2024 Salem and Marion County Oregon Corn U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Corn U-Pick Orchards in Salem and Marion County Oregon in 2024, by county

Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for corn that we know of in this area. Not all areas of any state, nor even every state, have corn 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.

Marion County

• Boones Ferry Berry Farm - blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, corn (sweet), loganberries, marionberries, other berries, raspberries (red), raspberries (Spring, red), raspberries (Autumn, red), raspberries (yellow), raspberries (Spring, yellow), raspberries (Autumn, yellow), strawberries, U-pick and already picked, farm market, gift shop, porta-potties are available, picnic area
  19602 Boones Ferry Road NE, Hubbard, OR 97032. Phone: 503-678-5871. Email: berries@boonesberry.com. Open: Monday to Saturday, from 9 am to 6 pm; Closed Sunday; May - August. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, WIC Vouchers.
  Boones Ferry Berry Farm Facebook page. . Hood strawberries, Albion strawberries, Totem strawberries. We are the Snegirev family: Growing and selling Oregon strawberries, Marion berries, Blueberries, and Raspberries right from our farm in Aurora Oregon since 1993. We offer several you-pick (u-pick) berry fields that you and your family can come out and pick as much of any of our berries our farm has to offer. You can easily find our berries for sale at Wholesale foods under our beautiful "Boones Ferry Berry Farms" branded boxes. "These berries are amazing" -Quote by the Wholefoods produce buyer.s Facebook page.
  Comments from a visitor on August 05, 2011: "I love Oregon berries. I grew up picking all types of berries from Strawberries, Marion berries, and all types of blackberries. Waking up 4 in the morning since I was 6 years old. So I know how much hard work goes behind growing delicious Oregon berries here in the Willamette valley.s has to have the best berries I have ever tasted. Not only was their very first pick nice a ripe, but every strawberry, marionberry, blue berry looked as though it was the very first berry from the first harvest (aka: first pick). The berries are not only aesthetically pleasing but are still as delicious and sweet as the first picks berries. Trust me, once you eat one berry, your mouth will "water" for more:)"
• Ernst Family Farms - corn (sweet), peaches, U-pick and already picked, restrooms
  3118 Horseshoe Lake Road, Saint Paul, OR 97137. Phone: 503-633-4355. Open: Mid to late August to early September Monday to Sunday 9am to 4pm. Directions: Follow the signs to Street Paul, go west a mile and a half on Blanchet Avenue at the Ernst Irrigation store, follow road as it turns into Horseshoe Lake Road \(sign not posted\), Stand and Orchard are at the bottom of a small hill, stand has red tin roof, surrounded by grass fields. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. . Follow the signs to Street Paul, go west a mile and a half on Blanchet Avenue at the Ernst Irrigation store, follow road as it turns into Horseshoe Lake Road (sign not posted), Stand and Orchard are at the bottom of a small hill, stand has red tin roof, surrounded by grass fields.
• Fordyce Farm - U-pick Strawberries, black currants, gooseberries, Blueberries, Kotataberries, Autumn pumpkin patch and corn maze
  7023 Sunnyview Road NE, Salem, OR 97305. Phone: 503-362-5105. Email: fordyce.farm.info@gmail.com. Open: from mid May- end of October. Click here for a map and directions.
  Fordyce Farm Facebook page. . Alternate phone: 503-362-0132. . Season: Open June-July, 9:00 to 6:00, Monday through Saturday for a full season of berries, vegetables, baked goods, and lots of other good things; Blue & Kotata 7:30-3. We are a family owned berry farm offering a wide variety of u-pick and already picked fruits and vegetables. We have a store, bakery, display garden, beautiful perennial plants, pumpkin patch, and corn maze. We are open
  Comments from a visitor on June 13, 2011: "Fordyce Farm will have u-pick strawberries after June 20, 2011"
• French Prairie Gardens - Pumpkins, 2 acre pick-your-own pumpkin patch, pig races, obstacle course, hayrides, huge hay & pig shaped corn mazes, farm animals, toddler play area, Kid\'s Corral, gourds, Indian corn, squash, corn stalks, fresh pressed apple cider
  17673 French Prairie Road, Saint Paul, OR 97214. Phone: 503-633-8445. Email: info@FPGardens.com. Open: See website for current hours, October Hours: Tues-Saturday from 9-6, Sun 10-5, Mon Closed. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Credit Card welcome.
  French Prairie Gardens Facebook page. . Admission weekdays $5.50, weekends $6.50. Restrooms available for customers, picnic area and food available for purchase. Spring Strawberry Festival Father's Day weekend, offer U-pick Strawberries, hayrides, farm animals, hay slide along with admission. Admission doesn't include the price of fruit picked. Facebook page. Visit our new bakery for home made berry, apple and pumpkin pies, scones, coffee cake, or muffins (all made from scratch without any fillers), and Jams & Syrups. Gift Packages available for all occasions. Fruits and vegetables already picked. Summer CSA subscriptions available. Spring Flowering annuals in both baskets, planters, and bedding plants. At you will enjoy fresh air, aromatic fragrances of beautiful flowers, the sights and sounds of a working farm, and an easy going pace all around you. We are open during the spring, summer, and fall seasons, we also host many special events such as company picnics, birthday parties, weddings and large family reunions. Visit our farm in the spring and you will find our garden center filled with flowering annuals, perennials and our hanging baskets are always a visitor favorite. Stop by in June and you are sure to enjoy our Berries, Brews and BBQ's event on the farm including live music, craft brews/cider, and tractor loads of fun! Of course, in the fall it is pumpkin patch season and that means pumpkins on the farm. Our pumpkin patch is a youngster's delight and we catch the occasional adult grin in the patch. No matter the season, our focus is a fun country atmosphere and experience that the whole family can enjoy- Farm fun for the whole family!
• Harpole's Produce - apples, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, boysenberries, broccoli, corn (sweet), cucumbers, flowers, grapes, marionberries, melons, onions, other berries, peas, peaches, peppers, plums, pumpkins, raspberries, summer squash, winter squash, strawberries, tomatoes, other vegetables, farm animals
  8071 Mount Angel Hwy NE, Silverton, OR 97381. Phone: 503-873-4182. Email: melodyharpole@gmail.com. Open: 7 days a week. Directions: From Salem: Take Silverton road towards Silverton - Turn left on Brush creek road, turn right on Hazelgreen road, turn left on Mount Angel Hwy NE. Farm is about 2 12 mile on left. Fruit stand is visible from the road with flower, plants, and fruit. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. . From Salem: Take Silverton road towards Silverton - Turn left on Brush creek road, turn right on Hazelgreen road, turn left on Mount Angel Hwy NE. Farm is about 2 1/2 mile on left. Fruit stand is visible from the road with flower, plants, and fruit. Crops are usually available in April through November. Usually staffed, but if not then a can is bolted to the stand and the honor system is in place. (UPDATED: June 27, 2016, JBS)
  Comments from a visitor on June 13, 2011: " has u-pick strawberries at 75 cents per pound. Harpole's also has you-pick raspberries $1/lb right now. They're just starting to come on. They also still have strawberries, but from the looks of things, only another 2 weeks before they're finished up. "
• Willamette Valley Fruit Company - Strawberries, Blueberries, Marionberries, Raspberries and other fruit, U-Pick or pre-picked, Corn Maze, & Pumpkin Patch;
  2994 82nd Avenue NE, Salem, OR 97305. Phone: 503-362-8857. Email: info@wvfco.com. Open: call or see their website. Directions: 5 miles east of Salem. . Click here for a map and directions. . Click here for a map, directions, & hours. Our Farm Store has delicious Pies, Scones, Smoothies, Frozen fruit and more! Restrooms, picnic area, birthday parties, & school tours of our Pie Production and Processing Facilities. Fall Harvest Festival, Corn Maze, & Pumpkin Patch. Visit our website for more info. The best from our land to your hands! Come see us!

