2024 Omaha and Eastern Nebraska Raspberry U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Raspberry U-Pick Orchards in Omaha and Eastern Nebraska in 2024, by county

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

Douglas County

• Bellevue Berry Farm & Pumpkin Patch - blackberries, Red Raspberries, Strawberries,
  11001 S. 48th Street, Papillion, NE 68133. Phone: 402-331-5500. Email: info@bellevueberryfarm.com. Open: We are open 7 days a week; from 8 am to 4 pm on weekdays and 8 to 2 pm on weekends; See their website for for updated hours and availability. Directions: See their website for directions. Payment: Cash, only. Raspberry Season _The 1st. of July; they will produce all summer and into the fall. The variety is called autumn bliss. They are trickle irrigated and the . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only.
  Bellevue Berry Farm & Pumpkin Patch Facebook page. . . crops are abundant. We also have three rows of blackberries. They are grown organically. The 2013 price is $3 dollars per pound, less that you can find them at the grocery store. There is no admission to the farm during raspberry season. If kids want to use the play area there is a small charge, adults are free. Strawberry Season is typically June and Strawberry season lasts about two weeks. It starts in middle of June. Pick your own strawberries priced by the pound. Also Asparagus is available, may be pyo.

Johnson County

• Hillside Farms - Uses natural growing practices, blackberries, grapes, raspberries, strawberries,
  61330 733 Road, Sterling, NE 68443. Phone: 402-866-2165. Email: c_vermeer@yahoo.com. Open: call for appointment. Directions: 2 12 miles east from Sterling on Highway 41, 1 mile north and 14 mile east. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. , Sterling, NE 68443. . 2 1/2 miles east from Sterling on Highway 41, 1 mile north and 1/4 mile east. Crops are usually available in June, July. Blackberries end of June into July, Strawberries June. We use natural practices, but are not yet certified Organic.

Lancaster County

• Martin's Hillside Orchard - Raspberries, Strawberries, Apples and Peaches, concessions or refreshment stand, picnic area, corn maze, pumpkins brought in from the field, school tours
  2024 Ashland Rd, Ceresco, NE 68017. Phone: 402-665-2140. Open: See their website for for hours and availability. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards . . See their website for directions. Suggested by a visitor, ADDED: May 04, 2011)
  Comments from a visitor on May 04, 2011: "They are a fairly small orchard with mainly apple and peach trees. They grow raspberries and strawberries seasonally and do have a limited amount of pumpkins in October. The owners are very nice and have a large garden area, a sand climbing hill, hay bale mound, corn maize, and tricycle track for the kids. (I'm sure they will be adding more and I could be forgetting something but we've had a good time with my family there both in May for Strawberries and late summer for Apples and Peaches! They were all AMAZING by the way!!"
• Roca Berry Farm - apples, strawberries and raspberries
  RR 1 Box 1, Roca, NE . Phone: 402-421-2933. Email: info@rocaberryfarm.com. Open: Daily; call for latest picking conditions. Directions: Hwy 77 to Roca exit, E 2 mi, 34 mile S on 38th street. Roca Berry Farm is a 240-acre farm that raises strawberries, pumpkins, raspberries and gourds. The strawberry season typically runs from late May through June. Roca Berry Farm accepts Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program \(SFMNP\) coupons. \(Footnote: For more information on the SFMNP contact Christin Kamm at \(402\) 471-6856.\) See us on . Click here for a map and directions.
  Roca Berry Farm Facebook page. . Alternate phone: 402-421-2255. Email . Hwy 77 to Roca exit, E 2 mi, 3/4 mile S on 38th street. is a 240-acre farm that raises strawberries, pumpkins, raspberries and gourds. The strawberry season typically runs from late May through June. accepts Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) coupons. (Footnote: For more information on the SFMNP contact Christin Kamm at (402) 471-6856.) See us on Facebook."
  Comments from a visitor on August 12, 2011: "I have been a faithful patron of the for over five years. While looking for patches in Western Nebraska I noticed the description for RBF didn't truly capture this amazing farm. So I decided I should write a little bio for them and send it on to you. I hope you will find the information useful, and thanks for making this site! "Roca Berry Farm just south of Lincoln features the Harvest Barn where you can find pumpkins (pre-picked or from the field), gourds, squash, and Indian corn, as well as handmade crafts, jams, jellies, salsas, and honey. Inside the farm proper you can spend the day with your family enjoying a hay-rack ride out to the pumpkin patch, a life sized game of Candy Land, watching pig races, or taking a stroll in the corn maze. If all these activities rustle up your appetite grab a snack from one of the many delicious eateries, choose from The Pumpkin Cafe, The Roca Smoke House, Frankie's Funnel Cakes, or The Donut Hut. Whatever you do make sure you grab a bag of their wonderful kettle corn made fresh daily. At night the farm transforms into the Roca Scary Farm (recommended for teens and adults only) featuring a Haunted Hay-rack Ride, the Haunted Manor, and the Psych-O-Path, a terrifying 15 minute walk through haunted woods. Visa and Mastercard are accepted at the Harvest Barn, The Pumpkin Cafe, and The Donut Hut, no checks. Open daily from the last weekend of September until Halloween. "
• Sunwest Farms - asparagus, raspberries (Autumn, red), gift shop, restrooms, picnic area, Bounce house, school tours
  4851 North 84th Street, Lincoln, NE 68507. Phone: 402-464-4633. Email: lincsunwest@aol.com. Open: Asparagus Season End of April to June 10th Monday to Saturday 9 am to 5 pm Sunday 12 pmto 5 pm. Directions: We are located just north of Havelock Avenue on North 84th Street. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, SFMNP Vouchers. . . We also grow field grown Iris plants & daylilies that we sell from our fields.

