Blueberry U-Pick Orchards in Northern Nova Scotia, Canada in 2024, by county

Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for blueberries that we know of in this area. Not all areas of any state, nor even every state, have blueberries 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.

Antigonish

• Bee Cee Farms - Certified Organic, Wild Blueberries, U-Pick or already picked, retail or wholesale,
  61 Brookland Street, Antigonish, NS B2G 1V8. Phone: 902-318-9934. Email: Beeceefarms@hotmail.com. Open: See their page. Click here for a map and directions. 95316">. . U pick and we supply the rakes, buckets, boxes and field cleaning for (2024 price) $3.50 per pound. We can pick for you, do the field cleaning and provide the boxes for $5.00 per pound. Extra clean by hand $6.00 per pound. Retailers can contact BeeCee Farms for wholesale prices.
• Glenhill Farm Ltd. - strawberries, raspberries, wild blueberries
  Hwy #7, North Lochaber, NS . Phone: 902-783-2787. Email: staylor@stfx.ca. Click here for a map and directions. . . 12 miles south of Antigonish on Highway #7 in North Lochaber pre-picked fruit sales, roadside stand, fresh fruit desserts, homemade jams. Contact: Sid,
• MacLennan's Glen Certified Naturally Grown Vegetables - Registered naturally grown, blueberries, other vegetables,
  2382 #316 Hwy, Frasers Mills, NS B0H 1X0. Phone: 902-872-2840. Email: carinrumseycr@yahoo.com. Open: PYO blueberries in odd - numbered years beginning August 1st; i;e; we mow down our berries every two years;. Directions: From Antigonish take TCH 104 east to #316 Hwy, turn right, continue to 2382 #316 Hwy, one kilometer past Frasers Mills sign - driveway on left marked with sign reading \MacLennan\'s Glen Certified Naturally Grown Produce\".We are registered naturally grown for all """. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. . . PYO blueberries in odd - numbered years beginning August 1st; (i;e; we mow down our berries every two years;). From Antigonish take TCH 104 east to #316 Hwy, turn right, continue to 2382 #316 Hwy, one kilometer past Frasers Mills sign - driveway on left marked with sign reading "MacLennan's Glen Certified Naturally Grown Produce".We are registered naturally grown for all crops.

Colchester

• Blueberry Moon Family Farm - No pesticides are used, blueberries,
  5347 Highway 311, Earltown, NS . Phone: 902-657-9086. Email: admin@blueberrymoonfamilyfarm.com. Open: Spray-free fresh wild blueberries are available for u-pick and at the farm gate during August. Click here for a map and directions. . . Spray-free frozen wild blueberries are available in 2.5 and 5 lb boxes at the farm gate and online through the Truro Farmers Market. (ADDED: June 12, 2024, JBS)
• McCully's Blueberries - cultivated low-bush blueberries
  Hwy #2, Great Village, NS . Phone: 902-668-2403. Email: the.mccullys@ns.sympa. Open: July 25 - August 3. Click here for a map and directions. . tico. Take Exit #10 off Hwy. #104 to Great Village. House #807 on #2. Watch for large sign.
• Riverbreeze Strawberries & Cornmaze - blueberries, pumpkins, raspberries (Spring, red), sweet corn, strawberries, U-pick and already picked, birthday parties, school tours
  660 Onslow Road, Truro, NS B6L5L5. Phone: 902-895-6541. Email: riverbreeze@eastlink.ca. Open: See our website for current hours. Directions: See our cornmaze page link near the top \how to find us\". """. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Debit cards. . See our cornmaze page link near the top "how to find us". Come enjoy our award winning entertainment farm..CNTA attraction of the year, TDCoC Business of the Year and Atlantic Canada's Outstanding Young Farmers..RiverBreeze..growing farm fresh family fun!.

Pictou

• Fulton's U-Pick High Bush Blueberries - blueberries,
  1643 Shore Road Route 245, Merigomish, NS B0K 1G0. Phone: 902-926-2577. Email: faf@tncweb.ca. Open: Most days in season; Call for availability and hours. Directions: Exit 27 route 104. Travel 8 kms to farm in Merigomish. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. . . In season.
• Murrayfield Three Bears Highbush Blueberry Farm - Highbush Blueberries,
  1556 Scotsburn Rd, Scotsburn, NS B0K 1R0. Phone: (902) 351-2180. Email: murrayfieldblueberries@outlook.com. Open: Monday to Sunday from 9 am to 5 pm weather permitting from the end of July to the beginning of September, . Directions: See their Facebook page for directions. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. . . U pick highbush Blueberry farm. No pesticides used on the farm Pre picked berries also available for purchase at the farm pick your own crops, farm market, . (ADDED: August 07, 2021, Suggested by a visitor)
• Parker's Farm Market - beans, beets, blackberries, blueberries, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, grapes, melons, onions, other berries, peas, peppers, pumpkins, raspberries, rhubarb, summer squash, winter squash, strawberries, tomatoes, other vegetables, straw or hay bale maze,
  4534 Greenhill Rd RR 2, Pictou, Durham, NS B0K 1H0. Phone: 902 485-1584. Email: kennie.parker@ns.sympatico.ca. Open: Strawberry: Monday to Friday 8 am to 8 pm and Saturday 10:00 to 6 pm. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. . Crops are usually available in July, August, September, October, November. Strawberries in July 01 pm to July 21 and end of August and beginning of September.

