2024 Fredericksburg, Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula Pumpkin U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Pumpkin U-Pick Orchards in Fredericksburg, Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula in 2024, by county

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

Not all areas of a state have pumpkins farms 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

Caroline County

• Mount Olympus Berry Farm - Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, melons, tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins and gourds
  23298 Jefferson Davis Highway, Ruther Glen, VA 22546. Phone: (804) 448-0395. Email: mary@mtolympusfarm.com. Open: 9 am to 6 pm, daily, April-October 31. Directions: Located at U.S. 1 in Carmel Church. I-95 exit 104 \(Bowling GreenCarmel Church\). Go west on Route 207 to U.S. Route 1. Turn right \(north\) on U.S. 1. Go approximately one mile. Farm in on the left. . Click here for a map and directions.
  Mount Olympus Berry Farm Facebook page. ; FAX (804) 448-2913, FAX (804) 448-2913 Located at U.S. 1 in Carmel Church. I-95 exit 104 (Bowling Green/Carmel Church). Go west on Route 207 to U.S. Route 1. Turn right (north) on U.S. 1. Go approximately one mile. Farm in on the left Call for current in-season hours.Mount Olympus Farm is a family owned farm located between Richmond and Fredericksburg, VA. You can pick-your-own (PYO) strawberries, blueberries and blackberries. We also take pride in offering a large variety of high quality fresh vegetables including many heirloom varieties. Our garden center has many perennials, herbs, annuals, shrubs, etc. Can't make it to our farm? Look for the Mt. Olympus truck bringing fresh produce to several Northern Virginia producer-only farmer's markets. Farm stand and garden center/nursery with locally-grown fruit and veggies. Jams, jellies, and local honey available. Convenient to Richmond or Northern Virginia areas. Customers welcome to picnic by the lake. Arrange for your daycare or school group to come pick their own pumpkin. Please call for current hours and picking conditions. They also have bulk / wholesale pumpkins. Mt. Olympus Berry Farm Facebook page. (UPDATED: September 20, 2020 JBS)
  Comments from a visitor on July 12, 2011: "Excellent. First visit this weekend & would highly recommend it. We went for U-pick blueberries & blackberries, both of which were available this past weekend. Also have nice farm market., restrooms, picnic area. Not organic, but sustainable. I think they do holiday themed events. A lot of detail on their web page & on Facebook"

Fredericksburg City

• Braehead Farm - strawberries, beans, blackberries, cucumbers, peas, peppers, pumpkins, raspberries (red), summer squash, tomatoes, other vegetables, Honey from hives on the farm, Fresh eggs, picnic area, farm animals, birthday parties, weddings and wedding parties
  1130 Tyler Street, Fredericksburg, VA 22401. Phone: 540-899-9848. Email: Info@braeheadfarm.com. Open: 7 days a week 10 am to 6 pm; Open until 6:30 pm on Saturdays during the Harvest Festival from September 28 to November 3. Directions: Interstate 95 to Route 3 East, go approximately 2 miles to right on Belman Road, right on Tyler Street, farm on the left. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover.
  Braehead Farm Facebook page. Fax: 540-899-9847 If you need to come before 10 Am to beat the heat, just give us a call in advance and we will try to accommodate you! Availability of Pyo: APRIL: Strawberries and could possibly be ready by the end of April! Also pre-picked asparagus in the Market! Asparagus is the only crop we grow that is NOT pick-your-own. MAY: strawberries,JUNE: some strawberries, vegetablesJULY THROUGH SEPTEMBER: Blackberries, Raspberries, tomatoes, vegetables OCTOBER and NOVEMBER: Pumpkins, vegetables, and a few blackberries and raspberries. (UPDATED: November 30, 2015, JBS)

King William County

• Pleasant Fields Farm - blackberries, blueberries, pumpkins, raspberries, strawberries, Honey from hives on the farm, prepicked produce, restrooms
  1765 Nelsons Bridge Road, Hanover, VA 23069. Phone: 804-994-2791. Email: pleasantfields@aol.com. Open: UPDATE FOR 2021: here will not be any pick your own in 2021 Hopefully maybe in 2022; Pick - your - own is available from daylight to dark and Hayrides and Haunted Forest is open Thursdays and Fridays 5pm to 10pm and Saturdays and Sundays 1pm to 10pm. Directions: Route 30 to Dabneys Mill Road; go about 1 mile; Turn right onto Nelsons Bridge Road; Farm will be about a 1 on the right. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard. Pleasant Fields Farm We open in May with pick-your-own Strawberries and our Self-Serve Stand; Then we have Blueberries ,Blackberries and Raspberries; In the fall starting October2 pm to November 1st We have our hayrides and Haunted Forest along with pumpkins and MumsCrops are usually available in April through October(UPDATED: May 04, 2018, JBS)
  Comments from a visitor on August 02, 2009: "My husband and I went picking at Pleasant Fields Farm this morning. Blackberries were plentiful, and raspberries were just beginning to come into season. Blueberries were advertised, but were picked clean. The farm is open from daylight to dark. Today (a Sunday) it was operating on the honor system, and cash or checks could be left for payment. There was a nice farm stand with lots of produce pre=picked: watermelons, corn, butternut squash, zucchini, acorn squash, eggplant, apples, oranges, peaches, cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, a variety of potatoes, lemons, limes, and fresh honey. I don't know how much of it was local (the tomatoes and honey definitely were). No fresh cut flowers available, but we weren't looking for them anyway. There is a restroom available."

