2024 Northwest Suburbs of Columbus, Ohio Apple U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Apple U-Pick Orchards in Northwest Suburbs of Columbus, Ohio in 2024, by county

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

Not all areas of a state have apples orchards 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

Marion County

• Lawrence Orchards - Apples, peaches, pumpkins, Christmas trees- you choose and we cut, Precut Christmas trees, pumpkin patch-pick in the field, pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, corn maze, straw or hay bale maze, child-sized haybale maze, and prepicked produce, gift shop, restrooms
  2634 Smeltzer Road, Marion, OH 43302. Phone: 740-389-3019. Email: orchard@marion.net. Open: Monday to Saturday 9 am to 6 pm Closed Sundays. Directions: for a map to our farm, . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard.
  Lawrence Orchards Facebook page. . Emai: Crops are usually available in August, September, October, November, DecemberApplefest - last Saturday in September - horse-drawn wagon rides through the orchards, music, food, entertainment, games, petting area, mazes, lots of fun! We grow 26 different varieties of apples! FWe have JONAGOLD APPLES, EMPIRE APPLES, GRIMES GOLDEN, RED DELICIOUS, GOLDEN DELICIOUS, HONEYCRISP APPLES, JONATHAN APPLES, CORTLAND APPLES, GALA APPLES, AND MORE! We provide containers and wagons to take into the orchard. The rows of trees are clearly marked and easily accessible with no ladders needed whatsoever. While you're here make sure the kids see our ponies, goats, bunnies, ducks, and chickens! You can even bring a picnic lunch and make a day of it. Facebook page. Our farm market is open Mondays - Saturdays from 9 am to 6 pm. Applefest - last Saturday in September: Just an old-fashioned day at the orchard. Horse-drawn wagon rides, pony rides, a wonderful petting farm, corn bin play area, train rides, pumpkin painting, scarecrow making, hay maze, hay field hike, caramel apple bar, apple pies, old time music throughout the day! And APPLEBUTTER AND HORSERADISH DAY Saturday in late September or early October from 9 am to 3 pm; Free admission

Union County

• CherryHawk Farm - apples, Cider mill (fresh apple cider made on the premises), porta-potties are available, picnic area you may bring your own food, farm animals, school tours, group reservations
  16220 Springdale Road, Marysville, OH 43040. Phone: 9376426442. Email: wendie@cherryhawkfarm.com. Open: Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Federal Holidays from 11am to dark. Directions: From Route 33 take the Scottslawn exit and continue north on Scottslawn. Go leftnorth on Watkins. [This is tricky, Watkins is a curve onto which you can go left or right, you want leftnorth.] Take Watkins to the Hinton Mill intersection, turn righteast. Take Hinton Mill to Springdale, you can only turn left, turn leftnorth. Drive a mile or so until you cross a bridge, our farm is on the right just after the bridge.Yard sign says CherryHawk Farm. For a map to our farm, . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.
  CherryHawk Farm Facebook page. From Route 33 take the Scottslawn exit and continue north on Scottslawn. Go left/north on Watkins. [This is tricky, Watkins is a curve onto which you can go left or right, you want left/north.] Take Watkins to the Hinton Mill intersection, turn right/east. Take Hinton Mill to Springdale, you can only turn left, turn left/north. Drive a mile or so until you cross a bridge, our farm is on the right just after the bridge.Yard sign says. For a map to our farm, Apples available from August 01 to November 07Click here for our Facebook page. We supply bags, cost is about 10 lbs for $15. U-Pick apples the way it used to be, experience what your parents and grandparents might have in our apple orchard. Over a dozen varieties ripen over the season in a beautiful, natural setting. We are an easy drive from Columbus, Hilliard, Dublin, Delaware and Worthington. We are conventional. Appropriate attire including shoes and socks is recommended. Apple Variety and typical Month ExpectedWilliams Pride July/ AugustRedFree July/ AugustJonaFree August/ SeptemberGala August/ SeptemberHoneycrisp August/ SeptemberMcIntosh August/ SeptemberSnow SeptemberCortland SeptemberJonaGold SeptemberRed Delicious September/ OctoberYellow Delicious September/ OctoberMutsu OctoberWineCrisp OctoberEnterprise October/ NovemberBraeburn October/ NovemberGranny Smith October/ November (UPDATED: June 07, 2016)
  Comments from a visitor on November 05, 2011: "I visited this farm on November 5, 2011 and it was wonderful. It was a beautiful property with a very nice owner who came to greet us as soon as we arrived. There were far more apples still available on the trees then I expected for this time of year. The prices were very reasonable and we will definitely be returning in future seasons. "
  Comments from a visitor on September 26, 2011: "We had the best time at this farm with our whole family. Our group consisted of 7 children and six adults. What a wonderful way to spend a day! They owner was very helpful, and the property was well kept. The children were able to reach the apples and taste as they went. The prices were very fair too! We hope to visit again soon. (The McIntosh were great)!"
  Comments from a visitor on September 09, 2011: "Wonderful apple orchard. Very nice place to take children to pick apples. Owners are very friendly and welcoming."
  Comments from a visitor on September 07, 2011: "I love this orchard! Easy to get to and the best Honey Crisp apples I've ever had! Been several times and it's just relaxing to walk around, pick at my own pace and enjoy the scenery."
  Comments from a visitor on September 06, 2011: "My family loves coming out to multiple times throughout the apple picking season each year. They have a great variety of apples and the well-maintained trees are loaded with delicious fruit. The ripe varieties are clearly marked with signs and the owners are eager to answer questions. My 3 year old is always asking to go back, so we take him as often as we can to stretch our legs and enjoy the fresh, country air."
  Comments from a visitor on October 04, 2009: "Visiteds yesterday to pick apples and boy was I impressed!! The people at the farm were sooo nice and the trees looked great. This all paled to the quality of the apples!! The trees were loaded with lots of beautiful apples. The grounds are well maintained and it was easy for the kids and I to pick our fill. I would recommend Cherry Hawk Farms to everyone! I've been to a lot of orchards in the past, but now I've found a new home to pick all of my apples in the future."
  Comments from a visitor on September 20, 2009: "I had the best experience at this beautiful orchard today. Their fruit is beautiful. The property is clean and well kept. It is obvious they take a lot of pride in their trees. My family really enjoyed it. We will return not only later this year but hope to year after year!"
• Fruit Full Acres - apples,
  18680 Bellville Road, Marysville, OH 43040. Phone: 937 642 6961. Email: fruitfullacres@yahoo.com. Open: Please call for time and varieties available due to weather. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard. Fruit Full Acres

