2024 London, Essex, Middlesex, Oxford, Elgin, Norfolk areas of Ontario Apple U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Apple U-Pick Orchards in London, Essex, Middlesex, Oxford, Elgin, Norfolk areas of Ontario in 2024, by county

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

Not all areas of a province or region have apples 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.

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

Elgin (Aylmer, Dutton, Port Stanley, St. Thomas)

• Rush Creek Wines and Orchards - apples, blackberries, blueberries, currants (red and black), other berries, pears, peaches, raspberries (yellow), raspberries (Spring, yellow), raspberries (Autumn, yellow), raspberries (black), raspberries (Spring, black), raspberries (Autumn, black), rhubarb, strawberries, other vegetables, gift shop, concessions or refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, face painting
  48995 Jamestown Line, Aylmer, ON N5H 2R2. Phone: 519-773-5432. Email: winemaster@rushcreekwines.com. Open: 7 days a week: Monday to Friday, from 10am to 5pm; and Sundays from 12pm to 5pm. Directions: Exit off Highway 401 to Imperial Road South \(Hwy 73\). Go through the town of Aylmer and watch for Jamestown Line, turn right onto Jamestown Line and we are on the first farm on the left hand side. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard.
  Rush Creek Wines and Orchards Facebook page. Fax: 519-773-5431 Picking updates: Click here for picking updatesExit off Highway 401 to Imperial Road South (Hwy 73). Go through the town of Aylmer and watch for Jamestown Line, turn right onto Jamestown Line and we are on the first farm on the left hand sideCorn Maze is open from August 1st through October 31stOnline ordering available from our website. We can ship our wines anywhere in Canada. Watch for our events!

Middlesex (London area, Ailsa Craig, Dorchester, Glencoe, Melbourne, Strathroy, Thorndale)

• Apple Land Station - apples, pumpkins, corn maze, U-pick and already picked, gift shop, concessions or refreshment stand, restrooms, farm animals, school tours
  329 Richmond Street, Thames Centre, ON N0M 2P0. Phone: 519-268-7794. Email: appleland@rogers.com. Open: See our website for current hours. Directions: Just east of London Ontario, only 10 minutes off the 401 highway. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard.
  Apple Land Station Facebook page. Apple Season typically starts the beginning of September, Pumpkins end of September and Christmas tree in NovemberVisit our bakery for our famous mile high apple pie or other delicious scratch made baked goods. Play for hours on Sand Mountain, ride the train or visit the animals. At Christmas, come and visit Sanata in his cabin in the woods and find the perfect Christmas tree. (UPDATED: February 16, 2019, JBS) (UPDATED: August 26, 2016) (UPDATED: December 01, 2011, by a visitor)
  Comments from a visitor on December 01, 2011: "Kids love it, train ride goes around farm 3 times, kids love the 40ft high sand mound"
• Dwarf Tree Orchards - Pick your own & ready pick apples, pears, pumpkins, apple cider
  1697 Byron Baseline Rd, London, ON . Phone: 519-657-9448. Open: 7 days a week from 10 am to 5 pm, including Thanksgiving Weekend, during September and October . Click here for a map and directions. (UPDATED: August 20, 2016)
• Great Lakes Farms - apples, pumpkins, strawberries, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, farm animals, birthday parties, weddings and wedding parties, school tours
  5111 Union Rd, Port Stanley, ON N5L 1J2. Phone: 519-782-3433. Email: contact@greatlakesfarms.ca. Open: Strawberries Dawn to Dusk Apples Weekends in September, from 10 am to 5 pm; and Daily in October, from 10 am to 5 pm. Directions: Take 401 to Union road exit and take Union road towards Port Stanley, we are on the right side of the road, OR Take highway 4 south towards Port Stanley and follow the signs. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Debit cards.
  Great Lakes Farms Facebook page. Picking updates: Click here for picking updatesStrawberries: June-July Apples and pumpkins September-October
• Millar Berry Farms - Uses integrated pest management practices, apples, currants (red and black), raspberries (red), raspberries (Autumn, red), raspberries (yellow), rhubarb, strawberries,
  7375 Longwoods Road, London, ON N6P 1L2. Phone: (519) 652-2065. Email: millarberryfarms@gmail.com. Open: Please call us for hours. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. Fax: (519) 652-3574Picking updates: Click here for picking updatesWe use integrated pest management practicesPick your own & roadside stand.
• Tountas Orchard - Apples, pears, asparagus, raspberries, plums, rhubarb
  8650 Falconbridge Dr, Mt. Brydges, ON . Phone: 519-264-2962. Open: May to October on Monday to Friday from 8 am to dusk. Click here for a map and directions.

