, or anytime by appointment. Many of our customers like to u-pick. We offer a limited selection of our produce for u-pick. At this time we offer blackberries, apples and pumpkins. We also have freshly picked peaches, pears, plums, prunes, apricots, sweet cherries and some summer vegetables that are pre-picked and available at our farm stand during their appropriate seasons. We also offer apple wood for your smokers. For a more detailed listing check out our web site or become a fan on our Facebook page. Our produce is all naturally grown without the use of conventional pesticides. (UPDATED: May 24, 2016, JBS)

Canyon County

• Berry Ranch - strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and pumpkins
  7988 Highway 20/26, Nampa, ID 83686. Phone: 208-466-3860. Email: info@theberryranch.com. Open: BERRY PYO: When berries are in season, PYO runs Monday - Saturday 9 am to 2 pm. Directions: Located 4. Click here for a map and directions. . Alternate phone:800-801-3860 .5 miles North of I-84, Northeast corner of Franklin Road & Highway 20/26 as you leave Nampa. From Boise come west on Chinden, which is Hwy. 20-26, 10 miles West after you cross Eagle Road. The offers a wide range of fruits and vegetables grown right on the ranch. You can pick your own strawberries and pumpkins on a "pickers hayride" Picnic tables, antique machinery and a petting shed are available at our store-in-a-barn. There are no sprays on the berries so you can eat as many as you'd like while you're out picking in the field. Enjoy! PUMPKIN PYO: Starts the last Friday in September through October 31. Take a hayride to the patch and pick-your-own pumpkin Monday through Friday, 4 pm to 6 p.m, Saturday 10 am to 6 p.m, Sunday 1 pm to 6 pm. (UPDATED: May 24, 2016, JBS)
• Cherry Hill Farms - Minimizes chemical and pesticide use, apples, apricots, nectarines, peaches, beans, pie or tart cherries, corn (sweet), cucumbers, hot peppers, sweet peppers, carving pumpkins, pie pumpkins, summer squash, paste or Roma tomatoes, tomatoes, other vegetables, Other vegetables, sunflowers, zinnias, flowers, herbs or spices, events at your location (call for info)
  15228 Chicken Dinner Rd, Caldwell, ID 83605. Phone: (385) 375-7477. Email: chfsocialmedias@gmail.com. Open: From the end of July to the end of October. Directions: Go to the crossroads of Chicken Dinner Road and Apricot Road Follow the signs to the fruit stand. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.
  Cherry Hill Farms Facebook page. Picking updates: Click here for picking updatesWe minimize use of pesticides and other chemicals(UPDATED: June 06, 2022) (ADDED: September 12, 2020)

Gem County

• Tyler's Rocky Point Orchard - Blueberries, cherries, apricots, peaches, plums, tomatoes, squash, pumpkins, apples (Red and Golden Delicious).
  145 E. South Slope Road, Emmett, ID 83617. Phone: (208) 365-6160. Email: scottharrisontyler@gmail.com. Open: Mid June- October 31, every day from 9 am to 1 pm, then again from 6 pm to 8 pm. Click here for a map and directions. In June and early July, we have Apricots, Pluots and lots of Cherries avaiable to pick. Peaches come next, Apples in the Fall. Please bring a ladder if you have one. We are closed on July 4th. 2018 prices are Cherries $2lb, Apricots and Pluots $1.50lb. (UPDATED: July 17, 2018, JBS)

Owyhee County

• Mansisidor Family Farms - sunflowers, pumpkins, gift shop, concessions or refreshment stand
  3644 Market Rd, Homedale, ID 83628. Phone: 208-695-3380. Email: mansisidorfamilyfarms@gmail.com. Open: Seasonal Friday 11am to 7pm Saturday 11am to 7pm Sunday 11am to 7pm. Directions: Approximately 3 miles south of Homedale off Highway 95 to E. Market Road and follow the signs. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard.
  Mansisidor Family Farms Facebook page. Pumpkin Patch, Corn Maze and Sunflowers are open beginning the Second to last Friday and closing the Last Sunday of OctoberChristmas at The Barn beginning Black Friday in November through December 20th. Enjoy shopping from a Variety of Local quality artisan and crafted goods while sipping spiced apple cider, tea, or coffee!

 

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