2024 Augusta area of Maine Blackberry U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Blackberry U-Pick Orchards in Augusta area of Maine 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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Androscoggin County

• Verrill's Vegetable Stand - - U-pick strawberries, blackberries.
  270 Bailey Hill Road, Poland, ME . Phone: 207-998-2301. Email: jessica@pivot.net. Open: Call for picking conditions; hours are 8 am to dusk, 7 days. Click here for a map and directions. Verrill's Vegetable StandEmail or verrill1953@wmconnect.com
• Wilbur's Antique Blackberry Farm - blackberries, U-pick and already picked
  Rout 202 And 12 Key Hill Road, Greene, ME 04362. Phone: 207-946-5711. Email: wilbursofgreene@gmail.com. Open: Monday thru Sunday usually 10 am to 4, but call ahead; The Blackberries are usually ripe from July 38 am to August 31. Directions: Off Route 202 on Key Hill Road, look for \Wilbur\'s Antiques. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. US

Kennebec County

• R and L Berry Farm - Pick your own raspberries, highbush blueberries, blackberries, cut flowers, honey from hives on the farm
  Berry Road, Readfield, ME . Phone: 207-685-4709. Email: rlberry@myfairpoint.net. Open: June through October Harvest time 7 am to 7 pm, Monday through Saturday; but in November through May call after 5 pm for product availability. Click here for a map and directions. . Fax. June through October (Harvest time) 7 am to 7 pm, Monday through Saturday; but in November through May call after 5 pm for product availabilityTake Rte 17 to Plains Road, then go 3/10 mile in on right to Berry Road. Watch for far directional signs. Restrooms available. (UPDATED: July 11, 2018, JBS)

Sagadahoc County

• Card's Farm - blackberries, blueberries, raspberries (red), raspberries (Spring, red), raspberries (Autumn, red), raspberries (black), raspberries (Spring, black), rhubarb, U-pick and already picked, Honey from hives on the farm, Maple Syrup from trees on the farm
  195 John Small Road, Bowdoin, ME 04008. Phone: 207-353-4789. Open: Monday to Friday, from 8 am to 7:30 pm; Saturday and Sunday, from 8 am to 7 pm, Usually open after July 4 to week after Labor weekend in September . Directions: Card\'s Fruit Farm on end of the John Small Road, off Route 125 in Bowdoin. From Brunswick, take Route 201 North to Route 125 \(left\), go 3 miles to John Small Road \(right\), one mile to end. From Lewiston, take Groves Street to Bowdoinham Road, go to end Bowdoinham Road, take left on to Route 125, go 1 mile, take first left, on to John Small Road, go one mile to end. Address 195 John Small Road, Bowdoin. Farm is 15 miles from LA, 12 mi Brunswick, 30 mi Portland, 3 mi from exit I295. 207 - truncated. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. Card's Fruit Farm on end of the John Small Road, off Route 125 in Bowdoin. From Brunswick, take Route 201 North to Route 125 (left), go 3 miles to John Small Road (right), one mile to end. From Lewiston, take Groves Street to Bowdoinham Road, go to end Bowdoinham Road, take left on to Route 125, go 1 mile, take first left, on to John Small Road, go one mile to end. Address 195 John Small Road, Bowdoin. Farm is 15 miles from LA, 12 mi Brunswick, 30 mi Portland, 3 mi from exit I295. Pick your own red raspberries and blueberries. Already picked red raspberries, black raspberries, blueberries, peaches, plums, cherries, pears, apples, blackberries, fruit jams, honey, and maple syrup.
  Comments from a visitor on August 12, 2009: "I went recently with a friend and had the most delightful time. The farm also sells regular and low sugar jams, honey, and maple syrup made with ingredients from the farm. Tree ripened peaches and plums are available later in the season. The highlight was the location! There is a beautiful view of the White Mountains from the highest point around, on the top of the "World" hill. "

Waldo County

• Big Birch Farm - Uses natural growing practices, blackberries, blueberries, Fresh eggs, picnic area, petting zoo, farm animals, events at your location (call for info)
  220 Cain Hill Road, Palermo, ME 04354. Phone: (207) 629-8428. Email: bigbirchfarmme@gmail.com. Open: From July 15 through September 1, 2018, open from 8 am until sunset; Seven days a week. Directions: From I-95, Exit 13, Route 3, in Augusta, toward Belfast and Arcadia. Stay on Route 3 \(Belfast Road\) for approximately 23 miles. Approximately 2 miles from Tobey\'s Shell station, Turn left onto Cain Hill Road. approximately one half mile up hill on the right is the blueberry field and farm stand, the rest on on the other side of the road. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. . Alternate Phone: (207) 993-2060 From I-95, Exit 13, Route 3, in Augusta, toward Belfast and Arcadia. Stay on Route 3 (Belfast Road) for approximately 23 miles. Approximately 2 miles from Tobey's Shell station, Turn left onto Cain Hill Road. approximately one half mile up hill on the right is the blueberry field and farm stand, the rest on on the other side of the roadWe use natural practices, but are not seeking organic certificationWe offer a very fresh Farm-to-Fork experience and will pick fresh greens, herbs and vegetables upon your request, if we are able to do so. We can be reached in advance of your visit by text (preferred method), email or calling. Frozen lamb, mutton, goat and chicken sometimes available. (UPDATED: July 17, 2018)

 

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