2024 San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties in California Bean U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Bean U-Pick Orchards in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties in California in 2024, by county

Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for beans that we know of in this area. Not all areas of any state, nor even every state, have beans 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.

San Luis Obispo County

• BeeWench Farm - Registered naturally grown, apples, asparagus, beans, beets, broccoli, carrots, corn (sweet), cucumbers, eggplant, flowers, horseradish, herbs or spices, lavender, melons, onions, peas, peppers, pumpkins, summer squash, winter squash, strawberries, tomatoes, other vegetables, Other fruit or veg, Turkeys, Honey from hives on the farm, Fresh eggs, picnic area you may bring your own food, farm animals, school tours, group reservations
  198 San Juan Rd, Shandon, CA 93461. Phone: 805-423-7187. Email: info@beewenchfarm.com. Open: Thursday and Friday 9am to 1pm By appointment. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard.
  BeeWench Farm Facebook page. . . We are registered naturally grown for all crops. is located on 10 beautiful acres in Shandon where we raise pastured chicken, pastured pork, dairy goats and hens for eggs. We sell meat and eggs at local farmers markets, on the farm and via the Community Supported Agriculture model. Our pastured chicken is also featured on the menu at local restaurants specializing in fresh, organically grown food. (UPDATED: May 02, 2018, JBS) ((ADDED: February 18, 2015)
• Jack Creek Farms - Uses natural growing practices, beans, cucumbers, flowers, herbs or spices, lavender, olallieberries, onions, peas, pumpkins, summer squash, tomatoes, other vegetables, Honey from hives on the farm, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, farm animals, birthday parties, weddings and wedding parties, school tours
  5000 Highway 46 West, Templeton, CA 93465. Phone: 805-239-1915. Email: info@JackCreekFarms.com. Open: Late May through September Thursday, Friday Saturday and Monday 10 am to 6 pm Sunday 11 am to 6 pm Closed on Tuesday and Wednesday; October Thursday, Friday Saturday, Monday and Tuesday 10 am to 6 pm Sunday 11 am to 6 pm Closed on Wednesday November Thursday, Friday Saturday and Monday 10 am to 5 pm Sunday 11 am to 5 pm Closed on Tuesday and Wednesday; December Please check website - dates and hours are dependent upon weather. Directions: Our farm is midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles in San Luis Obispo County, about a half hour drive from Hearst Castle. We are located west of Templeton and Paso Robles; and east of Cambria, Harmony and Cayucos, on Highway 46 West. If you are coming from the north or south on Highway 101, we are located about 7 miles west of Highway 101 on Highway 46 West. If you are traveling from Highway 1, we are exactly 16 miles east of Highway 1 on Highway 46 West. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover.
  Jack Creek Farms Facebook page. . Our farm offers a number of special events each year including an annual Kid's Day on the Farm (August), Old-fashioned Threshing Bee (September - Labor Day Weekend), Heirloom Tomato Tasting (September), Scarecrow Contest (September through October), Pumpkin Painting Workshop (October) and more; Please check our website for exact dates and times; For updates on our current harvest, please check the bottom left-hand side of every page on our website. We use natural practices, but are not seeking organic certification. We offer u-pick with almost every crop grown on our farm.You can pick your own sweet onions and garlic in early June, and blackberries from our olallieberry patch in late June and early July. Middle July means u-pick lavender season, for buds or bundles. July and August means u-pick peach and plum season. In August we have available for u-pick all of our heirloom tomatoes (over 50 different varieties), and September through November means u-pick apple season.(UPDATED: October 02, 2021, JBS)
• SLO Creek Farms - Certified Organic, apples, beans, beets, carrots, corn (sweet), cucumbers, flowers, herbs or spices, lavender, melons, onions, peas, peppers, pumpkins, summer squash, winter squash, tomatoes, Honey from hives on the farm, porta-potties are available, picnic area, birthday parties, weddings and wedding parties, school tours, events at your location (call for info)
  6455 Monte Rd, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401. Phone: (702)245-3135. Email: slocreekfarms@live.com. Open: everyday, from 11:00am to 5:00pm, Mid August through Mid December. Directions: On the East side of highway 101 and San Luis Bay Drive. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check.
  SLO Creek Farms Facebook page. . Fax: (702)261-0060. . Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. We do not use pesticides on the crops. U-Pick Organic Apples. Start a family tradition by visiting SLO Creek Farms in beautiful San Luis Obispo, CA. We invite you and your family to come wander our orchard as you search for the best apples. Grab one of our apple baskets to fill with the apples you choose straight from the tree. Make sure you taste the apples and eat as many as you can along the way. It's free to pick, just purchase the apples you take home with you. With 40 acres of organic apple trees, there are plenty to go around. Go ahead and bring your friends and family and make picking apples a fun family event. We have the following apples: Jonalicious, Empire, Early Fuji, Gala, September Wonders, Sundancers, Granny Smith, and Braeburn. More details about each variety are listed on the apple schedule page. All Ages Welcome! (UPDATED: May 02, 2018, JBS)
  Comments from a visitor on September 22, 2011: "This is a beautiful place to bring your friends and family.They also have pick your own crab apples (aka, crabapples)"

 

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Green Bean, Lima Bean, Shelled Beans Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

When are fresh beans available?

