Apple U-Pick Orchards in Topeka and Northeastern Kansas 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 any state, nor even every state, 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.
Atchison County
- St. Andre Orchard - apples, blackberries, cherries, nectarines, peaches, plums, raspberries (red),
5443 Rawlins Rd, Atchison, KS 66002. Phone: (913) 360-2592. Email: standreorchard16@gmail.com. Open: By Appointment. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover.
St. Andre Orchard Facebook page. . . Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. Blackberry season is typically July 1 pm to 15 Peach season is typically July 1 pm to 31. (ADDED: June 21, 2017)
Brown County
- Grimm's Gardens - blueberries, cherries, apples, peaches, apricots, raspberries, persimmons, aronia, chesnuts, plums, elderberries, Honey from hives on the farm, prepicked produce, restrooms
2991 Goldfinch Road, Hiawatha, KS 66434. Phone: 785-459-2586. Email: info@grimmsgardens.com. Open: dawn to dusk on picking days; Normal hours are Monday to Friday 8 to 6 and Saturday 8 to 4. Directions: 4 miles west of Hiawatha on highway 36 and 6.5 miles north on Goldfinch Rd. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard. . Fax:. . Crops are usually available in July, August, September. Opening blueberry patch July 4 Thursday, raspberries are ready also; Always call ahead for specifics.
Comments from a visitor on June 29, 2011: "My 3 year old and I went to Grimm's Garden near Hiawatha KS on Monday. It was everything the website said it would be and more. The staff was friendly and helpful, even looking up questions that they did not know the answer too. Raspberry picking was awesome and a quick relax in a shaded hammock was well earned. I was very excited to find a HUGE assortment of water plants for the pond I am building. "
Comments from a visitor on July 22, 2008: "My husband and I visited this morning and picked 30lbs of blueberries. They're beautiful, a lot of them are the size of grapes. This farm is really something to see. I will be returning many times I'm sure. They have peaches, raspberries, black raspberries, apples and wonderful flowers and landscaping. The best I've seen."
Franklin County
- Pome On The Range Orchards and Winery - apples, asparagus, cherries, pears, pumpkins, Honey from hives on the farm, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, weddings and wedding parties, school tours
2050 Idaho Road, Williamsburg, KS 66095. Phone: (785)746-5492. Email: info@pomeontherange.com. Open: Visit our website for details. Directions: Interstate 35 exit 176 7 miles south of Ottawa, KS Visit our website for a detailed map. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, SFMNP Vouchers. . Alternate Phone: (785)242-5511. Fax: (785)242-0452. We proudly open our doors to schools, civic organizations, tour busses, or anyone who wishes to visit our grounds. For large groups or special tours please call for a reservation. Special events are scheduled on various weekends especially during fall harvest. These events include: pick-your-own apples, horse-drawn wagon rides, the pumpkin patch, and much more. Come visit the orchard and bring your whole family! Shop our orchard market for fresh produce, cider donuts, wines, cider, pies, and other home goods. Free wine-tasting every day. U-pick cherries, apples, and pumpkins. (UPDATED: May 18, 2022, JBS)
Johnson County
- Wagon Wheel Orchard - apples, cherries, peaches, Honey from hives on the farm, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, farm animals, school tours
15380 Edgerton Road, Gardner, KS 66030. Phone: 913-893-6050. Email: wagonwheelmail@aol.com. Open: We will typically be open weekends only but will add dates and times as crop size increases please check our website for updates. Directions: western Johnson County on Edgerton Rd - 1/2 mile south of 151st St . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard. . Click here for picking updates. Crops are usually available in June, July, August, September, October, November.
