2024 Coastal Georgia, including the Savannah area Blackberry U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Blackberry U-Pick Orchards in Coastal Georgia, including the Savannah area 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.

Bacon County

• The Blueberry Barn - blueberries, blackberries
  108 W. 12th Street, Alma, GA 31510. Phone: (912)632-2583. Email: awildes2012@gmail.com. Open: Tuesday-Friday, 10am-6pm & Saturday, 9am-2pm. Click here for a map and directions. . is a small, unique, retail store that specializes in all things blueberry. It is full of jams/jellies/syrups/ice cream/bread/candies/snacks/handmade home items/juice/sodas/etc. Alma, GA, is the Blueberry Capital of Georgia and supports and promotes blueberries. During our fresh pick season (late April-June) we offer fresh blueberries straight from the farm to the store. We also host a U-Pick during the first weeks of April. Call for more information about the U-Pick. Price update for 2022: Blackberries $4 a pound if they pick, $3 a pound if you pick. Call 912-288-0705 to schedule an appointment. (ADDED: June 14, 2022, JBS)

Camden County

• Vacuna Farms LLC - Minimizes chemical and pesticide use, blueberries, muscadine grapes, blackberries, peas,
  403 Vacuna Road, Kingsland, GA 31548. Phone: 912-673-9311. Email: vacunafarms@gmail.com. Open: see their Facebook page; The Blueberries should begin to ripen the middle of April and last into July; Please call first to check if the fruit is ripe. Directions: From I95 Georgia exit 1 go west about 3 miles on Scrubby Bluff Road and you will reach US Highway 17, continue across 17 and our gate is located just past the cell tower on the left. You should be able to see the top of cell tower as you approach US 17. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only.
  Vacuna Farms LLC Facebook page. . Alternate Phone: 904-583-2821. . We minimize use of pesticides and other chemicals. We also sell fresh picked sweet corn. In 2020, peas were $1 a pound. Bring your own 5 gallon buckets for easy transport home. Varieties of peas are Texas Cream, Red Rippers, Sadandys and maybe a few purple hulls. We opened our first acre of plants for picking in the spring of 2010. We have over 1700 Southern Highbush Blueberry plants which will begin to ripen in late April before the summer heat arrives. Also over 300 Rabbiteye Blueberry plants that begin to ripen in June.​ We will be adding other cultivars that will extend the picking season to late July. Blueberry season NORMALLY starts the end of April. This year (2020) the early berries were a month early and are gone. Check with us mid MAY. Pesticide Free. We now sell blueberry plants! (UPDATED: September 16, 2020 JBS)

Candler County

• Berry Good Farms - blackberries, pumpkins, strawberries
  RR 3 Box 215 Excelsior, Metter, GA 30439. Phone: 912-685-9869. Email: deloach@gnet.net. Open: April, May, June, July, September, October. Directions: Exit 111 off of I-16, 2 miles to Excelsior, right at 4 way stop, farm is .75 miles on left. . Click here for a map and directions. . Fax: 912-685-6417. . Click here for a map to our farm. We are open Our hours are: Tuesday to Saturday, 8 am to 6pm, Sunday, 1 pm to 6pm Farm is available for tours and field trips. We also grow about 600 acres of flue-cured tobacco with 67 curing barns on site. Also on premises is an old Commissary building which has been refurbished. It is excellent to rent for parties, meetings, or receptions. We use it as a Haunted House during Halloween.

Chatham County

• Ottawa Farms - blackberries, blueberries, muscadine grapes, strawberries, Honey from hives on the farm, porta-potties are available, school tours
  702 Bloomingdale Road, Bloomingdale, GA 31302. Phone: 912-748-3035. Email: ottawafarms@gmail.com. Open: Mid March thru August Tuesday thru Saturday 8 am until 6 pm; Sunday 1 pm until 6 pm, closed on Monday. Directions: Exit 152 from I-16, go north on Bloomingdale Road, go approximately 2 miles, farm is on the right. Hwy 80 turn onto Cherry Street, cross railroad track, farm is on the left. Motor homes and buses, please use service entrance beside railroad track. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. . Fax: 912 748 3035. . Strawberries: Mid March thru April Blackberries: May Blueberries: June Muscadine grapes: September. We will hold our annual Strawberry Festival April 14 & 15, 2012 Entertainment, craft & food vendors, children's activities, fun for the entire family. Saturday 9:00 until 6:00 Sunday 1:00 until 6:00 Admission $5.00 ages 6 and older, children under 6 are admitted free. Our Corn Maze and Pumpkins will be in October, please call for dates and hours of operation. is a third generation family owned farm. U-pick Strawberries, Blackberries and Blueberries. Hormone and Antibiotic free Black Angus beef. Vegetables and melons available spring and summer. Clover honey from our farm. Beginning mid March when the strawberry crop is ready. Hormone and Antibiotic free Black Angus beefWe also have sausage, bacon and pork chops for sale, PLUS our Beef (no growth hormones or antibiotics). No PETS please, no wagons, strollers, backpacks, in the field. We provide picking containers. In 2021, Berries are $3.00 per pound U PICK, if we pick they are $4.00 per pound.
  Comments from a visitor on April 09, 2011: "I always use this site to verify what is in season around me. Today, we went to in Chatham County to pick strawberries. I found the link on your site and it lead me to the flyer and today happened to be Strawberry Festival day. It was a couple of hours away from our home, but we spent the day there playing and picking strawberries, which are delicious! Thank you so much for the information and for taking the time to inform the public about all of these great places. "

