Waikato area of New Zealand U-Pick Farms - 2024 PickYourOwn.ORG

Looking for a local, pick-your-own farm in Waikato area of New Zealand? Scroll down this page and you will see the U-Pick farms in Waikato area of New Zealand, sorted by county. Those that offer organic or sustainably grown produce are identified by the words "organic" and/or "sustainable" in Green, next to their name  (see "What does Organic mean?"). The U-pick crops they offer follow the name of the farm. To search the page for a specific crop, use Ctrl-F (or on an ipad or Mac, use their "search on this page" function) If they have a website, the name will be in blue and underlined; click on it and it will open their website. If you find anything outdated or inaccurate, see the customer and farmer menus (as appropriate) at the top menu bar to submit updates and corrections and help me keep each current!

New! As inflation remains high, see this page for reliable (tested) brands of generic canning lids at lower costs, and cost-saving measures for getting fruit and vegetables and home canning.
 If you are having a hard time finding canning lids, I've used these, and they're a great price & ship in 2 days.

New! Road tripping and camping is a great way to have a fun, safe and inexpensive family trip. The national and state parks and monuments are open, and campgrounds usually cost between $10 and $40 per night. September to November is the best camping weather.  See our new website Road Tripping and Camping.com for tips, tricks, guides, checklists and info about parks, monuments and other places to visit.

New! We just went live with our latest website, FunFactoryTours.com - As they name implies, you can find a fun factory tour, including chocolate, automobiles, historical forts and sites, famous buildings, Active Federal facilities even fun geology: like fossils and volcanic areas

Note: Beware the copycat websites like the one that stole our name and uses .farm extension: they copied my work and do NOT even update the info! I make updates EVERY day. They use tech tricks to get higher rankings, but have many more inaccuracies and out-dated info. Obviously, I cannot check every farm every day, but I do check as many as I can every day, and respond to all requests.  They don't. Don't support the scammers!

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! And if you know of any farms I missed and want to add a farm, please let me know!   I'm making updates for this year as fast as I can - if you find anything out-of-date, wrong or not working - please let me know! This website is supported by purchases you make through the links to products on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This allows me to continue to maintain the website and make improvements!

What's in season in December 2024, and other timely information:

Notes for December 2024:Apples are usually January to May; Blueberries are ready in December to mid January in MOST areas of Australia. Strawberries can have a long season, November to April - depending on the variety. See your area's crop availability calendar for more specific dates of upcoming crops. The U-pick crops they offer follow the name of the farm. To search the page for a specific crop, use Ctrl-F (or on an ipad or Mac, use their "search on this page" function) If they have a website, the name will be in blue and underlined; click on it and it will open their website.

Home canning and freezing directions. You can access it from the drop down menus at the top of the page or the site search. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to write me!

Waikato area of New Zealand U-Pick Farms and Orchards, by area

Remember: ALWAYS call (or follow the link to the farm's own website, if the name is a blue link) to confirm the information before you go! They may close, run out or change events, times, etc. without notifying me!

This page provide listings and links to pick- your- own (PYO, U-pick, upickem, pick-it-yourself) farms in New Zealand, organised by Region and District. Or click here for Farm Markets in New Zealand.

If you have any to suggest or have any feedback about any you have visited, or want to suggest a farm, please email me via the feedback form or suggest a farm form! And if you own a farm and want to add it or correct the information, please let me know!

And if you want simple illustrated, instructions on making and canning (preserving, bottling, freezing, etc.) many common items, like how to make jam, applesauce, apple butter, spaghetti sauce, salsa, fruit pies, freezing vegetables, putting up peaches, green beans, etc., just click here. For tips on picking click here!

Harvest time calendar (tells when crops are available)

If you want to start your own food business, at home or otherwise, see this page.

Waikato

Waikato includes Hamilton, Hauraki, Matamata-Piako, Otorohanga, southern Rotorua, South Waikato, Taupo, Thames-Coromandel, Waikato,Waipa, Waitomo.

 

