2024 Huntsville and northern Alabama Blackberry U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Blackberry U-Pick Orchards in Huntsville and northern Alabama in 2024, by county

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

Not all areas of a state have blackberries 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.

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Lauderdale County

• RT's Farm - blackberries, blueberries, chestnuts, Seedless table grapes, wine grapes, muscadine grapes, pecans , raspberries (Autumn, red), walnuts, Other fruit or veg,
  13164 Highway 101, Lexington, AL 35648. Phone: (256) 229-5361. Email: rtfarmlexington@gmail.com. Open: Directions: From Highway 72 and Alabama Highway 101 Go North on Highway 101 through Lexington, Alabama Turn Right on County Road 488 approximately 1 mile Farm is at top of hill immediately on left. Directions: From Highway 72 and Alabama Highway 101 Go North on Highway 101 through Lexington, Alabama Turn Right on County Road 488 \(approximately 1 mile\) Farm is at top of hill immediately on left. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard. From Highway 72 and Alabama Highway 101 Go North on Highway 101 through Lexington, Alabama Turn Right on County Road 488 (approximately 1 mile) Farm is at top of hill immediately on leftBlueberry season: mid May - September Blackberry season: late June - August Nuts: Late summer - October2017: Blueberries only through June. Blackberries: June - July. Chestnuts from September - October. 2018: Vineyard will open with remaining nut trees. Call to see what is available: 256-229-5361.

Madison County

• Mullins Orchard - Blueberries and blackberries
  175 Oscar Patterson Rd, Meridianville, AL 35759. Phone: (256) 426-7454. Email: billytedmullins@gmail.com. Open: 7 am to 6 pm most days; call ahead. Directions: See their Facebook page for directions. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. . The blackberries are thornless and chigger free. We sell cage free chicken eggs.Payment: cash, check, cash app, and PayPal. (ADDED: July 06, 2018, Suggested by a visitor)A visitor writes on July 06, 2018: "Loved it, will definitely be back. This is the son and daughter in law of Bill's Honey Farm. The listing for Bills has their phone number included but it's a separate location across some fields and on another road. Bills Honey Farm only sells honey and does not have u-pick on site. Discovered that this morning when we drove up to the wrong place! We disturbed poor Bill who came out in his bathrobe to help us. There are , though the blackberries aren't out for picking right now. They also clearly have grapevines though don't know if they do upick grapes. There are farm animals on site and the lady of the house offered to introduce my two year old to the goats after we were done picking. She had a blast! "
• Zook's Orchard - blackberries, blueberries,
  848 Mint Springs Road, New Market, AL 35761. Phone: (256) 541-7013. Email: KT@ZooksOrchard.com. Open: See our website for current hours. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check.
  Zook's Orchard Facebook page. If you are looking for a pleasant family-oriented blueberry and wild blackberry picking experience, or a jar of pure honey, you are at the right place. Look around, let us know if you have any questions, and come pay us a visitWe also have honey for sale. (UPDATED: June 25, 2022, JBS) (ADDED: June 06, 2017)

Marshall County

• Maggie Valley Berry Patch and Farms - blackberries, strawberries, school tours, events at your location (call for info)
  458 Babe Wright Road, Grant, AL 35747. Phone: 256-728-2723. Email: hog7@charter.net. Open: See our website or call for current hours. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, SFMNP Vouchers. Maggie Valley Berry Patch and Farms Alternate Phone: 256-738-7958 Strawberries should be available about April 20 until May 30; Blackberries are available June 10 until about August; Muscadines are available from late August until OctoberNotes: We are available for special events such as garden clubs, church or school groups. Call for information. See us on facebook for regular updates

 

Blackberry

Blackberry Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

Blackberries typically peak during June in the South of the U.S., and in July in the north and in Canada. Crops are ready at various times of the month depending on which part of the state you are located. In order to produce good local Blackberries, producers depend on ideal spring and early summer weather conditions. See this page for a list of blackberry festivals around the U.S.

Before you leave to go to the farm:

1. Always call before you go to the farm - And when they are in season, a large turnout can pick a field clean before noon, so CALL first!
2. Leave early.  On weekends, then fields may be picked clean by NOON!
    
