2024 Northwestern Minnesota Pea U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Pea U-Pick Orchards in Northwestern Minnesota in 2024, by county

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

Not all areas of a state have peas 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.

Norman County

• Garden Hills Farm - Minimizes chemical and pesticide use, beans, corn (sweet), cucumbers, onions, peas, pumpkins, raspberries (red), winter squash, strawberries, tomatoes, other vegetables, U-pick and already picked, porta-potties are available, picnic area
  4334 330th Ave, Fertile, MN 56540. Phone: 218-945-3765. Email: gardenhillsfarm@hotmail.com. Open: Seven days a week during berry season, 7 am to 8 pm. Directions: From Fertile, MN, turn off of MN Highway 32 and go East on Polk County Highway 1, go seven miles, turn right and go three miles south, take a right on Norman County 1 \(330th Avenue\) and go one half mile. There will be a sign at the end of the driveway and at your turn onto 330th Avenue. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. From Fertile, MN, turn off of MN Highway 32 and go East on Polk County Highway 1, go seven miles, turn right and go three miles south, take a right on Norman County 1 (330th Avenue) and go one half mile. There will be a sign at the end of the driveway and at your turn onto 330th AvenueCome the first Saturday in October, 10:00 to 3:00 for our Harvest Festival and free refreshments. We minimize use of pesticides and other chemicalsWe have delicious award winning strawberries and raspberries, grown naturally with insecticides used only as a last resort to preserve our crop. No herbicides are used on our produce. Children are welcome in the berry patch; this is a place for families to come and enjoy together. If you would rather not pick your own berries we will pick them for you. All pre-picked berries are picked that morning for the freshest and best berries! All vegetable produce is pre-picked. Come and ENJOY!. (UPDATED: June 11, 2015, JBS)

 

Pea

Pea Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

Peas (English, Snap peas, Snow Peas, Crowder Peas, etc.) are very easy to grow.  They thrive even in poor soil. In fact, as a legume, pea plants are able to take nitrogen from the air and fix it in nodules in their roots with bacteria to enrich the soil. Whether you grow them yourself or pick them at a PYO farm, or buy them at the market, they're available fresh almost everywhere.

Here's what to look for!

English peas

Pick English Peas when the pod is full and green and the peas are still tender and sweet. Test for maturity frequently by picking a couple of pods and examining them for firmness. Harvest the Chinese and snow peas, which are eaten pod and all, when the pods are 1-1/2 to 2 inches long and the peas are about the size of BB's. The pods are usually picked 5 to 7 days after flowering.

 

Snap Peas - aka, edible-podded peas

Similar to English peas, except the pod itself is also sweet and tender, like the peas inside.

Snow peas, aka Chinese peas

Like snap peas, the pod is edible, except you want to pick them while they are still flat, before the pod starts to swell with peas inside. Harvest Chinese and snow peas, which are eaten pod and all, when the pods are 1-1/2 to 2 inches long and the peas are about the size of BB's.

Specialty Peas

There are many varieties, like purple hulled peas, crowder peas, black-eyed- peas. Each has their followers!

 

When are peas available?

Peas are a cool, even cold weather crop, and can tolerate frost and cold soil. In the U.S. Peas typically peak during February (in the Deep South) through October in the North. Peak season is February through June before the weather gets hot.  Some farms plant a Fall crop too, as they only take 45 to 60 days from the time the seed is planted!

Before you leave to go to the farm:

1. Always call before you go to the farm - it's hard to pick in a muddy field!
2. Most growers furnish picking containers designed for Peas, but they may charge you for them; be sure to call before you go to see if you need to bring containers.
3. 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 while the weather is still cool, but some deet might be good to bring along if it has been rainy.

General Picking Tips

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

Look for Peas that are :

1. firm
2. Bright green (not yellowish!)
3. smooth, shiny pods, not wrinkly on the surface - that's an old or dried out pea.
4. The Peas in the photo at right are, from left:
   - old and yellowing,
   - overripe and lumpy; and
   - dried out and damaged.
5. Avoid placing the picked Peas 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. I prefer to bring a cooler with ice in it. Peas may be kept fresh in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days
6. It is best to shell English peas and either freeze them or use them promptly.

When you get home

1. Put them in the vegetable crisper in the fridge, in a loose plastic bag.
2. Now, get ready to can or freeze the extra Peas - It is VERY easy! Click on the links for easy instructions.
   • How to can Peas
   • How to freeze English peas, Crowder peas and other shelled peas
   • How to freeze snap peas and snow peas
3. Pea shellers - simple inexpensive devices to quickly shell English peas
    

1. 
2. The Peas in the photo at right are, from left:
   - old and yellowing,
   - overripe and lumpy; and
   - dried out and damaged.
3. Avoid placing the picked Peas 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. I prefer to bring a cooler with ice in it. Peas may be kept fresh in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days
4. It is best to shell English peas and either freeze them or use them promptly.

When you get home

1. Put them in the vegetable crisper in the fridge, in a loose plastic bag.
2. Now, get ready to can or freeze the extra Peas - It is VERY easy! Click on the links for easy instructions.
   • How to can Peas
   • How to freeze English peas, Crowder peas and other shelled peas
   • How to freeze snap peas and snow peas
3. Pea shellers - simple inexpensive devices to quickly shell English peas
    

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