2024 Ventura County, California Blackberry U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Blackberry U-Pick Orchards in Ventura County, California 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.

Ventura County

• McGrath Family Farm - CERTIFIED ORGANIC, beets, blackberries, cherries, other berries, raspberries (red), raspberries (Spring, red), strawberries, tomatoes, winter squash,
  1012 Ventura Boulevard, Camarillo, CA 93010. Phone: 805 983-0333. Email: McGrath.familyfarms@verizon.net. Open: from 9 to 6 daily, mid March through December 31st, call ahead to check availability. Directions: Headed south on 101 freeway exit Central Avenue in Camarillo and right turn on to Ventura Blvd. Market is on your left. Heading north on 101 freeway exit Central Avenue in Camarillo and go left over freeway overpass and right turn on to Ventura Blvd. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard.
  McGrath Family Farm Facebook page. . Alternate Phone: 805 485-4210. Fax: 805 983-3388. . We are certified organic for all crops! School tours welcome. Check our website for more information and for prices. We offer a Community Supported Agriculture program Spring Summer and Fall. Call for prices or visit our website. Farming on the coast of Southern California for 5 generations is the finest blessing this Irish American farm family could ever hope for- the deepest topsoil and the best climate produces a utopian garden farm. We are a sustainable farm that grows a high diversity of year-round organic fruits and vegetables for our community. Come shop the SEASONS at our roadside market! (UPDATED: June 29, 2019, JBS)
• Underwood Family Farms Somis - blueberries, Strawberries, Raspberries & Blackberries
  5696 Los Angeles Avenue, Somis, CA 93066. Phone: 805-386-4660. Open: PYO Blueberries from Memorial Day Weekend through mid-July, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm; Daily. Directions: Located in Somis or at Tierra Rejada in Moorpark, where you can purchase their field-fresh produce and say hi to their farm animals. Click here for a map and directions. . Fax: 805-386-3994. Tractor Rides to the Fields (9am -2pm Weekends only), Free Parking. 1lb & 2 lb Containers Provided; Priced by the Pound. Underwood is a pick-your-own grower of a wide variety of fresh vegetables and fruits in Ventura County, California. They offer a wide variety of services and activities tailored for the entire family, including pick-your-own produce, birthday parties at their Farm Animal Center, school tours, gift baskets (shipped anywhere in the U.S.), and the Fall Harvest Festival in October. You can also visit them at one of their Farm Markets, . Or visit them at one of the 12 Certified Farmers' Markets that they participate in throughout the week. NOTE: There is admission fee to pick, so be sure you read this page on Underwood's website. Bring the entire family, young & old, for a fun, educational day "out on the farm." Children love it! For your convenience, we have a number of pull-wagons to transport your "prize pickings" and/or children from the field to the Farm Market area. There is no reservation required for pick-your-own. Only for educational, school farm tours. Underwood Family Farms Moorpark (Tierra Rejada) - strawberries, tomatoes, vegetables3370 Sunset Valley Road, Moorpark, CA 93066. Phone: 805-529-3690. Fax: 805-529-6037. Pick Your Own Roma Tomatoes are available for picking on Labor Day Weekend - Saturday, September 2 & Sunday, September 3 from 6:00am to 12:00pm. The price is $.25/pound. Offers a Farm Market, Animal Center, Pick Your Own Produce, Fall Festival at Underwood Family Farms in Moorpark (see below) Wagon Rides, Birthday Parties, Educational Tours. At Underwood Family Farms in Moorpark, you and your family can enjoy the true farm experience. Come pick your ownfruits and vegetables on our fully operational working farm. It's a great day outdoors for the entire family! You can also enjoy the convenience of shopping at ourFarm Marketfor the same field-fresh produce, jarred products, snacks, and ice-cold beverages.Educational Farm Toursbring school groups from far and wide to pick fruits and vegetables and learn about farm life. TheFarm Animal Centerhas farm animal displays, pony rides, activities and games. You can even host a child's birthday party by reservation. Weddings also take place in the walnut grove at the back of the farm.Fall Harvest Festival at Tierra Rejada Family Farms, October. Pick-your-own pumpkin in our HUGE pumpkin patch, Clydesdale-drawn hay rides, antique and new farm equipment and machinery displays, fun photo ops, GIANT PUMPKIN display, and pick-your-own fruits and vegetables. Baby animal petting and grooming corral, Pony rides. (UPDATED: April 27, 2015, JBS)

 

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