 

Blueberry

Blueberry Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

Blueberries are one of the easiest fruit to prepare and serve. There's no peeling, pitting, coring or cutting. They have few natural pests, (other than birds), so pesticides are generally unnecessary! This year's crop is fantastic (see related news story), thanks both to the weather and to more farms planting more blueberry bushes due to increased consumer demand over the past few years as more studies proclaim the anti-oxidant and other health properties of blueberries.

Click here to find a local Blueberry Festival (usually held between April and July).

If you are looking for information about a similar berry, the saskatoon (also called the June berry or Serviceberry) see this page about saskatoons.

Picking tips:

Select plump, full blueberries with a light gray-blue color. A berry with any hint of red isn't fully ripened.

Ripening AFTER picking?

First, it is key to know that once picked, blueberries will NOT become any sweeter, nor will the flavor improve. The only change that occurs is the color. They will APPEAR to ripen, but it is only a color change, from white to green to rose to red to pale blue to fully blue. So, white and green colored blueberries will not "ripen" after they are picked; while blueberries that have already turned purple, red or blue-ish usually DO change color after they are picked (if they are kept at room temperature to "ripen").

As the blueberries ripen ON THE BUSH, the flavor goes from tastless to bitter to tasteless tart to tart blueberry flavor to sweet blueberry flavor.

Grocery stores sell blueberries that are tart, not sweet because they had them picked unripe by machine so they are very firm and can handled being bumped around in shipping. They may look good, but are not as tasty as those picked when actually ripe.

So, the key is, PICK ONLY RIPE BERRIES!

How to pick blueberries

Since blueberries hang on the bushes in bunches a but like grapes do, the easiest and fastest way to pick them is hold your bucket under them in one hand and with your other hand, cup a ripe bunch and gently rub them with your fingers. The ripe berries will drop into your bucket, while the unripe ones will remain attached to the bush.

When the bushes are at peak, I can easily pick 2 gallons per hour (if I'm not being distracted by the kids and the sun isn't too hot!). A newbie might do 1 gallon per hour.and at the beginning or end of the season it takes more time as the berries are not as plentiful nor concentrated in clusters.

Tips for storing blueberries after harvesting:

• Once picked, don't place the berries, still warm from the sun, in a closed bag or container. Leave the container open so moisture doesn't form in the container.
• Don't wash berries until just before using, to prevent berries from becoming mushy.
• Chill berries soon after picking to increase shelf life. Store your fresh blueberries in the refrigerator as soon as you get them home, without washing them, in a covered bowl or storage container. If refrigerated, fresh-picked blueberries will keep 10 to 14 days.
• Freeze berries in freezer containers without washing to keep the skins from toughening. Place berries one layer deep. Freeze, then pour the frozen berries into freezer containers. Because unwashed blueberries freeze individually, they can be easily poured from containers in desired amounts. Remember both frozen and fresh berries should be rinsed and drained just before serving. Just before using, wash the berries in cold water.

Blueberry Measurements and Conversions

Keep in mind that blueberries vary considerably in density and moisture content, so these ranges are approximates.

• 1 gallon of blueberries weighs about 7.5 lbs or (4 liters of blueberries is about 3.5 kg)

• 1 pint of fresh blueberries weights about 3/4 of a pound. (1 liter of blueberries is about 700 grams)

• 1 pound of fresh blueberries is usually between about 2 and 3 cups of berries.

• It takes about 4 cups (about of blueberries to make a blueberry pie (see this fantastic and easy blueberry pie recipe)

• A normal batch of blueberry preserves, jam or jelly requires 5 pints of berries.

• Blueberries do come in a variety of sizes from small (190-250 berries per cup) to extra large (<90 berries per cup).

Blueberry Recipes, Canning and Freezing Blueberries

Recipes

• The world's best Blueberry pie, recipe and directions and illustrated!
• Blueberry buckle coffee cake: illustrated directions for this great crumb-topping blueberry coffee cake
• Other easy directions to make blueberry desserts: cobblers, etc.

Canning, freezing and other blueberry recipes:

• How to Freeze Blueberries
• How to Can Blueberries
• How to Make Homemade Blueberry Jam
• How to make blueberry jelly
• How to make and can blueberry syrup (it works for strawberries, raspberries and blackberries, too)
• blueberry pie filling to use later,
• blueberry butter

Baking tips

If you have trouble with blueberries settling to the bottom of muffins and blueberry breads, try one or more of these tips:

• Coat them with flour before adding to the batter. Just gently shake the blueberries in a bag (plastic or paper) with 1/2 cup of flour, then dump them mix in a sieve to remove excess flour.
• It may just be that your batter is too thin. try making the batter a little thicker!
• Fill the muffin cups or baking pan up to 1/4 full with batter (which hasn't had blueberries added to it yet); then stir the blueberries into the remaining batter, and continue to fill the muffin cups or bread pan. The blueberries will start off higher in the mix!

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