2025 Capital Region (aka Hudson Valley) of New York State Strawberry U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Strawberry U-Pick Orchards in Capital Region (aka Hudson Valley) of New York State in 2025, by county

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

Not all areas of a state have strawberries 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

Albany County

• Altamont Orchards, Inc - U Pick strawberries, apples, pumpkins,
  6654 Dunnsville Road, Altamont, NY 12009. Phone: 518-861-6515. Email: info@altamontorchards.com. Open: 9:30 am to 6 pm, daily; call to verify on pyo crops. Directions: NY Thruway I-87 to Exit 24 to Route 20 West, 10 miles to Route 397, left on Route 397, 1 mile on left. There is PICK YOUR OWN APPLES, weekends in the fall, starting September 8, 2005, from 10am to 4PM. PYO 2005 Prices: $.50 per lb \\\\(12 bushel $10.00\\\\). The Pick Your Own \\\\(PYO\\\\) Fields are located on Rt. 146 in Altamont. About 1 12 miles before the Altamont Fair entrance. . Click here for a map and directions.
  Altamont Orchards, Inc Facebook page. There is PICK YOUR OWN APPLES, weekends in the fall, starting September 8, 2005, from 10am to 4PM. PYO 2005 Prices: $.50 per lb (1/2 bushel $10.00). The Pick Your Own (PYO) Fields are located on Rt. 146 in Altamont. About 1 1/2 miles before the Altamont Fair entrance. . Strawberries: usually finish by the beginning of July; Please bring your own containers, and the 2005 strawberries pyo prices were $1.35/lb. The Pick Your Own (PYO) Fields are located on Route 146 in Altamont. About 1 one half miles before the Altamont Fair entrance. For more directions click here! (UPDATED: May 15, 2025, JBS)
• Stanton's Feura Farm - strawberries, raspberries, apples and pumpkins
  210 Onesquethaw Creek Road, Feura Bush, NY 12067. Phone: (518) 768-2344. Email: feurafarm@aol.com. Open: Click here for current open hours, days and dates. Directions: From NYS Thruway Exit 23 take Route 9W south to Route 32. Follow Route 32 south 1 mile past the village of Feura Bush and make a slight right onto Onesquethaw Creek Road The farm is 1 mile down the road. Payment: Cash, only. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only.
  Stanton's Feura Farm Facebook page. Follow Route 32 south 1 mile past the village of Feura Bush and make a slight right onto Onesquethaw Creek Road The farm is 1 mile down the road. Availability of crops: Strawberries, Mid June , Raspberries, Early September , Apples, Mid September , Pumpkins, October. We also grow many more fresh market crops .