Effingham County

• Hodges Farms - strawberries, blackberries, peaches
  8705 Hwy 21, North Newington, GA 30446. Phone: 912-754-7257. Email: hodgesfarm@yahoo.com. Open: Strawberry and Blackberry season which usually starts in March thru JuneMay and early June, Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 5 pm and Sunday from 1 pm to 5 pm. Click here for a map and directions.
  Hodges Farms Facebook page. . facebook page. (UPDATED: February 26, 2021 JBS) A visitor writes on June 27, 2020: "this farm is still active..we were 1 week too late, their blueberry season ended on June 21..will reopen again in march 2021" (UPDATED: March 24, 2010, GAMB)

Screven County

• Hodges Farm - Strawberries, blackberries
  8705 Highway 21 North, Newington, GA 30446. Phone: 912-754-7257. Open: Strawberries can start as early as late February, but March and April are the typical harvest months. Click here for a map and directions. . Phone: (912) 687-6448. We are a local family owned "Pick Your Own" or "We Pick" farm of Strawberries and Thornless Blackberries. Please stop in to get some fresh berries , jams, jellies or local Honey or just to sit and catch up with owners Eddie & Christy Hodges. We are located on the Effingham/Screven County border just 20 minutes from Statesboro and 50 minutes from Downtown Savannah.
• Jacobs Produce - Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries
  22695 Scarboro Highway, Rocky Ford, GA 30455. Phone: 912-863-7522. Email: jacobsproduce@yahoo.com. Open: Monday to Saturday from 7:30 am to 6 pm; Sunday from 2 pm to 5 pm. Click here for a map and directions.
  Jacobs Produce Facebook page. . a family owned and operated business started in 1993 with our first strawberry patch. Today, we have farm fresh fruits, vegetables, and more available seasonally.Jacobs' Produce is a locally owned business and specializes in fresh produce beginning in April that continues through early September each year. A variety of vegetables are available throughout the produce season, and we plan to update our customers with the available ones as they become ready. If you cannot make it out to our store during the week, check us out at the Farmers Market in Statesboro on Saturday's from 9:00a.m.- 12:30 p.m. We are also now offering home delivery in designated areas with Farm Fresh Express. Go to our website to learn more. Don't hesitate to call us with questions about where we are located, when certain vegetables will be available, etc. We look forward to seeing you! Facebook page. Our location is about 15 miles outside of Statesboro into Screven County. on Hwy 17.
• Wade Plantation - blackberries, strawberries, and prepicked produce, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms
  752 Oglethorpe Trail Highway 301 North, Sylvania, GA 30467. Phone: 912-829-3391. Directions: From Sylvania take Highway 301 North approximately 18 miles. Turn left at the Wade Plantation sign. Immediately begin looking for signs on the left. Follow signs. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. Fax: 912-829-3599. Call BEFORE you got; I haven't found an update in YEARS - Monday thru Saturday 9 am to 6 pm. Sunday 1 pm to 6 pm. Crops are usually available in April, May, June, July. Strawberries available April & May. Blackberries available June & July.

Tattnall County

• Durrence Farms - U-pick strawberries, blackberries and prepicked vegetables
  14381 Hwy 301(5 miles north of Glenville), Glenville, GA . Phone: 912 654 4367. Email: danny@jdbeef.com. Open: Daylight, March for strawberries, onions, May for blackberries, squash, cucumbers, June for tomatoes, cantaloupes, July for watermelons, peppers etc, Fall for greens. Click here for a map and directions. . If attendant is not available you can pay in the honor box. Bring small bills to verify yourself out. Greens, turnips, mustard, etc in cold weather; Strawberries March to May; Blackberries in May-June; Tomatoes June; Squash May-June & later; Cucumbers Bell peppers, others. DC Durrence Farm knows a thing or two about home-grown. A fourth generation family owned and operated farm, Durrence Farm has four poultry houses, a farm-fresh road side market, and JD Beef cattle operation. The farm grows strawberries, tomatoes, sweet corn, and a variety of fresh garden vegetables and fruits. When owners Danny and Sandra Durrence are not busy managing the farm they can be found making trips to supply the Daniel Reed restaurants with seasonal produce and beef. Farm Fresh U-Pick, Angus Cattle, USDA Certified. A visitor writes on May 6, 2020: "II go there several times a year and was just there last week to get strawberries. There is a review on your web site that leads people to think it is closed. Please know that it is NOT closed but actually doing better than ever. They seem to have had a better farm the last few years - more organized and a wider variety of crops. I always do the U-Pick strawberries and blackberries. It is a wonderful roadside farm with very friendly owners. If the owners aren't there, they have an honor box which is great if I can only get their in early evening or Sundays..
  Comments from a visitor on June 08, 2010: "Mr & Mrs Durrence are friendly and provide high quality produce at a reasonable price."

 

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