Find a local pick your own farm here!

Blackberry U-Pick Orchards in Southwest Colorado 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.

Delta County

  • Orchard Valley Farms and Black Ridge Winery - ORGANIC, raspberries, pumpkins, apples, pears, peaches, blackberries, cherries, grapes, farm raised Beef, Weddings, Farm Market, Wine Tasting Room
    15836 Black Bridge Road, Paonia, CO 81428. Phone: 970-527-6838. Email: kendal.butterfield@gmail.com. Open: 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, seven days a week, from Memorial Day to Halloween. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions.
    Orchard Valley Farms and Black Ridge Winery Facebook page. . . We are open Map. We offer the finest organically grown apples, pears, peaches, cherries, blackberries, raspberries, grapes, and vegetables in season. Pick your own produce, wander the gardens and orchard, visit our market and wine tasting room. Then picnic along the beautiful Gunnison River. We also have a tempting variety of gourmet products and gifts - vinegars, oils, salsas, jams and jellies, syrups, butters, mustards, chutneys, and honey. Orchard Valley Farms and Market and Black Bridge Winery Facebook page. U-Pick produce - from raspberries in June to pumpkins in October: We sell fresh from the fields in our market. Want even fresher? Pick your own produce. Our fruit orchards, berry patches, vegetable gardens and pumpkin patch give visitors a true farm experience. In season, check our Facebook page or get our e-news to see what's ready for picking. We furnish U-pickers with a wagon to fill with produce (or kids!) and a map of the farm. Their wedding venue gives you access to a riverfront wedding and vineyard reception, complete with views of the West Elk Mountains, luscious green grass, duck pond, bountiful fruit trees, rustic bridge, and lovely farm scenery. Our unique location is available for your dream rehearsal, ceremony, and reception! Here you have the freedom to make your dreams come true for your special day! Contact us for dates and prices: Kendal at 530-205-5409, or Jessi at 970-640-4346, jmheinritz@live.com. Black Bridge Beef - Alongside our orchard and winery, we raise beef. Our cattle are raised with the upmost care and consideration. Enjoy our home-grown, farm-raised beef. Beef is locally raised and sourced here in the North Fork Valley. Complete your dinner tonight with beef! Frozen ground beef, steaks and roasts available. Farm market with Fresh and sustainably grown fruit and produce, plus local to global artisan crafted foods and gifts are available in our Paonia, Colorado farm market and online store. Black Bridge wines are crafted from our West Elks estate grown vineyards or from full-flavored fruit from our orchards. Taste the magic in a glass and discover your favorite wines! Our wines are made in limited quantities and sell out, so we encourage you to stock up when you visit or join our Wine Club for deliveries to your door.
  • Uncle Johnny's U-Pick Farm - Uses natural growing practices, apples, apricots, beans, beets, blackberries, cherries, cucumbers, currants (red and black), grapes, peaches, peppers, plums, pumpkins, raspberries (Autumn, red), summer squash, winter squash, strawberries, tomatoes, other vegetables, Cider mill (fresh apple cider made on the premises), U-pick and already picked, picnic area, farm animals, weddings and wedding parties
    18561 Surface Creek Road, Cedaredge, CO 81413. Phone: . Email: 22arniebclarke@gmail.com. Open: UPDATE for 2021, The now former owner says they sold the farm, and he expects the new owners will continue it as a U-Pick. Directions: from the stoplight in Cedaredge @main street and highway 65 turn east, travel 1 mile on east main to the rodeo grounds, turn north on surface creek road, go about 1-34 miles to 18561 surface creek road on the left hand side. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. Uncle Johnny's U-Pick Farm Email- . 7 days a week 8 amto8 pm (by appointment) during harvest season. from the stoplight in Cedaredge @main street and highway 65 turn east, travel 1 mile on east main to the rodeo grounds, turn north on surface creek road, go about 1-3/4 miles to 18561 surface creek road on the left hand side. We use natural practices, but are not seeking organic certification. Free range pork is grown on a pre-paid reserved basis by 1/4-1/2 or whole pig. Custom Processing, using your cutting and packaging instructions is extra and will be scheduled when pigs are at their prime.

Montezuma County

  • Jones Farm - Uses natural growing practices, blackberries, corn (sweet), cucumbers, flowers, herbs or spices, lavender, peppers, pumpkins, winter squash, tomatoes, other vegetables, Honey from hives on the farm, U-pick and already picked, petting zoo, farm animals, birthday parties
    25450 Road M, Cortez, CO 81321. Phone: 970-799-2785. Email: bjones472@q.com. Open: Daily August 15 to November 15 from 1 pm to 7 pm. Directions: Located on Road M between Lebanon Road and Mildred Road, approximately one mile north of the Cortez City Limits. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. . Alternate Phone: 970-564-4451. . PumpkinFest is the third week-end in October and the corn maze is open from October 1st through October 31st. PumpkinFest is entertaining for the whole family. Enjoy a harvest meal that includes pumpkin cupcakes, hot dogs, and apple cider while the kids swing, play games, visit the petting zoo, or explore the corn maze.

 

Blackberry Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

Wild blackberries for making jamIn 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. blackberries, just pick from a pick your own farmDON'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)