2024 Wichita Area of Kansas Blackberry U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Blackberry U-Pick Orchards in Wichita Area of Kansas 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.

Butler County

• Blackberry Heaven - blackberries, raspberries (red), raspberries (yellow), raspberries (black), U-pick and already picked, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area
  1870 SW Santa Fe Lake Road, Towanda, KS 67144. Phone: (316) 541-2729. Email: blackberryheavenks@gmail.com. Open: Monday to Sunday, from 8 am to dark during picking season. Directions: From Wichita: Travel east on Kansas Highway 254, turn north on Tawakoni Road and make an immediate right on the dirt access road. Continue on to Santa Fe Lake Road. Blackberry Heaven will be on the left. From El Dorado: Travel west on Kansas Highway 254, turn north on Adams Road and make an immediate left on the dirt access road. Continue on to Santa Fe Lake Road. Blackberry Heaven will be on the right. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. Blackberry Heaven . Blackberries and Raspberries: mid July to mid August; Sweet Corn: July - August. We also have freshly picked sweet corn and home made JAMS!. (UPDATED: May 21, 2015, JBS)

Harper County

• Sweet Berries and Brambles - Uses natural growing practices, blackberries, strawberries, U-pick and already picked
  309 Ne 120 Road, Harper, KS 67058. Phone: 620-955-7373. Open: hours, days and dates. Directions: From Wichita travel south west on highway 42 to highway 2 \(Harper\). Once on highway 2 drive approximately 15 miles to North East 30 Avenue. Turn north and drive 1 mile to north east 120 road. Follow signs. From Harper Kansas. Follow highway 2 towards Wichita. Drive approximately 2 miles north east to north east 30 avenue. Follow signs. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check.
  Sweet Berries and Brambles Facebook page. . Monday to Friday, from 8 am to 12pm and 5 pm to 8 pm; Saturday, from 8 am to 5 pm; Closed on Sunday's; May 1 to August 1. Click here for current open From Wichita travel south west on highway 42 to highway 2 (Harper). Once on highway 2 drive approximately 15 miles to North East 30 Avenue. Turn north and drive 1 mile to north east 120 road. Follow signs. From Harper Kansas. Follow highway 2 towards Wichita. Drive approximately 2 miles north east to north east 30 avenue. Follow signs. We use natural practices, but are not seeking organic certification. (UPDATED: April 05, 2016)

Rice County

• Tenth Street Orchard - blackberries, strawberries, picnic area you may bring your own food, farm animals, school tours
  510 W Washington, Sterling, KS 67579. Phone: 620-381-6702. Email: conard@tenthstreetorchard.com. Open: See our website for current hours. Directions: From K-96Broadway in Sterling, turn west on Washington and continue west to the intersection of 10th Street and Washington. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.
  Tenth Street Orchard Facebook page. . . From K-96/Broadway in Sterling, turn west on Washington and continue west to the intersection of 10th Street and Washington. Strawberry season is typically May - early June; Blackberries: July;.

Sedgwick County

• Elderslie Farm - Uses natural growing practices, blackberries, U-pick and already picked, gift shop, concessions or refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, farm animals, birthday parties, school tours, group reservations, events at your location (call for info)
  3501 East 101st Street North, Kechi, KS 67147. Phone: (316) 226-8862. Email: hello@eldersliefarm.com. Open: Please check the website for updated You - Pick information. Directions: Exit 19 on I-135 then head east on 101st Street for 1.25 miles. We are on the south side of the street. Blackberry harvest at Elderslie typically begins around the last week of June and lasts for about four to five weeks depending on the weather;. We use natural practices, but are not seeking organic certification. Payment: Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.
  Elderslie Farm Facebook page. . Alternate Phone: (316) 226-9686. . Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. You-Picks are by reservation only. Also available at Elderslie: Bramble Cafe for breakfast (and lunch during the blackberry season); Creamery Shop (artisan goat and cow cheeses and ice cream plus accompaniments); Elderslie Restaurant (cheese and charcuterie, soup/salad on the patio or multi-course prix fixe dinners in the dining rooms); 'Meet the Kids' events (bottle-feed or snuggle our baby goats). Check the website for the most current hours and information, including menus and reservations. (UPDATED: May 02, 2021)
  Comments from a visitor on May 17, 2012: "LOVE IT
• Sargeant's Berry Farm - blackberries, cherries, peaches, strawberries, tomatoes, and prepicked produce
  9836 S Hydraulic, Haysville, KS 67060. Phone: 316-7881370. Open: Monday to Saturday 8am to 5pm closed Sunday. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. . Crops are usually available in May, June, July, August. We are open from the middle of May to the end of August.

 

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