• Berry Lane Orchard - Uses natural growing practices, blueberries,elderberries, U-pick and already picked, group reservations
  9137 State Highway 2, Waihi, Waikato, NZ 3682. Phone: +64 7863 8435. Open: most days 9 am to 4 pm. Directions: West side of Waihi on State Highway 2, opposite Waihi Hire. Click here for a map and directions. Blueberries: January 20 to March 20; Elderberries also available: February 15 to late March. We use natural practices, but are not seeking organic certification. Payment: Cash, only. (ADDED: March 12, 2015)
• Berryfresh - Raspberries,boysenberries and blackberries
  1972 Te Rahu Road, Te Awamutu, NZ 3879. Phone: 64 7871 5805. Email: sales@berryfresh.co.nz. Open: on weekends, call for hours. PYO raspberries Freshly picked raspberries and blackberries And delicious berry ice cream. Berryfresh is the first place to turn for quality grown fruit and fruit products, real fruit ice-creams. Fresh Raspberries,boysenberries and blackberries. (ADDED: February 16, 2019, JBS)
• Blueberry Country Ohaupo - blueberries
  397 Jary Road, RD1 Hamilton, Ohaupo, NZ 3881. Email: webquery@blueberry.co.nz. . Phone: 07 8236923. Alternate Phone: 07 8236925. Open: 8 am to 7 pm 7 days, Closed Christmas day, open all other statutory holidays. Blueberry Country specialises in providing pick your own berries. Come out and pick your own berries for very reasonable rates. The mid season varieties are now getting ripe. The hot weather we have been having is making the blueberries sweet. If we have your email, we are sending out a special offer for the weekend of the 19th and 20th. We also have a range of blueberry plants for sale. These are commercial varieties that perform well in our climate. We always endeavour to pick in the heaviest fruiting fields of our orchard. Our fruit is spray free, and like all fruit, tastes best fresh off the bush. Come out, bring your family and friends and make it an outing. Call into our snack bar and enjoy a blueberry icecream or frozen yoghurt. You can also order from our snack menu which includes muffins, toasted sandwiches and paninis. Remember to bring sunblock and a hat, it can be hot out there. Click here for our Facebook page. (UPDATED: January 17, 2020)
• Blueberry Country Ngatea - blueberries
  229 Central Road South, Ngatea, NZ 3881. Email: webquery@blueberry.co.nz.. Phone: 07 8677552. Open: 8 am to 7 pm 7 days, Closed Christmas day, open all other statutory holidays. Blueberry Country specialises in providing pick your own berries. Come out and pick your own berries for very reasonable rates. The mid season varieties are now getting ripe. The hot weather we have been having is making the blueberries sweet. If we have your email, we are sending out a special offer for the weekend of the 19th and 20th. We also have a range of blueberry plants for sale. These are commercial varieties that perform well in our climate. We always endeavour to pick in the heaviest fruiting fields of our orchard.Our fruit is spray free, and like all fruit, tastes best fresh off the bush. Come out, bring your family and friends and make it an outing. Call into our snack bar and enjoy a blueberry icecream or frozen yoghurt. You can also order from our snack menu which includes muffins, toasted sandwiches and paninis. Remember to bring sunblock and a hat, it can be hot out there.  (UPDATED: January 17, 2020)
  A visitor writes on January 23, 2015: "Was fantastic, but take sunblock and sunhats. They have Blueberries, fresh, frozen, Blueberry ice-cream, jam, honey & chutney. Hats & bags for sale and Blueberry ice take home packs , restrooms, gift shop,NO dogs allowed, NO smoking. NO sprays used. "
• Fruitdale Orchards - apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, strawberries, tomatoes, blackberries
  78 Osborne Rd, RD1, Horsham Downs, Hamilton, NZ. Phone: 07 829 4838. Email: info@fruitdaleorchard.com.. Open: Peak Season: October to March: 8.30am to 6.00pm, seven days a week; Closed Off Season: April ~ September. Directions: signs from River Road North. Strawberries in shop and PYO when available. Peaches in shop and PYO when available. Nectarines in shop and PYO when available. Tomatoes in shop and PYO when available. Blackberries in shop and PYO when available. Apples in shop and PYO when available. Pears in shop and PYO when available. In the farmshop, freshly picked: sweetcorn, cherries, plums, feijoas, and fresh fruit ice creams are coming soon. (UPDATED: February 16, 2019, JBS)
• Huka Prawn Farm - Catch your own prawns
  Karetoto Rd, Wairakei, NZ 3377. Phone: (07) 374 8474. Email: info@hukaprawnpark.co.nz. Open: . Prawn fishing catch em if you can and so much more, everything is included in activity pass, memories are free. You have to see it to believe it!New Zealand's only prawn park offers a fun filled day of entertainment for the whole family. Pack a picnic and towel and spend the day creating exciting prawn memories to last forever. From the minute, you arrive at our entrance you will be amazed at such a place existing in the world. Start by joining our behind the scenes guided tour through the nursery and hatchery, hear about our 30-year history, meet our prawns up close and personal and while you're there you have to feel the strange sensation of hand feeding the baby prawns. Race up and down our massive new boating lake on stand-up paddleboards, water trikes, and pedal boats. Watch the excitement on your child's face as you head down our adventure trail trying out all the interactive activities. Feed the trout, battle the family on our water cannons, only the brave tackle the water gauntlets, ending at the kids playground and footbaths. Directions: 10 minutes' drive north of Taupo, near Huka Falls. You can have the prawns you catch cooked up in the riverside restaurant or take them home and do it yourself. If you book ahead, Mahurangi Oysters north of Auckland near Warkworth take oyster lovers out on their boat, the Shuckleferry. For a few hours, owners Andrew and Lisa teach all there is to know about oysters while guests enjoy freshly shucked delicacies with local beer, wine and juice. Click here for a link to our Facebook page. (ADDED: December 14, 2018, JBS)
• Kaipaki Nursery & Orchard - apples, U-pick and already picked
  1309 Kaipaki Road Road 3, Cambridge, NZ 3495. Phone: 07 8279562. Email: kaipakinurse@xtra.co.nz. Open: Monday to Sunday from 9 am to 5 pm; No Pick your own in 2014. Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. Directions: On the corner of Kaipaki Road and the Cambridge Te Awamutu Road 3 kilometre from Cambridge. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Visa, MasterCard. We also have a range of small plants including fruiting plants as available. Plums December to February Apples January to June. We use integrated pest management practices.
