2024 Little Rock area of Arkansas Blackberry U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Blackberry U-Pick Orchards in Little Rock area of Arkansas in 2024, by county

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

Faulkner County

• Caney Creek Berry Farm - blackberries, blueberries, restrooms
  2568 Little Creek Drive, Conway, AR 72032. Phone: 501-548-0475. Email: ccberryfarm@yahoo.com. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, WIC Vouchers. . Alternate Phone: 501-339-6947. . Blackberries Ripen during June and early July; Blueberries Ripen during June and July and sometimes into August; We are a small operation and we pick about half of the berries ourselves and they are sold at the Conway Farmers Market or as On Farm Pickup Orders; We do Offer U Pick by Appointment for Blueberries and Blackberries; Please give us a call and set up a time to come pick or place an order for prepicked berries; Don't Forget to Like Us on FaceBook! Thanks, David. We accept WIC Vouchers at the Conway Farmers Market Only.
  Comments from a visitor on July 10, 2011: "Hello! I wanted to thank you for maintaining this site. My family and I were visiting relatives in Conway, Arkansas and used the site to find a blueberry farm there. We visited in July 2011 and thoroughly enjoyed it! The blackberry and blueberry farm was very well maintained. The grass was cut between rows and the bushes were easy to get to. The owner, David, was very friendly. We had a great time and got to take home some delicious blackberries and blueberries. Thank you!"

Jefferson County

• Pense Nursery, Inc. - blackberries, blueberries, strawberries,
  P.o. Box 449, Mountainburg, AR 72946. Phone: 479-217-1163. Email: dj3897508@gmail.com. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Visa, MasterCard.
  Pense Nursery, Inc. Facebook page. . Monday to Fri: 9:30 am to 4:30 pm (CST), Sat/Sun/Holiday: closed. (ADDED: May 11, 2022)

Perry County

• Cherokee Farms - blackberries, melons, pumpkins, Christmas wreaths and boughs, Christmas decorations, pumpkin patch-pick in the field
  2 Hartman Lane P O Box 214, Houston, AR 72070. Phone: 501 759-2266. Email: candp1@earthlink.net. Directions: Hwy 60 from Perryville to Houston - turn left on 113 - take first right which is Pine Street - follow to end of street and continue right turn - ashphalt turns into gravel - continue down road past two gravel roads on right and we are the first and only driveway past that the latter gravel road on right - opposite Cherokee National Wildlife Management area. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. . . UPDATE for 2021, Their website is gone; There's nothing else about them on the internet, so I assume they have closed. If you have any information to the contrary, please write me. We are here at the farm from 8:00 am to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, Saturday at Farmers market until 12:30 p.m. in Perryville, Arkansas. Saturday and Sunday afternoons from 1:00 pm to 5:00 p.m. Click here for a map to our farm. Crops are usually available in May, June, September, October. We are currently planting Leyland Cypress trees for future Christmas tree farm and also have fresh preserves available As we grow we will be adding many more activities and hope that you will check back often on our web site to see our different events