 

Apple

Apple Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

Apples ripen from the outside of the tree towards the center, so the apples out the outside of the tree will ripen first.  Once they are picked, they stop ripening. Picking apples directly from a tree is easy. Roll the apple upwards off the branch and give a little twist; don't pull straight away from the tree. If two apples are joined together at the top, both will come away at the same time. Don't shake the trees or branches.  If the apple you are trying to pick drops, (or others on the tree) go ahead and pick it up. They're perfectly fine! But do wash them before you eat them! More info: How to tell when apples are ripe

• Once picked, don't throw the apples into the baskets, place them in gently, or they will bruise and go bad more quickly.
• Don't wash apples until just before using to prevent spoilage.
• For an explanation of why apple slices turn brown and how to stop it, see this page!
• Keep apples cool after picking to increase shelf life.  A cool basement is ideal, but the fruit/vegetable drawer of a refrigerator will work, too.  A refrigerator is fine for small quantities of apples. Boxed apples need to be kept in a cool, dark spot where they won't freeze. Freezing ruptures all of an apple's cells, turning it into one large bruise overnight. The usual solution is to store apples in a root cellar. But root cellars often have potatoes in them: apples and potatoes should never be stored in the same room because, as they age, potatoes release an otherwise ethylene gas, which makes apples spoil faster. If you can keep the gas away from your apples, they will keep just fine. Just don't store them right next to potatoes.
  Prevent contact between apples stored for the winter by wrapping them individually in sheets of newspaper. The easiest way to do this is to unfold a section of newspaper all the way and tear it into quarters. Then stack the wrapped apples. See more here: How to store apples at home
• Apples don't improve or "ripen" after being picked - this is an urban myth - see this page for the truth - with references!

Which apple variety is best?

There are tens of thousands of varieties of apples, developed over centuries. They vary in sugar, acoidity, flavors, storing, crispness and many other attributes. See our guides to apple varieties:

• Summary table of many apple varieties and their characteristics
• Detailed descriptions of each apple variety with detailed characteristics
• Apple varieties, sorted by the order in which they typically ripe
• Apple varieties that don't turn brown when they are cut
• Why are some apples brown or spotted inside when you first cut them open?

Canning apples - fully illustrated, with step-by-step instructions

• How to make applesauce
• How to make apple butter 
• How to make apple jelly
• How to make apple pie filling (canned)
• How to can apples
• Home canned apple juice

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.

Recipes, illustrated with step by step instructions

• Apple pie recipe and directions and illustrated! I can say, with, ahem, no bias at all, that this is the best apple pie recipe in the world! (Alright, I did have an apple strudel in Vienna once at that place listed in Fodors that was REALLY good, but that wasn't a pie, was it? And since this was the recipe my grandmother used, it must be great!)
• How to make applesauce for a single meal (not canning it) with NO special equipment
• Apple cobbler
• Apple crunch - best of all! Moist, low sugar and using oats!
• Apple crisp - ever-popular, low sugar and using oats!
• Apple, blackberry, cherry, and/or peach cobbler
• Apple-blackberry, crumble - a English favorite (or favourite)

Using fresh apples and miscellaneous

• How to stop cut apples from browning
• Apple festivals - find one near you!
• Apple facts
• Apple seeds and cyanide

 

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