• Kuranui Berries - strawberries
  477 Kuranui Road, Morrinsville, NZ. Phone: 0275 197 688. Email: Info@Kuranuiberries.co.nz. Open: from October through January. First opened in 2016.
   (ADDED: February 16, 2019, JBS)
• Lavender Backyard Garden - Uses natural growing practices, blueberries,
  398 Marshmeadow Rd RD6, Hamilton, NZ 3286. Phone: 027 6128888. Email: lavenderbackyard@gmail.com. Open: The PYO field opens from 26 December every year from 9 am to 5pm; Already picked blueberries starts in early December. Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. Directions: Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. Click here for our Facebook page. We are a blueberry and lavender farm. We offer already-picked fresh blueberries, frozen blueberries (all year round), lavender sightseeing, and lavender products. Enjoy everything at once!. We use natural practices, but are not yet certified Organic. (UPDATED: November 27, 2016)
• Matangi Persimmons - No pesticides are used persimmons,
  436 Tauwhare Rd Matangi , Hamilton, NZ 3260. Phone: 07 8295732. Email: ilv@xtra.co.nz. Open: From 7 May till 15 June open 7 days 9am to 5 pm; Please ring to check fruit availablity. Directions: Click here for a map and directions. We do not use pesticides on the crops. Pesticide free fruit available to pick your self from our orchard the season is early May till mid June or whenever all the fruit are gone. Payment: Cash, only. (UPDATED: February 16, 2019, JBS) (ADDED: March 31, 2016)
• Monavale Blueberries & Cafe Irresistiblue - Certified Organic, blueberries,
  156 Turkington Road Monavale, Cambridge, NZ 3495. Phone: 07 8279456. Fax: 07 827 9485. Email: info@monavaleblueberries.co.nz. Open: Monavale Blueberries and Cafe Irresistiblue are open throughout the year; December to March, 7 days, 9am to 4;30pm and April to November, Wednesday to Sunday, 9am to 4;30pm; PYO is generally available from late December to early March. Click here for current open hours, days and dates. Directions: Monavale Blueberries is situated only 10 minutes drive from Cambridge. Follow the brown road signs from the Cambridge to Te awamutu Road. Pick Your Own organic blueberries is available from Cafe Irresistiblue, which is situated on the orchard. Click here for a map and directions. Pick Your Own organic blueberries is generally available from late December to early March; Please refer our website for exact details. We are certified organic for all crops! Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard. Click here for our Facebook page.. Monavale Blueberries have a lovely orchard cafe onsite (Cafe Irresistiblue) where you can sit and enjoy great meals, fabulous views and have a true 'blueberry' experience. Organic blueberry products are also available from the Orchard Shop situated at the cafe, including: ice-cream, sorbet, salad dressing, sauce, juice, capsules, liqueur, jam, spread, chutney plus more!. Monavale Blueberries is a BioGro certifed organic orchard (BioGro number 511).
• Ryburn Gardens - blueberries
  23 Ryburn Road, Newstead, Hamilton, NZ 3286. Phone: 0275 944044. Open: 7 days a week until mid-January; Weekday 10am to 7pm, Weekends 9am to 7pm. Directions: Ruakura Expressway Offramp to the Superhub, Turn RIGHT onto Harakeke Road drive north around the corner then left onto Taiori Road, Over the railway onto Ryburn Road and your there. Payment: cash, EFTPOS, bank transfers. PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN CONTAINERS. Toilet on site. Pets are not allowed on site. Please wear footwear. Children are Welcome. Please wear sunscreen. Scales will be onsite. Parking on the road berm only. We are happy for you to taste some blueberries while you pick. (UPDATED: August 6, 2024)
• The Strawberry Farm - strawberries
  337 Newell Rd, Tamahere, Hamilton, NZ 3283. Phone: 64 7859 1380. Alternate Phone: 07 859 1380. Open: weekends only in November, December, and January; and every day between Christmas and New Year. Directions: Hamilton area. Entry fee: $3 for children 3-12 years, $4.50 for adults (2019). Take-home strawberries are charged per kilo, seasonally adjusted. Enjoy the whole Strawberry Farm experience by picking your own! To save disappointment, we recommend you contact us to make sure it's open before you come out. We grow the Camarosa variety of strawberry. They're a sweet, large fruit with a good shelf life and beautiful colour, just what you need for your celebratory recipe or fruit bowl. What could be better than being out in the summer sunshine, strolling through a field of strawberries and selecting the freshest, ripest berries yourself? 'Sample' as you pick and take the rest home to share - if you don't devour them all in the car on the way home. Click here for a link to our Facebook page. (UPDATED: February 16, 2024, JBS)
• Tauwhare Berry Farm, aka Ye Olde berry Farm, aka World's Best Berry Farm - blackberries, boysenberries, raspberries (red), strawberries,
  205 Morrinsville Road R.D.6, Hamilton, NZ 3286. Phone: 64 7829 5489. Email: info@tauwhareberryfarm.nz. Email: shop@oldeberryfarm.co.nz. Open: Pick Your Own typically occurs in December/January; Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 5:30 pm and Sunday and public holidays from 9 am to 5 pm; Closed Christmas day; See website for details. Click here for current open hours, days and dates. Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. Directions: 2km from the Hillcrest Roundabout between the Cattery and the Vets. See website for more detail or contact us for assistance. Shop: Open from October to March; Pick Your Own: Typically occurs in December to early January. Payment: Cash, Cheque, Debit cards. PYO weekends includes strawberries, Raspberries and Blackberries. they have a full range of fresh and frozen berry fruits, fresh produce and of course real fruit ice creams and much more. Please check  Click here for a link to our Facebook page.At Tauwhare Berry Farm we use modern and sustainable growing practices to produce superior tasting fruit that Kiwis love. The only farm within the Waikato Region that grows a variety of berries on one property. Get the farm-to-table experience and pick your own this season.
  (UPDATED: 18 November 2020 JBS) (ADDED: August 01, 2012, & v by JBS)
  