Pulaski County

• Berry Haven Farms - Uses natural growing practices, blueberries, blackberries,
  28114 Nichols Loop Road, Little Rock, AR 72223. Phone: (501) 821-4445. Email: mark@greenthumblr.com. Open: June and July until berries quit producing; Normally 7 am to 12:00 pm Monday thru Saturday; See our Facebook page for more details. Directions: We are located 15 minutes west of Baptist hospital. Starting at I430 and highway 10 \(cantrell road\) Go west 8.3 miles. Turn left on Garrison and go 3.8 miles to Nichols Loop. Turn right and there you are. Located across the street from Green Thumb Water Garden Center. Remember NO sales tax charged on pick your own berries here. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx. Berry Haven Farms Alternate Phone: (501) 425-6631. . Just come regular business hours. Go to green thumb to get your picking box and start picking! We are closed on Sunday but open the rest of the week! We are located 15 minutes west of Baptist hospital. Starting at I/430 and highway 10 (cantrell road) Go west 8.3 miles. Turn left on Garrison and go 3.8 miles to Nichols Loop. Turn right and there you are. Located across the street from Green Thumb Water Garden Center. Remember NO sales tax charged on pick your own berries here. We use natural practices, but are not yet certified Organic. (ADDED: June 16, 2018)
• BoBrook Farms - blackberries, blueberries, muscadines, pumpkins, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, face painting, farm animals, birthday parties, school tours, Field Trips, Weddings, winery.
  13810 Combee Lane, Roland, AR 72135. Phone: 501-519-5666. Email: bobrookfarms@gmail.com. Open: See website for specific dates and times. Directions: 5 miles past Pinnacle Mountain State Park on highway 300. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard.
  BoBrook Farms Facebook page. . . has been family owned and operated since 1994. This private country setting is located in Roland, AR just past Pinnacle Mountain State Park. We are a working farm as well as an event venue and winery. Our crops include but are not limited to: blueberries, blackberries, muscadines, and pumpkins. Whether you are looking to get the family out for one of our seasonal activities, planning a wedding, or want to have a relaxing glass of wine, has it all. Facebook page.
• Hidden Valley Farm - blackberries, blueberries, raspberries (Spring, red), pumpkins
  719 Ferncliff Rd, Little Rock, AR 72223. Phone: 501-821-2929. Email: farmerdonferndale2@yahoo.com. Open: CALL BEFORE YOU GO - 7 days a week! Monday through Sunday 7am until 7pm. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. Phone: (501) 960-4577. . Call before coming out to verify for availability. Raspberries: June 1st to August, Blueberries: June 15th to August, Blackberries: June 15th to August. We use natural practices, but are not seeking organic certification. Payment: Cash, Check.
• Wye Mountain Flowers and Berries - Minimizes chemical and pesticide use, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries (red), restrooms, picnic area, farm animals
  20309 Highway 113, Roland, AR 72135. Phone: 501-330-1906. Email: farm@wyemountain.net. Open: See our website and Facebook page for current hours and days. Directions: From Little Rock: Take Highway 10Cantrell Road west about 20 miles to the end of lake Maumelle. Make a right turn onto Highway 113 and go north 4 miles. We will be the second drive on the right just past the Hundley and Underwood Road intersection. Watch for the signs. From Conway: Cross the Toad Suck Bridge and take Highway 60 to the intersection of Highway 113 and make left. Pass through Bigelow and continue on Highway 113 eight more miles. You will see the Berry Patch and signs on the left. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.
  Wye Mountain Flowers and Berries Facebook page. . Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. From Little Rock: Take Highway 10/Cantrell Road west about 20 miles to the end of lake Maumelle. Make a right turn onto Highway 113 and go north 4 miles. We will be the second drive on the right just past the Hundley and Underwood Road intersection. Watch for the signs. From Conway: Cross the Toad Suck Bridge and take Highway 60 to the intersection of Highway 113 and make left. Pass through Bigelow and continue on Highway 113 eight more miles. You will see the Berry Patch and signs on the left. As the season allows we will have assorted pre-picked vegetables and flowers.

 

Blackberry Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

In the U.S. Blackberries typically peak during June in the South, and in July in the North. Crops are ready at various times of the month depending on which part of the state you are located. In order to produce good local Blackberries, producers depend on ideal spring and early summer weather conditions. See this page for a list of blackberry festivals around the U.S.

Before you leave to go to the farm:

1. Always call before you go to the farm - And when they are in season, a large turnout can pick a field clean before noon, so CALL first!
2. Leave early.  On weekends, then fields may be picked clean by NOON!
    
