Looking for a local, pick-your-own farm in Victoria, Australia? Scroll down this page and you will see the U-Pick farms in Victoria, Australia, sorted by area. Those that offer organic or sustainably grown produce are identified by the words "organic" and/or "sustainable" in Green, next to their name. The U-pick crops they offer follow the name of the farm. To search the page for a specific crop, use Ctrl-F (or on an ipad or Mac, use their "search on this page" function) If they have a website, the name will be in blue and underlined; click on it and it will open their website. Updated frequently during the growing season, I've been maintaining this for 20 years. Help me keep this up to date, please tell me via the let me know of any changes, corrections and updates!
And if you know of any I missed and want to add them or correct the information, please let me know!
What's in season in December 2024, and other timely information:
Notes for December 2024:Apples are usually January to May; Blueberries are ready in December to mid January in MOST areas of Australia. Strawberries can have a long season, November to April - depending on the variety. See your area's crop availability calendar for more specific dates of upcoming crops. The U-pick crops they offer follow the name of the farm. To search the page for a specific crop, use Ctrl-F (or on an ipad or Mac, use their "search on this page" function) If they have a website, the name will be in blue and underlined; click on it and it will open their website.
Home canning and freezing directions. You can access it from the drop down menus at the top of the page or the site search. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to write me!
Victoria, Australia U-Pick Farms and Orchards in 2024, by county
Click on the resources drop-down above, if you need a county map. If you know of any other PYO farms I've missed, please write me via the Suggest a farm form (or if you own the farm, use the Add My Farm form).
Australia Harvest Calendar / Typical Crop Ripening Dates for Australia
If you want to start your own food business in Australia, at home or otherwise, see this page.
Keep in mind that the wildfires have devastated many farms and orchards. That, along with COVID, means many farms may not be open this year, or have restrictions. Give them your support!
Below is the Melbourne area. For farms in the rest of Victoria, click here.
Melbourne area
- Big Fella Cherries - cherries
38 Boundary Road, Coldstream, VIC. Phone: 0425 774 649. Email: bigfellacherries@hotmail.com. Open: 9.30 am to 4 pm on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from mid November to early January (closed Christmas Day). Pick your own or buy already picked farm fresh. Visit our picturesque Yarra Valley orchard to experience the joy of harvesting your own delicious Big Fella cherries straight from the trees. Enjoy the spoils of superior cherries just as nature intended. (ADDED: February 13, 2023, JBS) -
Blue Hills Orchard - Cherries, raspberries, strawberries,
loganberries, youngberries and boysenberries.
27 Parker Road, Silvan, VIC. Phone: (03) 9737 9400. Blue Hills Orchards is nestled in the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges near the Silvan Reservoir. The Chapman family has farmed in Silvan since 1984 and are best known for their quality fresh fruit and provision of "Pick Your Own" berries. Seasonal produce. -
Chapmans Berry and Fruit Farm - Raspberries, boysenberries
and currants
Chapman Road, 21 and 39 Parker Road, Silvan, VIC. Phone: (03) 59644303. Bring your own containers. Shed sales of cherries. Some berries and fruits available for picking. Raspberries, boysenberries and currants are available for your picking. Shed sales of peaches, cherries and raspberries. Chapmans do not allow berry picking on Sundays, only Mondays - Saturdays. -
Flowers of yewwood - No pesticides are used, Lillies, sunflowers,
tulips, zinnias, flowers, Cell service cell phones work here, birthday parties, weddings and wedding
parties, school tours, group reservations
19 Old Glenburn Road, Kinglake , VIC 3763. Phone: 0400 622 819. Email: Admin@flowersofyewwood.com.au. Open: Saturday from 9 am to 5 booking required. Directions: Click here for a map and directions. We do not use pesticides on the crops. Payment: Cash, EftPos.
Flowers of yewwood Facebook page.
Flowers of yewwood Instagram page.
(ADDED: October 15, 2024) - The Gourmet Yabby Farm - catch your own yabbies! (a
yabby is a type of freshwater crayfish, like a little lobster!)