3. Most growers furnish picking containers designed for Blackberries, but they may charge you for them; be sure to call before you go to see if you need to bring containers.
   If you use your own containers, remember that heaping Blackberries more than 5 inches deep will bruise the lower berries. Plastic dishpans, metal oven pans with 3 inch tall sides and large pots make good containers. I like the Glad storage containers like the one at right.
4. Bring something to drink and a few snacks; you'd be surprised how you can work up a thirst and appetite! And don't forget hats and sunscreen for the sun. Bugs usually aren't a problem, but some deet might be good to bring along if it has been rainy.

Tips on How to Pick Blackberries

1. There are two types of blackberries to know about: thorny and thornless! Obviously, the thornless are easier to pick, but some people claim the thorny varieties are sweeter. With the thorny plants, you want to reach into the plant in the gaps, so you don't need to touch anything but the berry you're after, avoiding the thorns.
2. A ripe blackberry is deep black with a plump, full feel. It will pull free from the plant with only a slight tug.  If the berry is red or purple, it's not ripe yet.
3. Repeat these operations using both hands until each holds 3 or 4 berries. Unlike strawberries, blackberries are usually pretty tough, I dump mine into the bucket. Repeat the picking process with both hands.
4. Don't overfill your containers or try to pack the berries down.

General Picking Tips

Whether you pick Blackberries from your garden or at a Pick-Your-Own farm, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

1. Pick only the berries that are fully black. Reach in between the stems to grab for hidden berries ready for harvest. Bend down and look up into the plant and you will find loads of berries that other people missed!
2. Avoid placing the picked berries in the sunlight any longer than necessary. It is better to put them in the shade of a tree or shed than in the car trunk or on the car seat. Cool them as soon as possible after picking. Blackberries may be kept fresh in the refrigerator for up to a week, depending upon the initial quality of the berry. After a few days in storage, however, the fruit loses its bright color and fresh flavor and tends to shrivel.

When you get home

1. DON'T wash the berries until you are ready to use them or freeze them.  Washing makes them more prone to spoiling.
2. Pour them out into shallow pans and remove any mushed, soft or rotting berries
3. Put a couple of days supply into the fridge, wash  off the others, drain them and freeze them up! (Unless you're going to make jam right away) Blackberries are less perishable than blueberries or strawberries, but refrigerate them as soon as possible after picking. Temperatures between 34 F and 38 F are best, but, be careful not to freeze the blackberries (while they are in the fridge)!
4. Even under ideal conditions blackberries will only keep for a week in a refrigerator, so for best flavor and texture, use them as soon as possible after purchase

Blackberry Recipes, Freezing and Jam directions

1. How to make Blackberry jam - It is VERY easy - especially with our free Blackberry jam directions - very easy!
2. How to make Blackberry jelly
3. How to freeze berries
4. Blackberry syrup, make and can it! 
5. Seedless blackberry pie!
6. Blackberry Festivals: Where, When and More to Find an Blackberry Festival Near You this year:

Blackberry Facts and Tips

• Black Raspberries, also known as "black caps" are a very healthy food; packed with anthocyanins!
• The USDA says 1 cup of blackberries has about 62 calories.
• 1 cup of blackberries, not packed down weighs about 140 grams.
• Select plump, firm, fully blackberries. Unripe berries will not ripen once picked.
• Ohio State University's Article Regarding Their Prevention of Cancer
• Oregon Berry Black Raspberry Brochure
• Blackberry tea was said to be a cure for dysentery during the Civil War. During outbreaks of dysentery, temporary truces were declared to allow both Union and Confederate soldiers to "go blackberrying" to forage for blackberries to ward off the disease.
• Blackberries were enjoyed by the ancient Greeks, who believed them to be a cure for diseases of the mouth and throat, as well as a preventative against many ailments, including gout.
• The blackberry leaf was also used as an early hair dye, having been recommended by Culpeper, the English herbalist, to be boiled in a lye solution in order to "maketh the hair black".
• Guide to blackberry varieties
• Researchers have known for quite some time that berries contain antioxidants which help to fight cancer causing free radicals.  A study at the University of Ohio has found that blackberries are the most potent cancer fighting berries of them all, by nearly 40 percent!
• U-pick Blackberry farms typically sell berries by the pound. A quart equals 1 and 1/2 pounds of fresh berries.
• Do the math and be careful not to over-purchase as Blackberries quickly mold when left at room temperature, and only last a couple of days in the refrigerator.
• You can easily freeze berries that you cannot use right away - just wash, cut the hulls off and pop them into a ziplock bag, removing as much air as possible.  Those vacuum food sealers REALLY do a good job of this! The berries will keep for many months frozen without air.
• Want to go to a blackberry festival? See this page for a list!

 

 

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