3. Most growers furnish picking containers designed for Blackberries, but they may charge you for them; be sure to call before you go to see if you need to bring containers.
   If you use your own containers, remember that heaping Blackberries more than 5 inches deep will bruise the lower berries. Plastic dishpans, metal oven pans with 3 inch tall sides and large pots make good containers. I like the Glad storage containers like the one at right.
4. 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 Blackberries

1. There are two types of blackberries to know about: thorny and thornless! Obviously, the thornless are easier to pick, but some people claim the thorny varieties are sweeter. With the thorny plants, you want to reach into the plant in the gaps, so you don't need to touch anything but the berry you're after, avoiding the thorns.
2. A ripe blackberry is deep black with a plump, full feel. It will pull free from the plant with only a slight tug.  If the berry is red or purple, it's not ripe yet.
3. Repeat these operations using both hands until each holds 3 or 4 berries.Unlike strawberries, blackberries are usually pretty tough, I dump mine into the bucket. Repeat the picking process with both hands.
4. Don't overfill your containers or try to pack the berries down.

General Picking Tips

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

1. Pick only the berries that are fully black. Reach in between the stems to grab for hidden berries ready for harvest. Bend down and look up into the plant and you will find loads of berries that other people missed!
2. Avoid placing the picked berries 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. Blackberries may be kept fresh in the refrigerator for up to a week, depending upon the initial quality of the berry. After a few days in storage, however, the fruit loses its bright color and fresh flavor and tends to shrivel.

When you get home

1. DON'T wash the berries until you are ready to use them or freeze them.  Washing makes them more prone to spoiling.
2. Pour them out into shallow pans and remove any mushed, soft or rotting berries
3. Put a couple of days supply into the fridge, wash  off the others, drain them and freeze them up! (Unless you're going to make jam right away) Blackberries are less perishable than blueberries or strawberries, but refrigerate them as soon as possible after picking. Temperatures between 34 F and 38 F are best, but, be careful not to freeze the blackberries (while they are in the fridge)!
4. Even under ideal conditions blackberries will only keep for a week in a refrigerator, so for best flavor and texture, use them as soon as possible after purchase

Blackberry Recipes, Freezing and Jam directions

1. How to make Blackberry jam - It is VERY easy - especially with our free Blackberry jam directions - very easy!
2. How to make Blackberry jelly
3. How to freeze berries
4. Blackberry syrup, make and can it! 
5. Seedless blackberry pie!
6. Blackberry Festivals: Where, When and More to Find an Blackberry Festival Near You this year:

Blackberry Facts and Tips

• Black Raspberries, also known as "black caps" are a very healthy food; packed with anthocyanins!
• The USDA says 1 cup of blackberries has about 62 calories.
• 1 cup of blackberries, not packed down weighs about 140 grams.
• Select plump, firm, fully blackberries. Unripe berries will not ripen once picked.
• Ohio State University's Article Regarding Their Prevention of Cancer
• Oregon Berry Black Raspberry Brochure
• Blackberry tea was said to be a cure for dysentery during the Civil War. During outbreaks of dysentery, temporary truces were declared to allow both Union and Confederate soldiers to "go blackberrying" to forgage for blackberries to ward off the disease.
• Blackberries were enjoyed by the ancient Greeks, who believed them to be a cure for diseases of the mouth and throat, as well as a preventative against many ailments, including gout.
• The blackberry leaf was also used as an early hair dye, having been recommended by Culpeper, the English herbalist, to be boiled in a lye solution in order to "maketh the hair black".
• Guide to blackberry varieties
• Researchers have known for quite some time that berries contain antioxidants which help to fight cancer causing free radicals.  A study at the University of Ohio has found that blackberries are the most potent cancer fighting berries of them all, by nearly 40 percent!
• U-pick Blackberry farms typically sell berries by the pound. A quart equals 1 and 1/2 pounds of fresh berries.
• Do the math and be careful not to over-purchase as Blackberries quickly mold when left at room temperature, and only last a couple of days in the refrigerator.
• You can easily freeze berries that you cannot use right away - just wash, cut the hulls off and pop them into a ziplock bag, removing as much air as possible.  Those vacuum food sealers REALLY do a good job of this! The berries will keep for many months frozen without air.
• Want to go to a blackberry festival? See this page for a list!

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