Otoe County

• Kimmel Orchard & Vineyard - apples, blackberries, cherries, grapes, pumpkins, raspberries, strawberries, Honey from hives on the farm, Cider mill fresh apple cider made on the premises, prepicked produce, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, birthday parties, school tours
  5995 G Road, Nebraska City, NE 68410. Phone: 402-873-5293. Email: eolson@arbordayfarm.org. Open: Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm Saturday 9am to 5pm Sunday 11am to 5pm. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover. . . Wine tastings daily. Walking trails. They have a strawberry festival, too: June 6, 2009 from 9 am to 5 pm

Saunders County

• Martin's Hillside Orchard - Apples, pumpkins, raspberries, strawberries, Christmas trees-you choose and you cut, Christmas trees- you choose and we cut, Christmas wreaths and boughs, pumpkin patch-pick in the field, and prepicked produce
  2024 Ashland Road, Ceresco, NE 68017. Phone: 402-665-2140. Open: Call for hours! Payment: Cash, only. Directions: From Omaha: Take I-80 W towards Lincoln. Take the US-77North 56th St exit \(exit no. 405\); Turn right onto US-77 N; Drive approx. 11 miles to Ashland Road. Left on Ashland Rd and follow signs for two miles. Orchard will be on your right. From Lincoln: From Highway 77 and Cornhusker Hwy: Take Hwy 77 N 15 miles to Ashland Road. Left on Ashland Rd and follow signs for two miles. Orchard will be on your right. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. . From Omaha: Take I-80 W towards Lincoln. Take the US-77/North 56th St exit (exit no. 405); Turn right onto US-77 N; Drive approx. 11 miles to Ashland Road. Left on Ashland Rd and follow signs for two miles. Orchard will be on your right. From Lincoln: From Highway 77 and Cornhusker Hwy: Take Hwy 77 N 15 miles to Ashland Road. Left on Ashland Rd and follow signs for two miles. Orchard will be on your right. click here for a map to our farm. Crops are usually available in May, June, July, August, October. Christmas tree varieties:U-Choose and Cut varieties: White Pine. You Choose and We cut varieties: White Pine.

 

Raspberry Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

Raspberries can produce an early summer crop or  a late summer and Fall crop. In the U.S. Spring / Summer raspberries (called florocanes) typically peak during June in the South, and in July in the North. The primocane varieties, which produce raspberries on shoots that come up each Spring are typically read from August until frost.

In addition to the variety a farm plants, the berries are ready at various times depending the local climate, such as which part of the state you are located. See this page for a list of raspberry festivals around the U.S.

And for those of you from the upper midwest through the west and up to Canada, if you are interested in Thimbleberries, see this page.

Before you leave to go to the farm:

1. Always call before you go to the farm - 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 raspberries, 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 raspberries 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 raspberries

1. Raspberry bushes don't have thorns, but they are a pick prickly, so if you want to hold the stem while picking, a pair of lightweight gloves is helpful.