Rensselaer County

• Best Berry Farm - U Pick Apples and strawberries
  1078 Best Road Box 142 B, East Greenbush, NY 12061. Phone: 518-286-0607. Open: see their page. Click here for a map and directions. (UPDATED: May 15, 2025, JBS)
• Engelke Farm - Strawberries, blackberries, melons, tomatoes, other vegetables, Pumpkins, Pre cut Christmas trees, picnic area, corn maze, pumpkin patch in the field, pumpkins brought in from the field, ziplines, petting zoo, farm animals, birthday parties, weddings and wedding parties, school tours
  463 Garfield Road, Troy, NY 12180. Phone: 518-478-4939. Email: Engelkefarm@yahoo.com. Open: all year 7 days a week Hours vary depending on season. Directions: See their website for directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, WIC Vouchers . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, WIC Vouchers .
  Engelke Farm Facebook page. . (UPDATED: May 15, 2025, JBS)
  Comments from a visitor on October 25, 2011: "The kids ask to go back at least once a week! They do not spray their crops Their animals are soo funny and adorable! Fantastic place for a family fun day They also have one of the longest ZIP LINES in New York!!! "
• Stanton's Feura Farm - strawberries, raspberries, apples and pumpkins
  210 Onesquethaw Creek Road, Feura Bush, NY 12067. Phone: (518) 768-2344. Email: feurafarm@aol.com. Open: Click here for current open hours, days and dates. Directions: From NYS Thruway Exit 23 take Route 9W south to Route 32. Follow Route 32 south 1 mile past the village of Feura Bush and make a slight right onto Onesquethaw Creek Road The farm is 1 mile down the road. Payment: Cash, only. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only.
  Stanton's Feura Farm Facebook page. Follow Route 32 south 1 mile past the village of Feura Bush and make a slight right onto Onesquethaw Creek Road The farm is 1 mile down the road. Availability of crops: Strawberries, Mid June , Raspberries, Early September , Apples, Mid September , Pumpkins, October. We also grow many more fresh market crops . (UPDATED: May 15, 2025, JBS)
• Strawberry Acres - strawberries, pumpkins
  3625 State Route 67, Buskirk, NY 12028. Phone: (518) 686-9390. Open: daily from 8 am to 8 pm; strawberries typically start in June, call for availability. Click here for a map and directions. Pick your own and ready picked. Local strawberry farm reopened in 2013 after being closed for 20 years. We take pride in serving customers with the finest berries and field conditions. (UPDATED: May 15, 2025, JBS)
• Swartz Farm - pick your own strawberries and pick your own pumpkins, corn maze
  1532 Eleanor Dr, Castleton, NY 12033. Phone: 518-732-7420. Email: swartzdairyandproduce@gmail.com. Click here for a map and directions.
• The Farm at Kristy's Barn - apples, blackberries, currants (red and black), peaches, pumpkins, raspberries (red), raspberries (Spring, red), raspberries (Autumn, red), raspberries (black), raspberries (Spring, black), raspberries (Autumn, black), strawberries, Turkeys, Honey from hives on the farm, Fresh eggs, Cider mill fresh apple cider made on the premises, restrooms, picnic area, petting zoo, school tours
  2385 Brookview Road, Castleton, NY 12033. Phone: (518) 477-6250. Email: kristysbarncsa@gmail.com. Open: Berry picking, July and August, call for details peaches in mid-August, Apple picking, September through mid November depending. Directions: Exit 10 off I-90 Head in the direction of the gas stations Straight through the traffic light Turn left at the end of the road We are on the right. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover.
  The Farm at Kristy's Barn Facebook page. . We are a family run, low spray, no spray farm feeding capital district families since 1910. Kristys is a farm and farm market providing a full line of flowers, fruits, vegetables, pies, cider, doughnuts, jams, honey and syrups. Tours U-Pick, hayrides, and more. We're a friendly farm market established in 1912, and just ten minutes from Albany! Kristy's Barn is full of quality fruits and produce, most of which are grown on our 300+ acre farm. We are a Low spray, No spray farm, which means we spray our crops ONLY when we absolutely NEED to, and when we do, we spray minimally. We do this for our consumer's health, as well as for the safety and health of the environment, and the creatures we share it with! Typical U-Pick season is: Strawberries - Early June through July 4th, Red Raspberries - 1st week in July through mid August, Black Raspberries - 2nd week in July through mid August, Currants - mid July through mid August, Apples - Ear..

Schenectady County

• Buhrmaster Family Farm - U Pick strawberries, Blueberries, raspberries, pre-cut Christmas trees
  189 Saratoga Road, Route 50, Scotia, NY 12302. Phone: 518-399-5931. Email: buhrmasterfarms@gmail.com. Open: Saturday and Sunday 9 am to 6 pm; Monday to Friday 9 am to 6:30 pm. Click here for a map and directions.
  Buhrmaster Family Farm Facebook page. Strawberry Patch Our "Pick Your Own" Strawberry Patch is open from mid-June through August. Blueberries and raspberries in July. Family owned and operated since 1946, s never fails to produce the most delicious fruits and vegetables, and pick your own strawberries, along with the area's most beautiful selection of fresh flowers. An farm, we also provide garden supplies and premium landscaping mulch including, red mulch, black mulch, cedar mulch, bark mulch, screened organic compost, garden soil and topsoil for delivery or pick-up.And a Farm Market. . Family owned farm featuring CSA Program, Farm Stand, Fruit, Vegetables, PYO Strawberries, Flowers. Your local source for organic goodness! (UPDATED: May 15, 2025, JBS)

 

Strawberry

Strawberry Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

In the U.S. strawberries typically peak during April in Florida and Texas, May in the deep South, and in early June in middle sections and later June in the far North and Canada. Keep in mind that 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 strawberries, producers depend on ideal spring weather conditions. 

Before you leave to go to the farm:

1. Always call before you go to the farm - strawberries are affected by weather (both rain and cooler temperature) more than most crops. 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 strawberries, 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 strawberries 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 Strawberries

1. Grasp the stem just above the berry between the forefinger and the thumbnail and pull with a slight twisting motion.

2. With the stem broken about one-half inch from the berry, allow it to roll into the palm of your hand.

3. Repeat these operations using both hands until each holds 3 or 4 berries. 

4. Carefully place - don't throw - the fruit into your containers. Repeat the picking process with both hands.

5. Don't overfill your containers or try to pack the berries down.

General Picking Tips

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

1. Be careful that your feet and knees do not damage plants or fruit in or along the edge of the row.
   
2. Pick only the berries that are fully red. Part the leaves with your hands to look for hidden berries ready for harvest.
   
3. To help the farmers, also remove from the plants berries showing rot, sunburn, insect injury or other defects and place them between the rows behind you. If they are left in the plants, the rot will quickly spread to other berries.
   
4. Berries to be used immediately may be picked any time, but if you plan to hold the fruit for a few days, try to pick in the early morning or on cool, cloudy days. Berries picked during the heat of the day become soft, are easily bruised and will not keep well.
   