Beans are a warm weather crop, and won't grow much in cold soil. It takes them about 60 to 70 days from seed to harvest.

 In the U.S. beans typically peak in harvesting from June through October in the South, and in July to September in the North. But they can be ready as early as early June in many places, if the weather is good.

  

Before you leave to go to the farm:

1. Always call before you go to the farm - it's hard to pick in a muddy field!
2. Most growers furnish picking containers designed for beans, but they may charge you for them; be sure to call before you go to see if you need to bring containers.
3. Bring something to drink and a few snacks; you'd be surprised how you can work up a thirst and appetite! And don't forget hats and sunscreen for the sun. Bugs usually aren't a problem, but some deet might be good to bring along if it has been rainy.

  

Tips on How to Pick Beans

Whether you pick beans from your garden or at a Pick-Your-Own farm, here are a few tips to keep in mind.

Tips on How to Pick Green Beans

1. Most beans these days are "stringless". That refers to a string, tough filament of the bean that runs along the outside from one end to the other.  Some beans have two, one on each side; and some have one.
2. I prefer to snap the bean off the plant just below where the stem attaches to the bean. If you do this, it will save time when you get home, because one end of the bean has already been trimmed.  But this only makes sense if you will be using, cooking, canning or freezing the beans that day. 
3. If you won't be using the beans the same day, then break  off the bean from the plant along the thin stem that connects the bean to the plant.
4. The beans snap off pretty easily. hence the name "snap beans".
5. Pole beans are the easiest to pick, because, since they grow up poles or twine, you don't have to squat down or bend over!
6. Beans are ready for harvest when the pods are plump and firm, but not yet bulging. .
7. In your own garden, pick your beans regularly to encourage more growth and prevent the pods from becoming tough and stringy.
8. To harvest, hold the stem of the plant with one hand and gently snap the pod with the other..

Look for string, snap or green beans that are :

1. firm
2. green (not yellowish - unless you're picking yellow beans!)
3. smooth, not wrinkly on the surface - that's an old or dried out bean. Snap beans are best when the pods are firm and snap readily, but before the seeds within the pod develop. The tips should be pliable
4. not lumpy - those lumps are the beans that are developed - that's an overripe green bean!  Of course, if you want mature beans (not including the pod) then that's a different story, but we're talking about green beans here).
5. The beans in the photo at right are, from left:
   - old and yellowing,
   - overripe and lumpy; and
   - dried out and damaged.
6. Avoid placing the picked beans in the sunlight any longer than necessary. It is better to put them in the shade of a tree or shed than in the car trunk or on the car seat. Cool them as soon as possible after picking. I prefer to bring a cooler with ice in it. Green Beans may be kept fresh in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days

 

When you get home

1. After harvesting, store your beans in the refrigerator or blanch and freeze them for longer storage.
2. Put them in the vegetable crisper in the fridge, in a loose plastic bag.
3. They will be good for about a week like that.

  

Bean recipes and home canning

Now, get ready to can or freeze the extra beans - It is VERY easy! Click on the links for easy instructions.

1. How to can green beans, yellow beans, snap beans, broad beans, etc.
2. How to make pickled beans
3. How to freeze green beans (and other beans)
4. How to Freeze Lima Beans, Broad beans, Butter Beans and/or Pinto Beans
5. Canning fresh shelled beans
6. Canned dried beans and peas (from kidney beans, peas, lima beans, broadbeans, chickpeas, pole beans, etc.)
7. Canned Baked  Beans With Tomato or Molasses Sauce
8. Canned Baked  Beans With Back, Pork or Ham and Tomato or Molasses Sauce -
9. Pickled green beans
10. Pickled Dill beans
11. Mustard beans (pickled mustard beans)
12. Pickled Three-Bean Salad

Varieties

There are many different types of beans, each with their own unique flavor, texture, and growing requirements. Some of the most popular varieties include:

• Green Beans: Also known as snap beans or string beans, green beans are a classic garden staple. They can be eaten fresh or cooked and come in bush and pole varieties.
• Lima Beans: Lima beans (called Broad Beans or Butter Beans in the UK) are a nutritious and protein-rich vegetable that can be eaten fresh or dried. They require a long growing season and prefer warm temperatures.
• Pole Beans: Pole beans are a climbing variety of bean that require support to grow. They can reach up to 10 feet tall and have a longer growing season than bush beans.
• Dried Beans: Dried beans are a versatile pantry staple that can be used in soups, stews, and other dishes. Popular varieties include black beans, navy beans, kidney beans, black beans, garbanzo (aka, chick peas) and pinto beans

• s, navy beans, kidney beans, black beans, garbanzo (aka, chick peas) and pinto beans

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