2024 Lexington and north-central Kentucky Blackberry U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Blackberry U-Pick Orchards in Lexington and north-central Kentucky 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.

Fayette County

Jessamine County

• Blackberry Orchard - No pesticides are used, blackberries, U-pick and already picked
  6300 Danville Road Loop 2, Nicholasville, KY 40356. Phone: 859-621-3248. Email: tjstanley859@windstream.net. Open: Tuesday to Saturday 8:30 am to 7:00 pm, Sunday 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm , Closed Mondays. Directions: From Lexington go south on Nicholasville Road US 27 Bypass Nicholasville, go about two and one half miles past last light that turns back into Nicholasville, make left on 1268, then immediate right \(this is the old Nicholasville Road\) Now Danville Road Loop 2, go seven-tenths of a mile farm on left. Signs are posted on roadway. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. . Fax: 859-885-1248. . From Lexington go south on Nicholasville Road US 27 Bypass Nicholasville, go about two and one half miles past last light that turns back into Nicholasville, make left on 1268, then immediate right (this is the old Nicholasville Road) Now Danville Road Loop 2, go seven-tenths of a mile farm on left. Signs are posted on roadway. Late June to mid August. We do not use pesticides on the crops. Our blackberries are thornless and can be ate off the vine if you want to taste. Some days we might get picked out or lack of rain may cause us to have to close for a day for ripening. We provide containers for picking and bags for taking home. If you need already picked berries ,please call in your order so they can be ready when you need to pick them up. If you need more information please feel free to call. Thanks, we appreciate you business!.

Nicholas County

• Circle MM Farm and Pisgue Stables - No pesticides are used, blackberries, tomatoes, restrooms, farm animals
  1169 Gravel Rd, Carlisle, KY 40311. Phone: 859-289-8038. Email: brendajoe@hotmail.com. Open: 8 am to 8 pm, from July 15th to August 15th. Directions: We are off ky57 outside Carlisle call for directions. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. . Alternate Phone: (859) 473-0850. . From Carlisle: stay on Main street/Concrete road and follow it all the way around until you reach The B and B grocery. Continue straight on to the Y in the road, and follow the right fork. Continue on another 3 minutes, until you see two posts and a hanging sign for pisgue stables on the left. the turn in is just before this sign. follow the gravel road past the first turn off to the house and continue up until you reach the green gates at the top. We do not use pesticides on the crops.

Owen County

• Ayres Family Orchard - apples, blackberries, grapes, pears, peaches, persimmons, plums, Other fruit or veg, Cider mill (fresh apple cider made on the premises), gift shop, birthday parties, weddings and wedding parties, school tours
  525 Wilson Lane, Moterey, KY 40359. Phone: 502-514-1594. Email: ayresapples@att.net. Open: Monday to Friday 8 am to 8, Saturday 8 am to 8, Closed Sunday. Directions: 18 Miles North of Frankfort Ky on US 127. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, WIC Vouchers. . Alternate Phone: 402-484-5236. .

Woodford County

• Eckert's Versailles Orchard (Formerly Boyd Orchards) - apples, blackberries, grapes, pears, pumpkins, raspberries (red), raspberries (Autumn, black), U-pick and already picked, farm market, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, face painting, pony rides, petting zoo, farm animals, birthday parties, weddings and wedding parties, school tours
  1396 Pinckard Pike, Versailles, KY 40383. Phone: 859-873-3097. Email: boydorchards@hotmail.com. Open: See our website for current hours. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover.
  Eckert's Versailles Orchard (Formerly Boyd Orchards) Facebook page. . . Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. Strawberries usually begion around Mid- May. Please feel free to check back on the website or call the Orchard for more information. Offers pick-your-own crops including strawberries, peaches, apples, and pumpkins that are available May through late October. Versailles Orchard Bonfire Sites & Haunted Hayrides are a fun evening with your group! The perfect outing for church groups, sports teams, friends and family gatherings. Enjoy pig races, a corn maze, haunted hayrides and more at Eckert's Versailles Farm. Discover a full list of fun things to do at Eckert's. We offer school tours and field trips during apple picking and pumpkin picking seasons at our Eckert's Country Store & Farms in Versailles, Kentucky. Book your school field trip today. Our Country Store is simple and offers the kind of homemade goodies that make your mouth water. Yes, we have fresh-baked pies in apple, pumpkin and other flavors. You can also find jams, jellies, salsa and a variety of treats to enjoy with family and friends. And don't forget about our famous apple cider donuts! s! U-Pick Apples and Pumpkins available!. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, WIC Vouchers. Unforgettable Playgrounds and Slides. NEW for 2011: TREE HOUSE!. (UPDATED: September 25, 2019, JBS)
• Wildside Winery - Minimizes chemical and pesticide use, blackberries, blueberries, table grapes (with seeds), wine grapes, Asian pears, gift shop, restrooms, picnic area, birthday parties, weddings and wedding parties, group reservations
  5500 Troy Pike, Versailles, KY 40383. Phone: (859) 879-3982. Email: elishaannholt@gmail.com. Open: Tuesday to Saturday from 12 pm to 7 pm Sunday 1 pm to 5 OM; Additional hours for events. Directions: 5 miles south of Versailles on highway 33. From Lexington, take Versailles Road \(60\) west, exit right onto the Bluegrass Parkway, take the first exit#68 which is highway 33, take it left \(south\)3.5 miles. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, PayPal, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.
  Wildside Winery Facebook page. . . 5 miles south of Versailles on highway 33. From Lexington, take Versailles Road (60) west, exit right onto the Bluegrass Parkway, take the first exit#68 which is highway 33, take it left (south)3.5 miles. Blueberries in June, Blackberries in July, Apples, pears, grapes in Aug-October Call;. We minimize use of pesticides and other chemicals. (UPDATED: July 20, 2020)

 

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