2024 Chester County and Delware County, PA Strawberry U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org
Find a pick-your-own farm near you! Then learn to can and freeze! Since 2002! We update continuously; Beware the copycat websites!
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Strawberry U-Pick Orchards in Chester County and Delware County, PA in 2024, by county
Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for strawberries that we know of in this area. Not all areas of any state, nor even every state, have strawberries 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.
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Chester County
Glen Run Valley View Farm - Uses integrated pest management practices, strawberries, pumpkins, winter squash, U-pick
and already picked, porta-potties 280 Lenover Rd, Atglen , PA 19310. Phone: (610) 593-5656. Email:
GlenRunVV@gmail.com. Open: Typical strawberry season is mid - May though mid - June: in season, Monday to Saturday, from 9 am to 7 pm. Click here for current open hours, days and dates. Directions: From Route 41 (at Octorara Area School) go east on Highland Road (0.7 miles), turn left
onto Lenover Road and go 0.6 miles to the farm on right. From Route 10 (in Parkesburg) go west on Route 372 (1.1 miles), turn left onto South Lenover Road
and go 0.9 miles to the farm on left. We use integrated pest management practices. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.
Credit/debit cards (for a small fee.) COVID-19 regulations require masks to be worn when near others. No reservations are required.
Click here for our Facebook page. Glen Run Valley View Farm is a small, family-owned farm and is a wonderful place to visit with your family to find
fresh, sweet strawberries in the Spring, and in the Fall, a bountiful array of pumpkins and decorations. We specialize in home-grown quality and service.
(ADDED: February 02, 2021)
Highland Orchards Farm and Market - apples, apricots,
blackberries, blueberries, cherries, corn (sweet), nectarines, pears,
peaches, plums, pumpkins, raspberries (red), raspberries (Spring, red),
raspberries (Autumn, red), raspberries (black), raspberries (Spring, black),
rhubarb, strawberries, Other fruit or veg, gift shop, concessions or refreshment stand, porta-potties, restrooms, picnic area, picnic area you may bring your own food, face painting, farm animals, birthday parties, school tours,
group reservations 1000 Marshallton Thorndale Road, West Chester, PA
19380. Phone: (610) 269-3494. Email: events@highlandorchards.net. Open: The last shuttle leaves 1 hour prior to Market closing; Fields close 30 mins before Market closing. Click here for current open hours, days and dates. Picking updates:
Click here for picking updates. Directions: From PHILADELPHIA -- King of
Prussia Take Schuykill Expressway West, to 202 South, to Route 30 West, to
Route 340 Thorndale Exit. Turn left off of exit ramp onto Bondsville Rd/
340E. Stay on the road, the road name changes. Go Apx. 6 miles to Highland
Orchards on the right.
click here for a map and directions.
Fall Harvest Weekend Celebrations run September 15 until Halloween; Food
vendors, artisan crafters, and PickYourOwn activities every weekend;. We use
integrated pest management practices (IPM). Payment: Cash, Check, Debit
cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx, SFMNP Vouchers.
Click here for our Facebook page. . No appointment is necessary to pick,
but you might want to call on the day you would like to pick to confirm
picking status. Particularly if driving a distance as conditions can change
daily. You register to pick in our Farm Market before going to the field.
Registration closes at 5pm. We ask that you pay for what you pick.
(UPDATED: May 29, 2018)
Delaware County
Linvilla Orchards - Apples, apricots, blackberries, blueberries,
cherries, corn (sweet), cucumbers, eggplant, grapes, melons, nectarines,
pears, peaches, peppers, plums, raspberries, summer squash, strawberries,
tomatoes, Christmas trees-you choose and you cut, Precut Christmas trees,
Living Christmas trees (to plant later), Christmas wreaths and boughs,
Mistletoe, Santa appearances, Christmas decorations, saws provided, trees
bagged, trees tied, pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, train
rides, corn maze, straw or hay bale maze, child-sized haybale maze, and
prepicked produce, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms,
picnic area, tractor-pulled hay rides, face painting, pony rides, petting
zoo 137 W. Knowlton Road, Media , PA 19063. Phone: 610-876--8796. Email:
info@linvilla.com.
Open: 8am to 6:45pm daily; Last hayride departs at 6pm sharp to begin
picking; The fields will close promptly at 6:45pm; Crop availability changes
quickly due to weather, the number of visitors, how much they pick or the
abundance of a particular crop at any given time. The most up to the minute
picking information is posted on their website.
Click here for picking updates. Directions: From Philadelphia via Interstate 95, Take 95-South to Exit-6 (352 / 320-Widener University)., Follow signs for
352-North., Follow 352-North for approximately 4 miles through Brookhaven
borough., Look for the Pathmark / K-Mart Shopping Center on your right., Continue about 1/2 mile to the next traffic light, which is Knowlton Rd., Turn left onto Knowlton Road - Linvilla Orchards is 3/4 mile on the right.
Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Visa, MasterCard,
Discover. Linvilla Orchards is a 300-acre farm dedicated to agriculture,
entertainment and education. The Farm Market is filled with gourmet foods,
honey, preserves, fresh apple cider, fresh milk and eggs, select cheeses,
premium ice cream, a full line of fresh produce and much more. Our bakery
features fresh baked goods. We offer beautiful annuals and perennials, full
hanging baskets, mountains of mums, fruit trees, shrubs, pines, gardening
gear, pots, mulch and soil in our plant department. If you get hungry lunch
and dinner are available in our bakery or the Linvilla Grill. Our festivals
are tons of fun and focus on our most popular crops: Strawberries,
Blueberries, Tomatoes, Peaches, Sweet Corn and Apples. They feature
children's entertainment, games, contests, music, costumed characters like
Dora, Elmo and Shrek, ice cream sundaes, giant baked goods and Pick-Your-Own
Fruit. Special Events include National Pie Day, our annual fishing derby,
flower festival, antique car show and flea market, Johnny Appleseed arts and
crafts show, Christmas open house and cut-your-own Christmas trees. We
present live music throughout the year featuring Blues, Country and
Children's Music. We offer a variety of programs for groups: School and
Camp Tours, Evening Hayrides with Campfires and Birthday Parties. Linvilla
Orchards also operates two private swim clubs: Knowlton and Hidden Hollow.
Memberships are available. Our Farm Market and Bakery are open all year.
Click here for a link to our Facebook page.
(UPDATED: July 08, 2018, JBS) A visitor writes on October 18,
2014: "THIS PLACE IS HUGE! We picked apples, and raspberries. They offer
other pick your own treats as well. Very Fun. My first visit to the orchard.
Was visiting family where I grew up, did a family outing together at this
place."
Feedback
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:
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!
Leave
early. On weekends, then fields may be picked clean by NOON!
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.
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
Grasp the stem just above the berry between the
forefinger and the thumbnail and pull with a slight twisting motion.
With the stem broken about one-half inch from
the berry, allow it to roll into the palm of your hand.
Repeat these operations using both hands until
each holds 3 or 4 berries.
Carefully place - don't throw - the fruit into
your containers. Repeat the picking process with both hands.
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:
Be careful that your feet and knees do not
damage plants or fruit in or along the edge of the row.
Pick only the berries that are fully red. Part
the leaves with your hands to look for hidden berries ready for harvest.
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.
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.
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.
For interesting and fun strawberry facts and
trivia from the California Strawberry Commission,
click
here!
When you get home
DON'T wash the berries until you are ready to use them. Washing
makes them more prone to spoiling.
Pour them out into shallow pans and remove any mushed, soft or rotting
berries
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.
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.
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.
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