2024 Niagara area of Ontario Apple U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Apple U-Pick Orchards in Niagara area 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

Niagara (Grimsby, Jordan Station, St. Catharines, Thorold, Welland)

• Duffin Farms - apples, cherries, pears, peaches, plums, rhubarb, and pumpkins, Cider mill (fresh apple cider made on the premises)
  1541 Rice Rd, Fonthill, ON L3B 5N5. Phone: (905) 892-5387. Email: duffin@live.com. Open: daily 8 am to 8 pm. Directions: 1541 Rice Road, Fonthill 3 driveways south of Highway 20. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. (UPDATED: June 29, 2018)
• Iggy's Farm - apples, U-pick and already picked, restrooms, picnic area, Bouncy castle, birthday parties
  103 Overholt Road, Ridgeville, ON L0S 1M0. Phone: 289 969 3055. Email: iggysfarm@hotmail.com. Open: Cherries ealry July Apples mid September to October; Open weekends 9am to 6 pm and weekdays by appointment. Directions: From QEW, take exit Victoria AvenueVineland and go south 15 km. At highway 20 stoplight, turn left and go to Fonthill. At the first set of lights \(Haist Street\), turn left. Follow to Overholt Road, go right. From Highway 406, take exit Highway 20 west to Pelham Street, go right. Go 1.5 km and turn left onto Overholt Road. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. Iggy's FarmFrom QEW, take exit Victoria Avenue/Vineland and go south 15 km. At highway 20 stoplight, turn left and go to Fonthill. At the first set of lights (Haist Street), turn left. Follow to Overholt Road, go right. From Highway 406, take exit Highway 20 west to Pelham Street, go right. Go 1.5 km and turn left onto Overholt Road offers a relaxing, peaceful, scenic location to pick your own cherries and apples. People of all ages enjoy picking the sweet, juicy cherries from approximately the end of June through the beginning of July. Fresh, crisp apples are available starting in September. Bring your camera and capture the beauty our 26 acres offer.
• Mathias Farms - PYO and already picked, apples, blackberries, sweet cherries, sour cherries, red raspberries, black raspberries, red currants, mulberries.
  1909 Effingham Street, Ridgeville, ON . Phone: (905) 892-6166. Open: see their website or call. Click here for a map and directions. (ADDED: June 15, 2024, JBS)
• Parkway Orchards - apples, cherries, grapes, nectarines, peaches, plums, gift shop, concessions or refreshment stand
  15000 Niagara Parkway, Niagara-on-the-lake, ON L0S 1J0. Phone: 905 262 5097. Email: general@parkwayorchards.com. Open: PYO dates: Cherries - mid June to mid July; Peaches - mid July to early October; Nectarines - early September to mid September; Plums - mid August to late September; Apples - mid September to late October; Largely depends on the weather so please call ahead first. Directions: from the Q.E.W. coming from toronto: 1. take Glendale to Niagara-on-the-lake exit, 2. make a right onto Glendale, 3. then take a right onto York road to Niagara-on-the-Lake, 4. continue for several minutes until you get to the Niagara Parkway, 5. take a left onto the Niagara Parkway towards Niagara-on-the-Lake, 6. follow the windy road until it straightens out, 7. about 300 meters after you pass line 6 you will see our famous Farmer road sign on your left. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard. Picking updates: Click here for picking updates Points of interest: Our location sits between the Niagara Falls waterfalls and the Historic town of Niagara-on-the-Lake along the parkway. There are many attractions near our farm such as many award winning wineries, historic buildings and galleries, the Royal Botanical Gardens, Whitewater jet boat tours, Butterfly Conservatory, Floral Clock and many others. There are beautiful and unique shops nearby in the old town of Niagara-on-the-lake as well as many biking and hiking trails and picnic areas right by the river along the parkway. .
• Silmaril Farms - apples, farm animals,
  144 Russ Road, Grimsby, ON L3M 4E7. Phone: 905-945-7963. Open: Call for times and availability. Directions: Located at 144 Russ Rd on the escarpment in Grimsby, one block east of Grimsby Mountain Street, between Ridge Rd and Elm Tree St. From the QEW exit at ChristieOntarioMaple and head south along Christie Street and up the escarpment. \(Christie St changes to Mountain St\). We also have fresh picked apples, chicken, cider, eggs, lamb, meats. \(ADDED: June 10, 2014X\) . Click here for a map and directions. Located at 144 Russ Rd on the escarpment in Grimsby, one block east of Grimsby Mountain Street, between Ridge Rd and Elm Tree St. From the QEW exit at Christie/Ontario/Maple and head south along Christie Street and up the escarpment. (Christie St changes to Mountain St). We also have fresh picked apples, chicken, cider, eggs, lamb, meats. (ADDED: June 10, 2014X) They also have sheep, angora goats, turkeys, chickens, ducks, etc.
• The Little Green Farm - Uses natural growing practices, apples, beets, carrots, cucumbers, eggplants, flowers, table grapes (with seeds), wine grapes, onions, pears, peppers, summer squash, tomatoes, U-pick and already picked, farm market, farm animals
  4586 Tufford Rd, Beamsville, ON L0R1B1. Phone: (905) 928-5903. Email: thelittlegreenfarmniagara@gmail.com. Open: Typical season is from early May to late October; in season, Monday to Friday from 10 am to 6 pm, Call or text for crop availability 905 928 5903. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. We use natural practices, but are not seeking organic certificationPick your Own Garlic in July. Homemade preserves and baked goods. Etransfer accepted. (UPDATED: October 29, 2021) (ADDED: August 12, 2018)
• Windwood Farms - apples, melons, pears, plums, pumpkins, summer squash, winter squash, picnic area
  4198 King St, Beamsville, ON L0R 1B1. Phone: 905-563-7106. Email: windwood@cogeco.ca. Open: Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 4pm July to end of October;;;Or by appointment Best to call for availability. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. Usually plums ripen in July, Pears in August and September; Apples, squash and pumpkins in September, October; Our fresh pressed Apple Cider and Cranapple Cider are available in October; Jams, preserves and baked goods in season or on order

 

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