Pick Your Own Fruit Season at Connecticut Farms

Over the next two weeks, one of our favorite summer activities will be kicking off for the season — pick your own (PYO) fruit! Whether you have a baby, a toddler, or older children, this activity is fun for all ages!

To make sure our readers are ready to go as soon as picking season begins, we wanted to put together a list of all the places we have visited. Below you will find a full list of our OAAM PYO destinations along with the contact information for each farm and orchard.

Now, one of the key ingredients for a successful PYO adventure is to make sure you know what fruits are available when. So, pick your destination and then call them, check their website, and follow them on Facebook to make sure you know the best time to visit.  It can also be helpful to look at a seasonal calendar, so I’ve included one below from a great PYO destination, Lyman Orchards.  As you can see, strawberry season will be starting very soon and then the fruit selection continues from there.

Below is a list of all the great PYO destinations we’ve visited.  Check it out and then let us know where you are planning to go!

Belltown Hill Orchards located in Glastonbury, CT kicks off the season around mid-June with strawberries and sweet cherries.  It then continues with blueberries, peaches, and apples.  Get their latest schedule by calling them at 860-633-2789 or visiting their website or Facebook page.

 

 

 

Bishops Orchards in Guilford, CT has a large variety of PYO offerings including strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, pears and apples.  They also have a farm market, so if you just don’t have time to pick-your-own fruit, you can stop by and purchase some of their already picked fresh offerings.  PYO information can be found on their website, Facebook page, or by calling their 24 hour information line 203.458-PICK (7425).

 

 

Lyman Orchards in Middlefield, CT offers a large variety of PYO fruits including: strawberries, blueberries, jostaberries, peaches/nectarines, raspberries, and pears.  They anticipate that the strawberries at their farm will be ready for picking in the next week!  They are also hosting a strawberry festival on June 14th if you are looking for something extra to enjoy on your visit.  Get their latest crop information by calling 860-349-6015, visiting their website, Facebook page, or by signing up for their PYO alerts.

 

March Farm in Bethlehem, CT has a full growing season.  They start with strawberries in June and then move onto blueberries, peaches and apples.  Like most of the other farms, the best way to stay on top of their PYO calendar is to call them at (203)266-7721, check their website, or follow them on Facebook.  As of June 1st, their animal yard and hayloft playscape are open 7 days a week!  These FREE activities are a fun outing just by themselves.  Add in a little fruit picking, and you have a full morning of adventure.

 

Rose’s Berry Farm is another wonderful PYO destination located in Glastonbury, CT.  They are kicking off their fruit season with the opening of their Sunday morning Breakfast with a View this coming Sunday, June 8th.  You have to get their early to avoid the long lines, but if you live nearby, this is a wonderful weekend family outing.  The fruit picking season at Rose’s starts off with strawberries and raspberries in mid-June followed by blueberries and apples.  This farm offers berry picking at two locations: their farm stand on Hebron Avenue and at the main farm off of Matson Hill Road.  As always, make sure you touch base with the farm before you head out on your PYO adventure.  Contact Rose’s by calling them at 860.633.7467, visiting their website, or following them on Facebook.

 

Scott’s Orchard, which is also located in Glastonbury, CT, starts a little later in the season with PYO blueberries in July.  They then offer peaches, pears and apples.  This destination also has a garden center which might be a great place to pick out a few items to enjoy at home.  While Scott’s does have a website and Facebook page, the best way to find out about their PYO status is to give them a call at 860.633.8681.

 

Scott’s Yankee Farmer located in East Lyme, CT might be the perfect PYO destination for readers in New London County.  Very soon the farm will begin their season with strawberry picking and then move onto raspberries, blueberries, peaches and apples.  Last year we combined an outing here with lunch nearby at Dad’s Restaurant in Niantic, CT.  Get all the latest details on crops by calling them at 860.739.5209, visiting their website, or following them on Facebook.

 

If all this information has you excited to get out and get pickin’, then check out some more helpful hints we provided last year, and start planning your visit. As farms announce the start of their season, we will try to share that information on our Facebook page, but I would also suggest bookmarking this page and using it as a handy reference for the summer!

Oh and we definitely want to check out some new PYO destinations this year, so if you have a favorite, let us know in the comments section below.

 

 

•  4D Vision Gym – A vision training center located in Cromwell, CT where Dr. Juanita Collier, MS, OD and her staff show members how to utilize Vision Therapy to correct visual issues and make learning and playing easier and more fun.
• The Independent Day School – Located on a rural campus in Middlefield, CT this private pre-school, elementary and middle school serves families from over 20 communities.

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Want to keep up with things to do with kids in Connecticut? Check back every Tuesday and Thursday as we dish up more Momsense for getting out and about with your little ones. Don’t have time to check back in? Let us send you an automatic notification of new posts straight to your email inbox by signing up here. Also, you can like us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with the latest posts and get some extra tidbits we share only through those sites.