Lyon County
- The Orchard - Apples, picked or pick your own, apple cider and apple slushies
1120 N. Hwy 99, Emporia, KS 66801. Phone: 620-343-8480. Open: during the season, August until November. Click here for a map and directions. . Open They host school field trips. Aside from apples, they grow peaches, plums, rhubarb, asparagus and various types of berries (apparently, none of these are pyo, though)
Osage County
- Fieldstone Orchard and Farm - Uses natural growing practices, apples, asparagus, blackberries, cherries, grapes, other berries, pears, peaches, plums, raspberries (red), raspberries (Spring, red), raspberries (Autumn, red), rhubarb, Other fruit or veg, Honey from hives on the farm, Cider mill fresh apple cider made on the premises, gift shop, porta-potties are available, picnic area, picnic area you may bring your own food, school tours, group reservations
7049 East 149th Street, Overbrook, KS 66524. Phone: 785-665-7643. Email: info@fieldstoneorchard.com. Open: Click here for current open hours, days and dates. Directions: From Topeka: south on highway 75, east on highway 56, 2 miles past Overbrook north on Stubbs Road, west on 149th Street. From Lawrence: south on highway 59, west on highway 56, 13 miles, north on Stubbs Road, west on 149th Street. From Kansas City: south on Interstate highway 35 to exit 202. Drive through Edgerton, north to highway 56, west on highway 56 past 59 highway 13 miles to Stubbs Road, north 1 mile, west on 149th Str eet. First driveway south, park in paddock by Sale Barn. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, SFMNP Vouchers.
Fieldstone Orchard and Farm Facebook page. . Fax:. . Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. Please check website for specific dates as each year has been different; These dates are approximations: Asparagus: April 15 to May 15; Cherries (sour and sweet) June; Blackberries: July to August; Raspberries: July to first frost; Summer apples: July; plums: July to August; 38 varieites of apples including heirloom begin August to November 15; 5 varieties of Asian Pears begin September 1 to October; concord and wine grapes 3rd week in September or so;. We use natural practices, but are not yet certified Organic. Chemical free orchard and farm us ing organic foods, products, herbs to feed the crops and trees to create nutrient dense foods and balance the ecosystem including beneficial bugs for pest control. We are using Beyond Organic practices. All produce is planted from organic and/or heirloom seed and grown organically. No pesticides, herbicides or chemicals are used on our property. Contact us for information about the Kaw Valley Farm Tour the First Full weekend of October and other events we may have throughout the year. .
Shawnee County
- 86th Street Orchard - apples, cherries, grapes, pears, peaches, raspberries (black), tomatoes, other vegetables, already-picked produce (of the pyo crops), school tours
5332 Northwest 86th Street, Topeka, KS 66618. Phone: (785) 246-1442. Email: cathy_kenny@yahoo.com. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. . . Thursday to Saturday, from 9am to dusk; Other days and times by appointment; Please call or email before stopping by so we can let you know what's ripe and ready. We have changed our fruit to mainly apples, peaches and Honey. We are strictly a u pick orchard with no other activities No groups do to us being a small orchard. We do have over 70 trees . Please call 785-409-3224. We have started growing raspberries in the high tunnel, but they are not at the productive stage yet. (UPDATED: May 18, 2022, JBS)
Wyandotte County
- Cider Hill Family Orchard - Apples, gourds, Pumpkins, restrooms, gift shop, concession stand (drinks, snacks and\\/or food), pumpkin patch in the field, weddings and wedding parties
3341 N 139thst, Kansas City, KS . Phone: 913-721-2507. Email: ciderhillfamilyorchard@gmail.com. Open: Call for hours, apples in late July. Directions: Call for directions. Payment: Cash, Check. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check.
Cider Hill Family Orchard Facebook page. . . As a U-Pick Orchard, our guests can choose either to pick their own or have us pick them. Our Apple Wagon will be available to take guest into the Orchard, which is a really special treat for our younger visitors. You are welcome to spend as much time as you would like exploring among the apple trees. Once you are finished picking apples, you are welcome to pick out your favorite pumpkin or see who can pull the biggest fish from one of our five ponds. The Orchard grounds are beautiful and vast. Please plan on packing a picnic lunch and relax under one of the big trees in the front or back yard.
Comments from a visitor on June 11, 2012: "Like very much. 5 ponds, relaxing. paved parking. Fishing derby, event barn."
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
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