Other Local Farm Products (Honey, Horses, Milk, Meat, Eggs, Etc.)
(NOT pick-your-own, unless they are also listed above)

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Farmer's Markets, Farm Stands and Roadside Stands, Etc.
(NOT pick-your-own, unless they are also listed above)

New Zealand Crop Availability Calendar

New Zealand Pick-your-own calendar
October
November
December	Raspberries, Strawberries
January	Apples (early, starting mid-Jan), Blueberries, Melons, Raspberries, Strawberries, Sweet corn
February	Apples (early), Blueberries, Melons, Sweet corn
March	Apples, Some Blueberries (early March), Grapefruit, Lemons, Melons, Raspberries (Fall crop), Sweet corn
April	Apples, Grapefruit, Lemons, Melons, Oranges, Raspberries (Fall crop), Sweet corn
May	Apples, Grapefruit, Lemons, Mandarins, Oranges, Raspberries (Fall crop)
June	Apples, Mandarins, Oranges, Raspberries (Fall crop)
July
August
September

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• Picking Tips!
  • General picking tips and a guide to each fruit and vegetable
  • How much do I need to pick? (Yields - how much raw makes how much cooked or frozen)
  • Selecting the right varieties to pick
  • All about apple varieties - which to pick and why!
  • Picking tips for Vegetables
  • Strawberry picking tips
  • Blueberries picking tips
• Recipes
• Simple instructions: 
  • How to make jam  
  • How to make applesauce
  • How to make apple butter
• Canning and Freezing
  • FAQs - Answers to common questions and problems
  • Comprehensive addition resources
  • Free publications to download and print

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Picking Tips

[General picking tips and a guide to each fruit and vegetable] [How much do I need to pick? (Yields - how much raw makes how much cooked or frozen)] [Selecting the right varieties to pick] [All about apple varieties - which to pick and why!] [Picking tips for Vegetables] [ Strawberry picking tips] [ Blueberries picking tips]

Illustrated Canning, Freezing, Jam Instructions and Recipes

[ Easy Home Canning Directions] [FAQs - Answers to common questions and problems] [Recommended books about home canning, jam making, drying and preserving!] [Free canning publications to download and print]