Looking for a local, pick-your-own farm in Northwest New South Wales, Australia,? Scroll down this page and you will see the U-Pick farms in Northwest New South Wales, Australia,, sorted by area. Those that offer organic or sustainably grown produce are identified by the words "organic" and/or "sustainable" in Green, next to their name. 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. Updated frequently during the growing season, I've been maintaining this for 20 years. Help me keep this up to date, please tell me via the let me know of any changes, corrections and updates!
And if you know of any I missed and want to add them or correct the information, please let me know!
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!
Northwest New South Wales, Australia, U-Pick Farms and Orchards in 2024, by county
Click on the resources drop-down above, if you need a county map. If you know of any other PYO farms I've missed, please write me via the Suggest a farm form (or if you own the farm, use the Add My Farm form).
Australia Harvest Calendar / Typical Crop Ripening Dates for Australia
If you want to start your own food business in Australia, at home or otherwise, see this page.
Keep in mind that the wildfires have devastated many farms and orchards. That, along with COVID, means many farms may not be open this year, or have restrictions. Give them your support!
Northwest
- Hillside Orchard and Craft Centre - Cherries, Apricots, nectarines, Peaches, plums,
berries, pears, apples and figs ,
1209 The Escort Way, Borenore, near Orange, NSW 2247. Phone: 02 6365 2247. Email: hello@hillsideharvest.com.au. Open: Weekdays 9am-5pm, Saturday 9am-4pm, Sunday 9am-3pm, Please call before your visit to see what is in season to avoid disappointment. Pick-your-own cherries are usually available in December. Pick your own in season (Pick your own finishes 1hr prior to closing times) $3.50-$5 (you can also buy picked berries or stone fruit). Hillside Orchard and Craft Centre facebook page. - Huntley Berry Farm - strawberries, raspberries, currants,
youngberries, brambleberries and other berries
Huntley Road, Huntley, NSW 2800. Phone: (02) 6365 5282. Alternate phone: 0427 252 308. Email: huntleyberryfarm@octec.org.au. Open: Monday to Friday : 9am to 4pm for picking when berries available and for jam sales all year; Weekends: 10 am to 4 pm from October - April ONLY. Directions: near Orange airport. Huntley Berry Farm is an OCTEC-owned and operated Australian Disability Enterprise, as well as a significant contributor to Orange's reputation for high quality locally grown produce. The farm has long been known for its large variety of berries, which visitors can pick themselves between November and May each year. And now the farm has many other experiences to offer following recent development of its facilities. It's a great place for a picnic or children's birthday party, sitting under the shade of magnificent trees, with extensive grass areas for games and the farm's free ranging chooks foraging nearby. Your picnic fare can be supplemented with berry ice blocks from the shop which also has a wide range of gourmet jams, fruit syrups and vinegars available for sale. Nov-May, strawberries raspberries, currants, youngberries, brambleberries and other berries feijoas. Click here for a link to our Facebook page. (UPDATED: May 15, 2019, JBS) - Koolkuna Berries - Spring and autumn raspberries,
strawberries, English gooseberries, currants, blueberries,
brambleberries and jostaberries.
Nowendoc Road, Niangala, NSW 2221. Email: I cannot find ANY means to contact them. Open: Late Nov-May. $10-$15. - Menah Orchard - peaches, apricots, nectarines, plums,
olives, pecans, almonds, apples, quinces, pears
Lot 9, Gulgong Road, Mudgee, NSW. Phone: 0000 000. Open:December to March, I cannot find ANY means to contact them. - Norland Fig Orchard - figs
Bradley Road, Borenore, NSW. Phone: 0000 000. Open: I cannot find ANY means to contact them; Pickers are allowed in near the end of the fig season. Call from mid-April to verify picking dates; about $4.50. -
Ricardoes Tomatoes and
U-Pick Strawberry Farm - strawberries, tomatoes,
221 Blackmans Point Road, Port Macquarie, NSW. Phone: 02 6585 0663. Email: info@ricardoes.com . Open: 7 Days A Week, Farm Gate Sales from 7am to 5pm Mon-Fri, and 8am to 5pm Sat-Sun; the Big Red Cafe from 9am to 3pm; December to February. Directions: Ricardoes Tomatoes & Strawberries is located just ten minutes north of Port Macquarie on the Mid North Coast of NSW; just 10 minutes north of Port Macquarie. Ricardoes offers two acres of state-of-the-art computerised technology controlled greenhouses. Ricardoes produce is high quality and hydroponically grown tomatoes and strawberries free of insects and disease. See, touch, and taste up to 8 different types of tomato at this environmentally friendly farm and pick luscious strawberries from more than 30,000 plants. The Sarks brothers (who own the farm) work hard to offer the best quality fruit and you really will be tasting tomatoes and strawberries the way nature intended. Call in to Ricardoes Tomatoes & Strawberries and experience the pleasure of picking your own plump, luscious strawberries. Ricardoes boast 5 varieties of hydroponic strawberries, with over 30,000 plants growing in their greenhouse, and that is in addition to the 8 varieties of tomatoes they grow. Click here for a link to our Facebook page.
UPDATE for 2023: Great season: pick your own plump, luscious strawberries. Ricardoes has 5 varieties of hydroponic strawberries, with over 30,000 plants growing vertically, which means easy to pick, n their greenhouse, and that is in addition to the 8 varieties of tomatoes they grow.
UPDATE for 2021: The farm is hurting from the lockdowns, so if you are able; get out there . They've been making all the unpicked strawberries into strawberry jam see this news story about the Sark's strawberry jam.
(UPDATED: October 5, 2020 JBS)
The listings are frequently updated, but often they don't tell us current prices, so the prices unless you see this year's update date.
Other Local Farm Products (Honey, Horses, Milk, Meat, Eggs, Etc.)
(NOT pick-your-own, unless they are also listed above)
In addition to listings of farms, I hope the following pages are helpful to you!
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!
Simple instructions:
Canning and Freezing
FAQs - Answers to common questions and problems
Comprehensive addition resources
Free publications to download and print
Canning equipment
To can (bottle, jar) most acidic foods, like jams, jellies, salsa, fruit products like applesauce, apple butter,
peaches, etc, you need the following:
A canner - a large pot, usually 33 qts, which can hold 7 quart jars or 12 8 ounce jars. And large pot with a lid will work, so long
as each jar will be submerged by at least 1 inch of boiling water.
This is a good canner,
and here is a canning kit, but Amazon seems to have difficulty keeping them in stock.
If
you want to can low acid foods like canned green beans, sweet corn, meats, etc., you MUST use a
pressure canner. It reaches higher temperatures which are needed to kill mold and botulism. The jars, lids and other equipment are the
same.
Canning rack - The canning rack is critical, just be sure it fits inside your canning pot. It allows you to safely and easily lift the jars in and out of the canner.
Miscellaneous tools - Some kits contain most of the tools you'll need like this
canning
tools kit.
Jar tongs (to pick up hot jars)
Jar funnel - good ones also help you measure the headspace and cover the rim from splashes
Canning Lid rack - to hold the lids while they are sanitizing in a small pot of boiling water
Supplies -
canning jars - these come in the modern lid and ring system and some
older version. Most have change to the two piece lid and ring method since it ENORMOUSLY reduces spoilage. Like everything else, jars can be hard to
obtain. Some commercial products, like spaghetti sauce, sometimes come in a sturdy jar that fits the standard lid and ring.
lids and rings (a.k.a, "bands")
Pectin (if you are making jam or
jelly)
WECK Small-Batch Preserving: Recipes for Canning, Fermenting, Pickling, and More