Find a local pick your own farm here!

Bean U-Pick Orchards in Knox, Holmes and Coshocton Counties in central Ohio 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 a 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.

Knox County

  • Covenant Acreage - beans, carrots, corn (sweet), cucumbers, eggplant, flowers, herbs or spices, melons, onions, peas, peppers, rhubarb, summer squash, winter squash, strawberries, tomatoes, other vegetables, prepicked produce
    17001 Smith Road, Fredericktown, OH 43019. Phone: 740-694-1003. Email: covenantacreagefarm@gmail.com. Open: Monday thru Friday 8am to Noon Saturday 8am to 6pm. Directions: Less than 45 mins from Delaware county. Please google address for specific directions from your location. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Visa, MasterCard. Covenant Acreage Crops are usually available in March through September Please call farm phone number below to receive specific harvest dates, times, and events. We use natural practices, but are not seeking organic certificationDelivery is available for pre-phoned/pre-picked orders to the Delaware County and Franklin County communities 2 times per week beginning April ending October. CSA farming programs are available to consumers annually. Please phone us today for details!
  • Knox Berry Farm - beans, peppers, raspberries (black), winter squash, tomatoes,
    11895 Bryant Rd, Mount Vernon, OH 43050. Phone: 740-397-4959. Open: Monday through Sunday seven days a week from 9 am to dark, July 1 to October 31. Directions: Take 13 North from Mount Vernon to the first road on your left, Green Valley Road, and turn left. Go to the second road on your right, Coffing Road, and turn right. Go to the next road on your right, Bryant Road, and turn right. Continue to the end of the road and turn left into the farm. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. Monday through Sunday (seven days a week) from 9 am to dark, July 1 to October 31 Bring Grandma and Grandpa to the youngest child and make some memories on our family farm!. We now also have black raspberries. (UPDATED: March 25, 2021) A visitor writes, on August 17, 2008: "A farm based on the honor system. No one there to staff the booth, just pay for what you got. Don't cheat..it affects all of us. VERY, VERY nice gentleman who actually works for the Knox County Health Dept runs there and was weeding when I talked to him. A great variety of stuff: Hot peppers, bell peppers, blackberries, zucchini, squash, green beans, pumpkins, raspberries, roma and round tomatoes. Good pricing too. A little hard to find, you need to follow the signs. "

 

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)