2024 Chester County and Delaware County, Pennsylvania Blackberry U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Blackberry U-Pick Orchards in Chester County and Delaware County, Pennsylvania 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.

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

Chester County

• Highland Orchards Farm and Market - apples, apricots, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, corn (sweet), nectarines, pears, peaches, plums, pumpkins, raspberries (red), raspberries (Spring, red), raspberries (Autumn, red), raspberries (black), raspberries (Spring, black), rhubarb, strawberries, Other fruit or veg, gift shop, concessions or refreshment stand, porta-potties, restrooms, picnic area, picnic area you may bring your own food, face painting, farm animals, birthday parties, school tours, group reservations
  1000 Marshallton Thorndale Road, West Chester, PA 19380. Phone: (610) 269-3494. Email: events@highlandorchards.net. Open: The last shuttle leaves 1 hour prior to Market closing; Fields close 30 mins before Market closing. Directions: From PHILADELPHIA -- King of Prussia Take Schuykill Expressway West, to 202 South, to Route 30 West, to Route 340 Thorndale Exit. Turn left off of exit ramp onto Bondsville Rd 340E. Stay on the road, the road name changes. Go Apx. 6 miles to Highland Orchards on the right. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx, SFMNP Vouchers.
  Highland Orchards Farm and Market Facebook page. Picking updates: Click here for picking updatesFrom PHILADELPHIA -- King of Prussia Take Schuykill Expressway West, to 202 South, to Route 30 West, to Route 340 Thorndale Exit. Turn left off of exit ramp onto Bondsville Rd/ 340E. Stay on the road, the road name changes. Go Apx. 6 miles to Highland Orchards on the rightFall Harvest Weekend Celebrations run September 15 until Halloween; Food vendors, artisan crafters, and PickYourOwn activities every weekend;. We use integrated pest management practices (IPM). No appointment is necessary to pick, but you might want to call on the day you would like to pick to confirm picking status. Particularly if driving a distance as conditions can change daily. You register to pick in our Farm Market before going to the field. Registration closes at 5pm. We ask that you pay for what you pick. (UPDATED: May 29, 2018)
• Vollmecke Orchards & CSA - blackberries, red raspberries (Note: You MUST become a member of their CSA to pick here!)
  155 Cedar Knoll Road, Coatesville, PA 19320. Phone: 610-383-4616. Email: vollmeckecsa@hotmail.com. Open: Tuesday: 3:30 pm to 7 Pm; Friday: 3:30 pm to 7 Pm; Late May through Mid-November. Click here for a map and directions.
  Vollmecke Orchards & CSA Facebook page. We grow all of our vegetables naturally, without synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, genetically modified organisms or sewage sludge. We use crop rotation, cover crops and compost extensively to enrich our soil so it will support a teeming soil biology that, in turn, supports healthy plants. We describe this as "growing naturally." Vollmecke Orchards and CSA Facebook page. A few crops will be designated as PYO (Pick-Your-Own), such as cut flowers, blackberries, red raspberries and peas.

Delaware County

• Ablin Acre - apples, blackberries, grapes, pears, peaches, summer squash, tomatoes, Cider mill (fresh apple cider made on the premises)
  1882 Larkin Road, Boothwyn, PA 19061. Phone: 610-494-0987. Email: abport62@gmail.com. Open: Each Friday 9am to 3pm June 15 thru October 31 beginning 2016. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check.
• Indian Orchards - Uses natural growing practices, apples, apricots, beans, blackberries, blueberries, carrots, figs, melons, nectarines, pears, peas, peaches, peppers, plums, pumpkins, raspberries (red), raspberries (black), summer squash, winter squash, tomatoes, Honey from hives on the farm, Cider mill fresh apple cider made on the premises, restrooms, picnic area, picnic area you may bring your own food, birthday parties, weddings and wedding parties, school tours, group reservations
  27 Copes Ln, Media, PA 19063. Phone: (610) 564-0794. Email: indian.orchards.farm@gmail.com. Open: Monday to Sunday, from 10 am to 6 pm. Directions: 27 Copes Ln, right off of PA-352, which connects with I-95 and US-1. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.
  Indian Orchards Facebook page. Already picked or Pick your own fruit--July thru November Our Fruits and vegetables are grown using organic techniques, natural, sustainable, minimally sprayed; we also use IPM or integrated pest management as well. Typical, average, approximates Harvest dates (call before you go!) : June: RaspberriesJuly: blueberries, raspberries, peaches, blackberries, vegetables (including bell peppers, cucumbers, and hot peppers - tomatoes show up sometime in July)Indian Orhcards Pick your own raspberriesAugust: blackberries, plums, nectarines, peaches, pears, apples, vegetables (tomatoes have definitely joined the veggie crowd) September: raspberries, blackberries, peaches, plums, nectarines, pears, apples, pawpaws, vegetablesOctober: Cider, Organic Apples, Pumpkins & Mums at the farmstand. Raspberries, pears, *apples (available at farmstand, but see note above - PYO apples are done for 2017), persimmons November: Apples and cider (freshly pressed, on-site weekly!), pumpkinsDecember: Christmas trees & holly (we cut Christmas trees in advance, or you can select your own and have us cut it for you) (UPDATED: July 14, 2016)
• Linvilla Orchards - Apples, apricots, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, corn (sweet), cucumbers, eggplant, grapes, melons, nectarines, pears, peaches, peppers, plums, raspberries, summer squash, strawberries, tomatoes, Christmas trees-you choose and you cut, Precut Christmas trees, Living Christmas trees (to plant later), Christmas wreaths and boughs, Mistletoe, Santa appearances, Christmas decorations, saws provided, trees bagged, trees tied, pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, train rides, corn maze, straw or hay bale maze, child-sized haybale maze, and prepicked produce, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, tractor-pulled hay rides, face painting, pony rides, petting zoo
  137 W. Knowlton Road, Media, PA 19063. Phone: . Email: info@linvilla.com. Open: 8am to 6:45pm daily; Last hayride departs at 6pm sharp to begin picking; The fields will close promptly at 6:45pm; Crop availability changes quickly due to weather, the number of visitors, how much they pick or the abundance of a particular crop at any given time. Directions: From Philadelphia via Interstate 95, Take 95-South to Exit-6 \(352 320-Widener University\)., Follow signs for 352-North., Follow 352-North for approximately 4 miles through Brookhaven borough., Look for the Pathmark K-Mart Shopping Center on your right., Continue about 12 mile to the next traffic light, which is Knowlton Rd., Turn left onto Knowlton Road - Linvilla Orchards is 34 mile on the right. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover.
  Linvilla Orchards Facebook page.

 

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