 

 

Choosing and Picking Corn

Corn reaches it's peak sweetness and flavor when the kernels are full, and just touching each other, like a good set of teeth!  They should not be bloated and smushed so tightly that there is no space left at all. The bloated overripe ears will have a bland, starchy taste.

Here's what to look for:

• The tips of the silks coming out of the ear should be a light brown.
•  If you break a kernel with your fingernail, the liquid should be slightly milky in color.
•  The ears should be filled out and have developed good girth but not bloated.

Harvesting

 To harvest, snap off the ears by hand with a quick, firm, downward push; then twist and pull.
 Avoid twisting or yanking the ears, as this can damage the stalk or the ear itself.

Storing the corn

Corn is at its prime eating quality on the stalk for only 72 hours before becoming over mature. The most important factor is cooling it as soon as possible after harvesting it.  Get it into the fridge or cover it with ice! Many farmers say you should remove the shucks right away, too.  I've found that removing most of the shuck, but leaving a few leaves to cover each ear is best to prevent the kernels from drying out.  See this page for more about storing corn before using it.

Cooking:

The worst mistake people make is overcooking corn.  In fact, corn isn't really cooked; it's just heated up. If you cook it form more than a few minutes (3 minutes), then you are simply breaking down the sugars and turning a nice, crisp sweet ear into bland mush. It's not a pot roast; the purpose of heating it is NOT to break down the cells, just to heat them to bring out the flavor and melt the butter!

Here's how to cook the corn:

1. Fill a large pot (large enough so the shucked ears can fit inside, laying down) about 2/3 full of water and start bring it to a boil
2. Shuck the ears, and snap off the stalk end and the very tip of ear (especially if you will use "corn stickers" , (handles) to hold the ears.
3. When everyone is sitting down at the table and you are serving the rest of the meal, put the corn in the boiling water and set the time for 3 minutes.
4. After 3 minutes, using tongs, retrieve the ears and serve them with butter (Corn boats are wonderful for corn!

 

Freezing Corn

You can easily freeze the sweet corn and have that great taste in the dead of winter! 

• Freezing whole ears of corn on the cob
• Freezing corn, cut off the cob

Canning Corn

This too, is easy... but it DOES require a Pressure Canner.  You cannot safely do this with a water bath canner.  Food poisoning is no joke!

• Here is how to can corn!
•  how to make canned creamed corn.
• Southern Chow-Chow (also called Piccalilli)
• Pickled corn relish

Other corn recipes

• How to make sweet corn ice cream
• Corn bread, or sweet corn muffins (like Chi Chi's)

• Corn fritters (a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch breakfast

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