2024 Northern Minneapolis and Northern Suburbs, Minnesota Apple U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Apple U-Pick Orchards in Northern Minneapolis and Northern Suburbs, Minnesota 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 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.

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

Benton County

• Jacks Apple Farm - apples, sweet corn, cucumbers, tomatoes, melons, pumpkins
  5801 Hwy 95 NE, Sauk Rapids, MN 56379. Phone: 320-252-0615. Email: info@jacksapplefarm.com. Click here for a map and directions. . Also free range chickens and heritage turkeys, room to picnic. We can cover your holiday bakery products, from Artisan Style Breads, fresh pies, cookie & bar platters, to breakfast breads, fully-cooked smoked turkeys, and much more.

Chisago County

• Pleasant Valley Orchard - strawberries, apples (apples pyo on some weekends), pumpkins, hayrides, farm animals, picnic area
  17325 Pleasant Valley Road, Taylors Falls, MN . Phone: 651-257-9159. Email: info@pleasantvalleyorchard.com. Open: Tuesday to Sun, 10 am to 6 pm, September - November closed Mondays; The pick-your-own strawberry season runs from mid-June through mid-July; The fall apple orchard season featuring your favorite Minnesota Grown apples, begins Labor Day weekend; Pick your own strawberries in season; Call for hours. Directions: Located south of Taylors Falls on Pleasant Valley Road \(Cty. 26\) off US Hwy 8 or 95. Apple orchard features all your favorite Minnesota apple varieties! Gift shop offers pre-picked apples, cider, pumpkins, squash, fall December or, candles, baskets and more! In addition to your favorite . Click here for a map and directions. Tuesday to Sun, 10 am to 6 pm, September - November (closed Mondays); The pick-your-own strawberry season runs from mid-June through mid-July; The fall apple orchard season featuring your favorite Minnesota Grown apples, begins Labor Day weekend; Pick your own strawberries in season; Call for hoursLocated south of Taylors Falls on Pleasant Valley Road (Cty. 26) off US Hwy 8 or 95. Apple orchard features all your favorite Minnesota apple varieties! Gift shop offers pre-picked apples, cider, pumpkins, squash, fall December or, candles, baskets and more! In addition to your favorite Minnesota Grown apples, we also offer many activities including pick-your-own weekends, hayrides, farm animals, kid's corral, nature trail, and picnic area with sweeping views of the St. Croix Valley. Be sure to try our Homemade Apple Pie; the best pie you will ever have! Picnic tables, nature trail, farm animals and weekend hayrides! Family-friendly orchard overlooking the scenic St. Croix Valley. (UPDATED: April 4, 2018, JBS) A visitor writes on July 19, 2016: "I liked it. Only tried strawberry picking there. Very pleasant staff."
• Sunrise River Apple Farm - apples
  7602 Wyoming Trail, Wyoming, MN 55092. Phone: (651) 462-8220. Open: Starting August 1st; on Monday-Friday, from 8:30 am to 5 pm, and Saturdays from 8 am to 6 pm, closed on Sunday. Directions: County Rd 22 - 2 miles east of HWY 61. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Come over for a fun family experience, we have hayrides and other fun events for the entire family. We are a small family orchard with many types of Minnesota that you can pick or we have picked for youvarieties: Macintosh, State Fair, New Freedom, Red Delicious, Jonathan, Melrose, Jonagold, Sun Crisp, Pink Lady, Cameo, Rome Beauty, Granny Smith, Sun Fugi, Braeburn, Stayman Winesap, Golden Delicious, Liberty, Empire, Royal Gala. Plus picked grapes.

Hennepin County

• Homestead Orchard - apples, raspberries, tomatoes, pumpkins
  1080 County Road 92 North, Maple Plain, MN 55359. Phone: (763) 479-3186. Email: Moondanceorchard@gmail.com. Open: Call for hours. Directions: Located 23 miles W of Mpls. Click here for a map and directions. . Email ., take 394 (Hwy 12) & watch for sign 3 miles W of Maple Plain, then 2 miles S on Cty Rd 92. Pre-scheduled orchard tours. Pick your own apples, prepicked apples and our own cider. We feature Honeycrisp apples other varieties include Fireside, Haralson, Prairie Spy, Regent, Keepsake, Honeygold, Cortland, Ginger Gold, Zestar & Early Blush. Raspberries, u pick or pre picked. Petting zoo with mini donkeys, calf, goats and baby lambs. (UPDATED: July 1, 2024, JBS)
• Knapton's Raspberries, Pumpkins and Orchard - apples, cherries, corn (sweet), cucumbers, pears, pumpkins, raspberries (red), raspberries (Spring, red), raspberries (Autumn, red), raspberries (yellow), raspberries (Spring, yellow), raspberries (Autumn, yellow), winter squash, tomatoes, other vegetables,
  Located At The Intersection Of Highway 55 and Lake Sarah Heights Drive, Greenfield, MN 55373. Phone: 763-479-1184. Open: 8am to 8pm late June thru July; 9am until dark September 15 thru October 31. Directions: West of the Twin Cities on Highway 55, about 12 miles West of Interstate 494. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. Featuring 5 acres of award-winning summer bearing red & yellow raspberries & 1 acre of fall raspberries. In the fall, Knapton's has one of the finest assortments of traditional & contemporary pumpkins & gourds. Besides orange pumpkins of all sizes, you can pick white, pink, blue, red, tan, warty and more. Knaptons also has a great selection of your favorite Minnesota apples! All produce is available pick-your-own or pre-picked. Call ahead for bulk orders. Large groups welcome. To view visitor comments about this farm, or to add your own, (UPDATED: September 25, 2019, JBS)
• Minnetonka Orchards, LLC - apples, pumpkins, corn maze, hay rides, Events, Weddings, and School Tours
  6530 County Road 26, Minnetrista, MN 55364. Phone: 763-479-3191. Email: schaperl@cs.com. Open: daily 10 am to 7 pm August thru October 10 am to 5 pm in November. Click here for a map and directions. . Alternate phone: 763-479-6530A little beyond the lake. Great family fun. Corn maze, u-pick and pre-picked apples, cider, jams, caramel apples, fresh baked orchard pies & apple doughnuts, honey, maple syrup, pumpkins, winter squash, gifts and crafts. U-Pick in Oct. Scheduled orchard tours. Free hay rides on weekends, Friday after 3pm. Fall Festival & live music every weekend September 6 - October 26. Highway 394 west to Maple Plain, then Cty. Road 83 south 2 one half miles to Cty. Road 26; from Mound take Cty. Road 110 north 2 one half miles to Cty. Road 26, follow the yellow signs. We also host Corporate & Special Events, Weddings, and School Tours.