   Raspberries Nutritional Data
   (fresh)

   Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
   Energy	220 kJ (53 kcal)
   Carbohydrates	11.94 g
   Sugars	4.42 g
   Dietary fiber	6.5 g
   Fat	0.65 g
   Protein	1.2 g
   Vitamins
   Thiamine	(3%) 0.032 mg
   Riboflavin2	(3%) 0.038 mg
   Niacin3	(4%) 0.598 mg
   Pantothenic acid5	(7%) 0.329 mg
   Vitamin B6	(4%) 0.055 mg
   Folate9	(5%) 21 μg
   Choline	(3%) 12.3 mg
   Vitamin C	(32%) 26.2 mg
   Vitamin E	(6%) 0.87 mg
   Vitamin K	(7%) 7.8 μg
   Minerals
   Calcium	(3%) 25 mg
   Iron	(5%) 0.69 mg
   Magnesium	(6%) 22 mg
   Manganese	(32%) 0.67 mg
   Phosphorus	(4%) 29 mg
   Potassium	(3%) 151 mg
   Zinc	(4%) 0.42 mg
   Other constituents
   Water	85.8 g
   Units μg = micrograms � mg = milligrams IU = International units
   Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults. Source:

   
   
2. A ripe raspberry is deep color with a plump, soft but firm feel. It will pull free from the plant with only a slight tug. The center will remain on the plant. Keep in mind, raspberries come in many colors: red, yellow, black, purple, so you want to pick the darker shade of whichever it is.
3. Pick only the berries that are fully ripe. Reach in between the stems to grab for hidden berries ready for harvest. Bend down and look up into the plant and you will find loads of berries that other people missed!
4. I find it helps to hold the stem with one hand, while picking with the other.
5. Repeat these operations using both hands until each holds 3 or 4 berries. Repeat the picking process with both hands.
6. Don't overfill your containers or try to pack the berries down. Ideally, the collection containers should be wide so the pberries aren't more than a few deep.
7. Pick berries into a shallow container. If they get piled too deep they will crush each other.
8. Avoid placing the picked berries 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.

When you get home

1. DON'T wash the berries until you are ready to use them or freeze them.  Washing makes them more prone to spoiling.
2. DO refrigerate! Right after picking, place raspberries in the fridge. If your fridge tends to dry out produce, lightly cover the container.
3. Raspberries don't store for very long, usually just a few days. The reason the ones from the grocery store last longer is they are covered with fungicides!
4. Pour them out into shallow pans and remove any mushed, soft or rotting berries
5. Put a couple of days supply into the fridge, wash  off the others, drain them and freeze them up! (Unless you're going to make jam right away) raspberries are less perishable than blueberries or strawberries, but refrigerate them as soon as possible after picking. Temperatures between 34 F and 38 F are best, but, be careful not to freeze the raspberries (while they are in the fridge)!
6. Even under ideal conditions raspberries will only keep for a week in a refrigerator, so for best flavor and texture, use them as soon as possible after purchase
7. See this page for illustrated freezing instructions.

Raspberry Recipes

1. Now, get ready to make raspberry jam - It is VERY easy - especially with our free
   raspberry jam directions - very easy! or for a jam with a little kick, try raspberry chipotle jam
2. And if you want to freeze them to use later, see my How to freeze berries page.
3. You can also make your own raspberry vinaigrette,
4. See this page for an easy recipe to make raspberry chipotle sauce

 

Raspberry Facts

• Raspberries are a very healthy food; packed with anthocyanins!
• Raspberries contain more vitamin C than oranges, are super high in fibre, lhave a good amount of folic acid, are high in potassium, vitamin A and calcium.
• The USDA says 1 cup of raspberries has about 62 calories.
• 11 cup of raspberries, not packed down weighs about 140 grams.
• An average raspberry has 100 to 120 seeds.
• Select plump, firm, fully raspberries. Unripe berries will not ripen once picked.
• Raspberries belong to a large group of fruits known as brambles, such as blackberries, in the plant genus Rubus.
• Raspberries come in red, yellow, orange, purple and black colors.
• Yellow raspberries are red raspberries that don't make red pigment.)
• In most areas, raspberries begin to bloom in late May or early June.
• Bumblebees, honeybees, and other wild bees love to visit brambles.
• 60-70 pints of fruits can be harvested from 100 feet row.
  Raspberries can be harvested from early summer through fall, usually right up until a freeze
• The United States is the world's third-largest producer of raspberries (FAOSTAT, 2013).
• Production occurs across much of the country, although most of it is concentrated in California, Oregon and Washington. California leads the nation in both black and red raspberry production (NASS, 2015).
• According to the most recent Census of Agriculture, the United States has 8,052 raspberry farms totaling 23,104 acres (Census of Ag, USDA, 2012).
• U-pick raspberry farms typically sell berries by the pound. A quart equals 1 and 1/4 pounds of fresh berries.
• Do the math and be careful not to over-purchase as raspberries 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 go to a raspberry festival? See this page for a list!

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