5. Avoid placing the picked berries in the sunshine 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. Strawberries may be kept fresh in the refrigerator for two or three, 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.
   
6. For interesting and fun strawberry facts and trivia from the California Strawberry Commission, click here!

When you get home

1. DON'T wash the berries until you are ready to use 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 and cut the caps (green tops) off the others and freeze them up! (Unless you're going to make jam right away) See this page about how to freeze strawberries.
4. If you like the strawberries you picked, ask the farm what variety they planted, and not the weather conditions the week or two before. The flavor of a strawberry is affected by the variety, the weather and the degree of ripeness when picked.
5. Now, get ready to make strawberry jam. It is VERY easy - especially with our free strawberry jam instructions - they're illustrated and easy.

Strawberry Recipes, Canning and Freezing Strawberries

• How to freeze strawberries!
• Strawberry jam (with pectin) (uses less sugar or honey and less cooking)
• Strawberry jam (without pectin) (requires much more sugar and cooking)
• Strawberry (and other berry) jams without sugar
• Strawberry jelly
• Strawberry-rhubarb jam!
• Homemade strawberry ice cream (regular, low fat, nonfat, low sugar, vanilla and even gelato)
• Canning strawberries
• Make gourmet chocolate-covered strawberries
• How to make fruit juice -  strawberry and other berries
• Strawberry pie filling
• Strawberry pie
• Easy Rhubarb-Strawberry pie
• Fig-strawberry jam
• Fig-strawberry jam, made with Jello gelatin

Strawberry Facts, Measurements and Tips

• Picking the best strawberries: Select firm, fully red berries. Strawberries DO NOT continue ripen after they are picked! In the photo, only the berry on the far right is completely ripe.
• Strawberry festivals: Most areas that grow strawberries have a strawberry festival, at which you can taste all kinds of fresh strawberry foods, pies, jams, cakes - and most commonly, fresh strawberry shortcake.  To find out where and when there is one near you, see this page for a list of strawberry festivals, sorted by state!
• Strawberries measurements: government agriculture websites tell us that
  1 quart = 2 pints = 4 cups and is about the same as 1 liter and
  1 quart of fresh strawberries weighs 1 lbs to 1.25 lbs (or 450 to 600 g). Of course, the weight varies on variety and weather conditions. 
  1 quart is normally enough for 4 servings, although I'll admit my son can eat 1 pint by himself!
• How much to pick? In general, 1 quart of fresh, whole, just-picked strawberries = approximately 3.5 cups hulled, whole berries. In other words, removing the caps/hulls and the occasional mushy berry means you lose 1/4 cup to 1/2 (it depends how much fruit you remove with the hull) or about 7 to 12% of every quart you pick.
• One cup of strawberries contains only about 50 calories
• U-pick strawberries are much healthier than store-bought.  Consumer reports says store bought strawberries have so many pesticide and fungicide residues on they, that they don't recommend you eat them at all!
• U-pick strawberry farms typically sell berries by the pound. 1 lbs of fresh strawberries is about 2/3 of a quart.
• It takes about  10 to 15 minutes to pick a quart, if the berries are reasonably plentiful
• The strawberry plant adapts to wide variety of soil conditions, but does not tolerate drought well, and the berries quickly rot if the weather is rainy. For this reason, the plants are usually grown on raised beds through plastic mulch!
• Cultivation of strawberries began in Europe in the 1300's, but the berry only became very popular in the early 1900's in California.
• Do the math and be careful not to over-purchase as strawberries 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 grow your own strawberries?  Here's an article about how to: Strawberries are an Excellent Fruit for the Home Garden, HYG-1424-98!
• See this page for many more fun and interesting strawberry facts, nutritional information and trivia

Other weird strawberry facts

• Strawberries are the only fruit with seeds on the outside.
• Strawberries were originally called strewberries because the fruit was 'strewn' amongst the leaves of the plant.
• California is king of strawberry productions because: California produces 75 percent of the nation's strawberry crops; one billion pounds of strawberries each year.  If all the strawberries produced in California in one year were laid berry to berry, they would go around the world 15 times. Each acre of land in California in strawberry production produces an average of 21 tons of strawberries annually, with a total of 23,000 acres of strawberries planted in California each year.

More conversions

1 pint (2 cups)  of fresh whole strawberries

• = about 8 oz (1/2 lb) of strawberries
• = 2.25 cups of sliced strawberries
• = 1 cup pureed strawberries
• = 12-14 large strawberries

2 quarts of fresh strawberries are needed for a 9" pie

A 10 oz package of frozen berries is about the same as 1 cup of sliced fresh strawberries

References:

• University of Illinois Extension
• Driscolls
• Ohio State University Extension
• Strawberries-Average retail price per pound and per cup equivalent

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