Spotsylvania County

• Miller Farms Market - Uses natural growing practices, blackberries, pumpkins, strawberries, Honey from hives on the farm, Fresh eggs, gift shop, picnic area
  12101 Orange Plank Road, Locust Grove, VA 22508. Phone: (540) 850-5009. Email: info@millerfarmsmarket.com. Open: Monday-Saturday: 8 am to 5 pm; closed on: Sundays. Directions: From Orange use route 20 north for 12 miles. Turn right on route 621. Drive 8 miles and we are on the left. From Fredericksburg use route 3 west for 9 miles. Turn left on route 621. Drive 5 miles and we are on the right. Strawberries: Starting May 10 , Blackberries: starting July 1, Pumpkins starting September 15. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard. We also have natural milk products \(milk in glass bottles, yogurt, cheese, ice cream\), and natural meat products\(beef, pork, - truncated. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard.
  Miller Farms Market Facebook page. From Orange use route 20 north for 12 miles. Turn right on route 621. Drive 8 miles and we are on the left. From Fredericksburg use route 3 west for 9 miles. Turn left on route 621. Drive 5 miles and we are on the right. Strawberries: Starting May 10 , Blackberries: starting July 1, Pumpkins starting September 15We also have natural milk products (milk in glass bottles, yogurt, cheese, ice cream), and natural meat products(beef, pork, chicken, lamb, bison). UPDATED: October 19, 2013X)
  Comments from a visitor on July 12, 2011: "We pick strawberries here every year, including this year (we went twice!). That's an excellent farm. Late in the strawberry season, they reduce their prices as the picking gets more scarce. As your listing already says, they do u-pick strawberries & blackberries. They have an outstanding farm market with fresh produce, local meat, dairy, honey, preserves, gifts, plants, etc. They have a picnic & play area, and they're a super nice farm family. Their only down side is that they aren't open on Sundays, which is frequently the only day I have free for a u-pick adventure. That's how we ended up going to Mt. Olympus instead. Both are great places, I would easily recommend either one.". (
  Comments from a visitor on May 26, 2010: "Miller Farms Markets is still up and running, and we will be picking strawberries there this weekend. I'll report back!"

 

Pumpkin

Pumpkin Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

Do you want it for a party, decoration or eating?

For a wedding or party:

See this page: Finding pumpkins for weddings

Decoration to paint or carve:

OK, Then you need only look for any pumpkin that is

• visually appealing, evenly a deep orange. The shape is just whatever appeals to you. If it grew on its side and has a flat spot, you can either make that the make or use it as part of your design!
• free from cuts, soft spots, bruises. The flesh should feel hard, and not give easily. Infections can invade easily and cause rot
• Make sure the stem is attached.

Store it carefully, especially if you pick it from the vine yourself. Cure a fresh-picked pumpkin by keeping it in a dry place. Don't handle or disturb it. Curing toughens the rind, making it less prone to rot. Pumpkins will keep for months in a cool (50 F to 65F dry, low humidity environment; such as a cool, dry basement.

Tip: If you like roasted or baked pumpkin seeds, you can save the seeds from any pumpkin!

To make a pumpkin pie!

Then you need a small, sweet type of pumpkin that has been developed for eating. They are smaller, typically about 8" to 10" diameter. The meat is much less stringy and smoother than a decorative pumpkin variety. Pumpkin is rich in vitamin A and potassium. One-half cup of cooked pumpkin provides more than the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A. One cup of cooked pumpkin contains only 81 calories. It's low in fat and sodium! Usually you can get these at the grocery store, and some of the pumpkin patches and farm stands have them. Be sure to tell them that you intend to use it for a pumpkin pie. Again, look for firm, no soft spots, or signs of any rot. See this page for easy, illustrated directions to make a pumpkin pie from a fresh pumpkin!

Varieties of Pumpkins

• Sugar - Excellent for baking
• Jack O'Lantern - most common for carving
• White Lumina - unusual, medium-sized white pumpkin
• Mini - Great for decoration
• Gourds - Many varieties, used for decorations

For a very complete, detailed list of many varieties of pumpkins and where to get the seeds, see this page!

Want to Grow Your Own Pumpkins?

Then see this page!

Pumpkin recipes

• How to prepare cooked pumpkin from a fresh pumpkin (for use in all the recipes)
• Illustrated instructions to make a pumpkin pie from a fresh pumpkin - the best pumpkin pie you will ever taste! (metric version for the UK, Europe, Australia, Japan, etc.)
• How to home-can pumpkin (in a cooked, cubed form) and why you shouldn't home-can the pureed forms.
• Traditional Pumpkin Pie
• Chocolate pumpkin pie
• Pumpkin Spice Muffins
• Pumpkin muffins
• Pumpkin Bread
• Pumpkin Butter!
• Pumpkin cheesecake - INCREDIBLE!!! You have to try this one!
• Pumpkin Cookies
• Pumpkin soup - even if you normally aren't a soup lover; you will love this one.
• Butternut-Chestnut Panchetta-Bacon Soup - Pumpkin or Butternut squash combines with chestnuts and bacon, ham or panchetta in this great soup
• Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
• No Sugar Pumpkin Pie
• Apple Cider Doughnut Recipe (with maple glaze or sugar glaze)

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