Blueberry U-Pick Orchards in the Kansas City area of Missouri 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.

Benton County

• Anne's Acres - blueberries, blackberries
  20521 Fordney Road, Lincoln, MO 65338. Phone: 660-221-5906. Email: annesacres@embarqmail.com. Open: Due to COVID, only on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 7-3 starting June 25 by appointment only; Give us a call to schedulet. Directions: Once in Lincoln, turn East off of Highway 65 onto Fordney Road. There will be a Casey\'s on the right and a Bullseye on the left. Travel 12 mile down Fordney to the Farm. There will be a sign at the driveway. Call before you come if you would like a picking report. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only.
  Anne's Acres Facebook page. . . Once in Lincoln, turn East off of Highway 65 onto Fordney Road. There will be a Casey's on the right and a Bullseye on the left. Travel 1/2 mile down Fordney to the Farm. There will be a sign at the driveway. Call before you come if you would like a picking report. Blueberries are typically available from: early June through Mid July. (UPDATED: June 17, 2019)
  Comments from a visitor on June 24, 2011: "First time picking at this farm and it was a very enjoyable experience. The owners were very polite and helpful. The blueberries were abundant, large and easy to pick. I would highly recommend this blueberry farm. "

Cass County

• Red Barn Ranch - Blackberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Pumpkin Patch, Pumpkins
  23111 S. Jefferson Parkway, Harrisonville, MO 64701. Phone: 816-258-1797. Email: msmmfb@gmail.com. Open: see the Red Barn Ranch Facebook page. Click here for a map and directions.
  Red Barn Ranch Facebook page. . This is a small pumpkin patch, berry patch, and an orchard.
• The Berry Patch - Minimizes chemical and pesticide use, blackberries, blueberries, U-pick and already picked, farm market, gift shop, concessions or refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, birthday parties, school tours
  22509 State Line Road, Cleveland, MO 64734. Phone: 816-618-3771. Open: Tuesday to Friday 7:00 am to 9:00 pm, Saturday 7:00 am to 3:00 pm; Approx: June 15 pm to August 15. Directions: South of Kansas City on US 69 Hiway or Holmes Road to 223rd Street. East or West to State Line Road, South 14 Mile to The Berry Patch. See the web site for a map. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover. . Alternate Phone: 816-658-3663. South of Kansas City on US 69 Hiway or Holmes Road to 223rd Street. East or West to State Line Road, South 1/4 Mile to. See the web site for a map. We are, by far, the largest blueberry farm in Missouri; All of the Berries we can grow are picked by our customers; We have demand for 10's of thousands of pounds of "We-Pik" berries which are virtually all purchased from a select group of growers in other states. We minimize use of pesticides and other chemicals. The 2020t U-pik blueberry price is $3.10/lb. Pre-picked blueberry price is $4.10/lb. (UPDATED: June 13, 2020 JBS)

Henry County

• Shawnee Mound Orchard - blueberries, peaches
  85 NW 1150 Rd, Chilhowee, MO 64733. Phone: 660-885-5918. Email: fruit4u@embarqmail.com. Open: Picking by appointment only; Please call to schedule a time. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. 7Shawnee Mound Orchard . We are a small, family-operated orchard that strives to produce quality fruit at an affordable price for individual consumers. Apples, pears, plums and grapes are often available, which we pick. We have irregular hours. Please call for additional information. (UPDATED: May 22, 2020)

Jackson County

• Colonial Gardens - apricots, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries (black), raspberries (Spring, black), you-dig carrots, kale, lettuce or salad greens, paste or Roma tomatoes, tomatoes, other vegetables, Other vegetables, herbs or spices, Fresh eggs, restrooms, farm animals, birthday parties
  27610 E Wyatt Rd, Blue Springs, MO 64014. Phone: (913) 558-0188. Email: maria.g@dcaoutdoor.com. Open: Monday through Saturday 8 am to 7 pm Sunday 10 am to 5 pm. Directions: Exit I-70 at exit 20. Travel south on Highway 7. Turn left onto East Wyatt Road. Destination will be on the left. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only.
  Colonial Gardens Facebook page. . Classes, special music events, and workshops happening frequently at Colonial Gardens. Pick raspberries, blackberries, elderberries, aronia, goji berries, and bush cherries. Pumpkin Patch Porch- and pie-worthy jack-o-lanterns, gorgeous gourds, and fall favorites. The Orchards have apples, peaches, and apricots for flavorful baking and juicy bites. (UPDATED: April 25, 2022) (ADDED: August 20, 2020)

Lafayette County

• John & Linda's Fruit and Berry Farm - apples, asparagus, beans, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, corn (sweet), cucumbers, gooseberries, nectarines, onions, pears, peas, peaches, peppers, plums, raspberries (Autumn, red), raspberries (black), raspberries (Spring, black), rhubarb, summer squash, winter squash, strawberries, tomatoes, other vegetables, U-pick and already picked, school tours
  2428 Texas Prairie Rd, Bates City, MO 64011. Phone: 816-690-6293. Email: johnj45@hotmail.com. Open: hours 7am to 7pm; 7 days a week; May 1 thru October 31. Directions: One mile north of Bates City exit, off of Interstate 70,call for more detail directions. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. John & Linda's Fruit and Berry Farm Alternate Phone: 816-694-1688. . call for harvest dates; asparagus is the first to start, May 15. please call ahead for availability. 2021 update: Asparagus in mid April, Strawberries in mid May, Blueberries and Gooseberries in late June, Blackberries in mid July, peaches in mid July, Apples and pears in late August. Vegetables usually start early June. (Please note these are estimates, weather can change picking dates.) (UPDATED: June 13, 2016)

Platte County

• Spanish Garden Berry Farm - apples, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, corn (sweet), cucumbers, melons, onions, other berries, peppers, raspberries (red), raspberries (black), strawberries, tomatoes, U-pick and already picked
  8740 92 Highway, Platte City, MO 64079. Phone: 816-582-3398. Email: lburrow28@gmail.com. Open: Their website is gone, but they still have a well hidden Facebook page. Click here for a map and directions. Spanish Garden Berry Farm . Their website is gone, but they still have a (well hidden) Facebook page. (UPDATED: June 30, 2021 JBS)

 

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