185 Beenak Road, Yellingbo, VIC 3139. Phone: (0409) 024 240. Directions: Take Smiths Rd a few kilometres south of Yellingbo, to where it veers east off the Healesville-Koo Wee Rup Road. It then leads into Beenak Road, where you will find the farm. Catch or buy your own and use the barbecue facilities. The Gourmet Yabby Farm costs $3 to enter and $20 a kilogram for your catch. -
Lanidale 'The Cherry Well' - apricots, cherries, U-pick
and already picked, restrooms
235 Beenak Road, Wandin North, VIC 3139. Phone: 041-854-0445. Email: rachy004@yahoo.com.au. Open: November to January open 8am to 6pm daily including Boxing Day and New Years Day; Closed Christmas Day. Click here for current open hours, days and dates. Directions: Melway reference: 121 G3 or GPS 235 Beenak Road, Wandin North. Some GPS do not register 235, in that case use the number closet to 235 that registers, drive to Wandin and follow the hand painted cherry signs and you will find us. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. Click here for our Facebook page. - Mountain Blueberries - blueberries
15 Blueberry Lane, Monbulk, Melbourne, VIC 3793. Phone: 03 9756 6095. Open: Pick your own blueberries (by appointment only) or purchase them just picked. Dandenong Ranges and Yarra Valley. . Also hydroponic tomatoes Frozen blueberries are available year round. Call first to assure availability of produce, particularly if the weather has been wet. The nearest train is one and a half hour drive from central Melbourne. The open hours: 9am to 5pm, Tuesday through Sunday (between Christmas and February).
Comments from a visitor on December 30, 2012: "Their answer machine message says 'Blueberries are not available unless you are already on our pick-your-own contact list.'" -
Red Hill Cherry Farm - cherries, restrooms
61-69 Prossors Lane, Red Hill, VIC 3936. Phone: 03 59892237. Email: trevorholmes@pac.com.au . Open: UPDATE for 2023, TripAdvisor says they are permanently closed. Cherries are ready for picking mid November through to early January; times vary depending on availability of fruit. Directions: Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. Click here for our Facebook page. -
Ripe N Ready Cherry Farm - cherries, U-pick and
already picked, honey from hives on the farm, farm shop
52 Arkwells Lane, Red Hill, VIC 3937. Phone: (03) 5989 2578. Fax: (03) 5989 2578. Email: mrcherryfarmer@gmail.com. Open: Dates and Times Vary, please check our website for current hours; in season, typically it is daily 9am to 5pm, With COVID 19 government restrictions in place, we ask for your understanding and patience in limiting numbers in our farm shop, plenty of space for cherry pickers in our 24 acre orchard; For more information head our to our website . Click here for current open hours, days and dates. Directions: Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard. Click here for our Facebook page. Come to our Cherry and Berry Farm situated on 24 acres of beautiful Red Hill countryside. Experience Pick-Your-Own Sweet and Sour cherries. Cherry picking season which runs approximately from early November to Mid-January. You can also buy freshly picked Cherries, Silvanberries, Raspberries, Boysenberries, Marionberries and Blueberries. Bus bookings welcome. Crop availability: Cherries are usually available from November to the end of January. (UPDATED: November 12, 2020 JBS) -
Sunny Ridge - Strawberries
244 Shands Road, Main Ridge, VIC 3928. Phone: +61 3 5989 4500. Email: info@sunnyridge.com.au. Open: November to April (strawberry season), 9 am to 5 pm (upick last entry is 4.30pm), 7-days a week, Closed Christmas Day, NYD and Good Friday; then from May to October (Off Season) Friday to Sunday (plus Public Holidays and VIC School Holidays) from 11am to 4pm. Please note: strawberry picking finishes around 4.30pm daily. May to October, 11 am to 4 pm,: you can still enjoy a strawberry experience at Sunny Ridge by trying some of our unique fruit wines and liqueurs or fresh farm made ice cream. Directions: Corner of Flinders Road and Shands Road, Main Ridge. You can pick up your own, have lunch at the Strawberry Cafe or buy loads of strawberry based products. Bus groups welcome by appointment. Browse through our gift shop selling gourmet food products or be tempted by morning/afternoon tea or strawberry inspired desserts in our cafe. Any time of the year is a perfect for a visit to Sunny Ridge. weekends only (open mid week to groups of 10 or more with a booking). We are open on all public holidays, except for Christmas Day, New Years Day and Good Friday. Take home farm grown avocadoes and seasonal produce. Click here for a link to our Facebook page. November to April (U-Pick Season) (UPDATED: 10 February 2021, JBS) - Summer Sensations Cafe and Berry Gardens - berries
1440 Bannockburn Shelford Road, Teesdale, VIC. Phone: 03 5281 5449. Open: call for hours. Cafe, berry counter sales, berry picking, picnic and children's play areas, pots of flowering Liliums and home made produce available for purchase. What a wonderful way to spend a relaxing afternoon with friends, family or out of town guests! -