Isanti County

• Jakes Apple Shack - apples, corn (sweet), pumpkins, raspberries (Autumn, red), rhubarb, winter squash, strawberries, farm market, porta-potties are available, picnic area you may bring your own food, school tours
  601 375th Ave, Stanchfeild, MN 55080. Phone: 763-689-2282. Email: Dewfreshproduce@msn.com. Open: Call for hours. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover. (ADDED: August 30, 2015)

Sherburne County

• Lee Peterson Tree Farm - apples,
  5968 149th Avenue, Becker, MN 55308. Phone: (612) 423-3441. Email: lpeterson55369@gmail.com. Open: Labor Day weekend Saturday through Monday and following three weekends, 9 am to 5 pm; Weekdays by appointment. Directions: Turn right off Highway 10 onto County Road 23 by the Shell gas station. We are seven miles north of Becker on County Road 23. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard.
  Lee Peterson Tree Farm Facebook page. . Alternate Phone: (763) 493-3441. Labor Day weekend (Saturday through Monday) and following three weekends, 9 am to 5 pm; Weekdays by appointment Family owned and operated since 1956. Delicious apples and fun-colored Christmas trees. A true "ma and pop shoppe" with old-fashioned fun for everybody! The fence surrounding the apple orchard is being made a memorial of every U.S. soldier killed in the Iraq and Afghan wars. Dog tags for every soldier killed is being handmade by retired vets. For information see https://www.IraqAfghanVeteranMemorialMN.org/ . (ADDED: August 22, 2019)

Wright County

• Apple Jack Orchards - Uses integrated pest management practices, apples, pumpkins, raspberries (Autumn, red), U-pick and already picked, gift shop, concessions or refreshment stand, porta-potties are available, restrooms, picnic area, face painting, jumping pillow, ziplines, farm animals, school tours, group reservations
  4875 37th Street Se, Delano, MN 55328. Phone: 763-972-6673. Email: jill@applejackorchards.com. Open: Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. Directions: Hwy 55 West from Minneapolis 1 mile west of Rockford, MN, go left on Wright County Road 32; One mile to orchard. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.
  Apple Jack Orchards Facebook page. Fax: 763-972-4038Beautiful setting on the Crow River with tons of fun for families!. (UPDATED: July 19, 2016). (ADDED: May 18, 2015)
• Apple Tree-O - apples, pumpkins, summer squash, U-pick and already picked, porta-potties are available, picnic area you may bring your own food
  5667 90th Street Se, Delano, MN 55328. Phone: 763-390-7795. Email: owner@appletreeo.com. Open: Saturday and Sunday, from 12 pm to 5 pm. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.
  Apple Tree-O Facebook page. Picking updates: Click here for picking updates SweeTango, Honeycrisp, Zestar!, Cortland, Haralson, Melrose. Our entire orchard is available for picking when the varieties are ready. Check our Apples & Produce page to see what is currently available. All of our trees are planted in a way that allows for apples to be closer to the ground and within reach! As a result, we offer picking to all ages! Bring the whole family and have fun filling a bag with delicious, fresh apples. Also, since we are a small family orchard, one of us is always nearby to answer any questions that you may have about the apples.
• Fairhaven Farm - u-Pick raspberries, apples (certain varieties and certain weekends only), grapes and pumpkins, school tours, weddings
  13835 51st Avenue, South Haven, MN 55382. Phone: 320-236-7685. Email: fairfarm@lakedalelink.net. Open: 7 am to 7 pm June-July, 11 am to 6 pm daily Aug-Oct; Open June and July for pick-your-own; for apples: daily from 10 am to 6 from Labor Day to Thanksgiving; We update our blog every weekend, where you can see whether or not we are still doing u-pick apples. Directions: Located three miles north of South Haven and 18 miles south of St. Cloud. Near the intersection of County Road 44 and 7 in Fairhaven. Our raspberries are all through pick-your-own. We feature fall-bearing raspberry varieties Caroline, and Autumn Bliss. You are welcome to bring your own containers, or use our provided pint size containers.We have 2 acres of our grape crop available for U-Pick, at $1.25lb \(June 2016 price\). Our vineyard contains a multitude of varieties, including ones that ar - truncated. . Click here for a map and directions. US
• Woods' Edge Apples - apples, pumpkins, raspberries (Autumn, red), gift shop, restrooms, picnic area you may bring your own food, farm animals
  1901 50th Street Northeast, Buffalo, MN 55313. Phone: 763-682-4409. Email: woodsedgeapples@msn.com. Open: All open hours as supply allows. Directions: Located three miles north of Buffalo, Minnesota on State Highway 25. Turn west on County Road 113 to get to our driveway. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard.
  Woods' Edge Apples Facebook page. (ADDED: September 03, 2015)

 

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