Norfolk (Bookton, Maybee's Corners, Norfolk, Spring Arbour, Waterford, Wilsonville)

• Hoag Family Farms Ltd. - apples, Haskaps, Fresh eggs, Cider mill (fresh apple cider made on the premises), gift shop, concessions or refreshment stand, porta-potties are available, farm animals
  817 Charlotteville East Quarterline Road, Vittoria, ON N0E 1W0. Phone: 647-546-5551. Email: info@hoagfamilyfarms.com. Open: From September 26 to October 23 7 Days a week from 10am to 8pm. Directions: Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.
  Hoag Family Farms Ltd. Facebook page. Haskap pick your own will be available starting Spring of 2017. (ADDED: September 20, 2016)

Oxford (Blanford-Blemheim, Ingersoll, Tilsonburg, Woodstock, Zorra)

• Brus' Orchards and Winery - apples, raspberries, strawberries
  244263 Airport Road, Tillsonburg, ON N4G 4H1. Phone: 519-842-2262. Open: daily. Click here for a map and directions. ort Road, Tillsonburg, ON N4G 4H1 Sunday noon to 5 pm; Closed in AprilOn Hwy 19 (244263 Airport Rd), 5 km north of Tillsonburg and 15km south of 401 and Ingersoll, across from Coyle's We also have fresh picked apples, cabbage, corn, currants, flowers, peaches, pears, peas, peppers, pumpkins, raspberries, squash, strawberries, tomatoes.
• M and R Orchards - apples, pears
  56830 Talbot Line, Tillsonburg, ON N4G 4G8. Phone: 519-842-2081. Open: Monday to Saturday 11 am to 5 pm; Sunday 12 pm to 5 pm. Click here for a map and directions. On Hwy 3, 5 km west of Tillsonburg. We also have fresh picked .

 

Apple

Apple Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

Apples ripen from the outside of the tree towards the center, so the apples out the outside of the tree will ripen first.  Once they are picked, they stop ripening. Picking apples directly from a tree is easy. Roll the apple upwards off the branch and give a little twist; don't pull straight away from the tree. If two apples are joined together at the top, both will come away at the same time. Don't shake the trees or branches.  If the apple you are trying to pick drops, (or others on the tree) go ahead and pick it up. They're perfectly fine! But do wash them before you eat them! More info: How to tell when apples are ripe

• Once picked, don't throw the apples into the baskets, place them in gently, or they will bruise and go bad more quickly.
• Don't wash apples until just before using to prevent spoilage.
• For an explanation of why apple slices turn brown and how to stop it, see this page!
• Keep apples cool after picking to increase shelf life.  A cool basement is ideal, but the fruit/vegetable drawer of a refrigerator will work, too.  A refrigerator is fine for small quantities of apples. Boxed apples need to be kept in a cool, dark spot where they won't freeze. Freezing ruptures all of an apple's cells, turning it into one large bruise overnight. The usual solution is to store apples in a root cellar. But root cellars often have potatoes in them: apples and potatoes should never be stored in the same room because, as they age, potatoes release an otherwise ethylene gas, which makes apples spoil faster. If you can keep the gas away from your apples, they will keep just fine. Just don't store them right next to potatoes.
  Prevent contact between apples stored for the winter by wrapping them individually in sheets of newspaper. The easiest way to do this is to unfold a section of newspaper all the way and tear it into quarters. Then stack the wrapped apples. See more here: How to store apples at home
• Apples don't improve or "ripen" after being picked - this is an urban myth - see this page for the truth - with references!

Which apple variety is best?

There are tens of thousands of varieties of apples, developed over centuries. They vary in sugar, acoidity, flavors, storing, crispness and many other attributes. See our guides to apple varieties:

• Summary table of many apple varieties and their characteristics
• Detailed descriptions of each apple variety with detailed characteristics
• Apple varieties, sorted by the order in which they typically ripe
• Apple varieties that don't turn brown when they are cut
• Why are some apples brown or spotted inside when you first cut them open?

Canning apples - fully illustrated, with step-by-step instructions

• How to make applesauce
• How to make apple butter 
• How to make apple jelly
• How to make apple pie filling (canned)
• How to can apples
• Home canned apple juice

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.

Recipes, illustrated with step by step instructions

• Apple pie recipe and directions and illustrated! I can say, with, ahem, no bias at all, that this is the best apple pie recipe in the world! (Alright, I did have an apple strudel in Vienna once at that place listed in Fodors that was REALLY good, but that wasn't a pie, was it? And since this was the recipe my grandmother used, it must be great!)
• How to make applesauce for a single meal (not canning it) with NO special equipment
• Apple cobbler
• Apple crunch - best of all! Moist, low sugar and using oats!
• Apple crisp - ever-popular, low sugar and using oats!
• Apple, blackberry, cherry, and/or peach cobbler
• Apple-blackberry, crumble - a English favorite (or favourite)

Using fresh apples and miscellaneous

• How to stop cut apples from browning
• Apple festivals - find one near you!
• Apple facts
• Apple seeds and cyanide

 

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