The Farmgate Shop -
Uses natural growing practices, sunflowers, gift shop, concessions or refreshment stand, picnic area, school tours
Midland Highway, Elaine, VIC 3334. Phone: 0437358307. Email: simonepedretti@bigpond.com. Open: 7 days a week 9 am to 5:30 pm. Directions: Click here for a map and directions. Sunflowers mid February to late March. We use natural practices, but are not yet certified Organic. Payment: Cash, Visa, MasterCard. Sunflowers pick your own $2 a stem and $5 entry Kids 5 and under are free Local produce, cold drinks, snacks, Ice creams, coffee all available on site. Shop is a little gem to explore after you have picked some sunflowers and taken some photos. (ADDED: February 20, 2022) -
Tuckerberry Hill Farm and Cafe - strawberries, blueberries
35 Becks Road, Drysdale, VIC 3222. Phone: +61 3 5251 3468. Open: Best time to visit is morning and early afternoon. strawberries start mid to late October until mid to late December and then again last February to late March (weekends only); Pick your own blueberries usually start mid to late December and goes until late January or early February (7 days a week over the school holidays and then weekend only in Term 1)
Twilight picking from Boxing Day to the end of January. For the most up to date information open our Facebook page We are a pick-your-own blueberry and strawberry farm, cafe and local produce market. We welcome children and their families, tourists and locals alike to enjoy the spoils that we have to offer, including a panoramic view of Port Phillip Bay. Click here for a link to our Facebook page. Pick your own blueberries available from December to March. Frozen blueberries, jam and juice are available out of season. - Wallington Strawberry Farm - strawberries
440 Wallington Road, Wallington, VIC. Phone: +61 3 5250 1541. Pick your own strawberries from September to May. -
Yellingbo Berries -
follow organic
practices,blueberries
25 Carson Rd, Seville, VIC 3139. Phone: +61 3 59648212. Email: yellingboberries@gmail.com. Organically certified great quality blueberries. Email orders ahead for pre-picked. Take Gardiner Rd north of Beenak Road. They also have organic fruit and jams. Open: January and February from Saturday to Wednesday by appointment, tel: (03) 5964 8212. -
Ellisfield Farm
- NO PICK YOUR OWN
109 McIlroys Road, Red Hill, VIC. There are reports on other websites that claim they have PYO, but their website makes it clear that they do not.
The listings are frequently updated, but often they don't tell us current prices, so the prices unless you see this year's update date.
Other Local Farm Products (Honey, Horses, Milk, Meat, Eggs, Etc.)
(NOT pick-your-own, unless they are also listed above)
In addition to listings of farms, I hope the following pages are helpful to you!
Picking Tips!
General picking tips and a guide to each fruit and vegetable
How much do I need to pick? (Yields - how much raw makes how much cooked or frozen)
Selecting the right varieties to pick
All about apple varieties - which to pick and why!
Simple instructions:
Canning and Freezing
FAQs - Answers to common questions and problems
Comprehensive addition resources
Free publications to download and print
Canning equipment
To can (bottle, jar) most acidic foods, like jams, jellies, salsa, fruit products like applesauce, apple butter,
peaches, etc, you need the following:
A canner - a large pot, usually 33 qts, which can hold 7 quart jars or 12 8 ounce jars. And large pot with a lid will work, so long
as each jar will be submerged by at least 1 inch of boiling water.
This is a good canner,
and here is a canning kit, but Amazon seems to have difficulty keeping them in stock.
If
you want to can low acid foods like canned green beans, sweet corn, meats, etc., you MUST use a
pressure canner. It reaches higher temperatures which are needed to kill mold and botulism. The jars, lids and other equipment are the
same.
Canning rack - The canning rack is critical, just be sure it fits inside your canning pot. It allows you to safely and easily lift the jars in and out of the canner.
Miscellaneous tools - Some kits contain most of the tools you'll need like this
canning
tools kit.
Jar tongs (to pick up hot jars)
Jar funnel - good ones also help you measure the headspace and cover the rim from splashes
Canning Lid rack - to hold the lids while they are sanitizing in a small pot of boiling water
Supplies -
canning jars - these come in the modern lid and ring system and some
older version. Most have change to the two piece lid and ring method since it ENORMOUSLY reduces spoilage. Like everything else, jars can be hard to
obtain. Some commercial products, like spaghetti sauce, sometimes come in a sturdy jar that fits the standard lid and ring.
lids and rings (a.k.a, "bands")
Pectin (if you are making jam or
jelly)
WECK Small-Batch Preserving: Recipes for Canning, Fermenting, Pickling, and More