Blueberry U-Pick Orchards in Northeast Tennessee 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.

Greene County

• Buffalo Trail Orchard - apples, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries (black),
  1890 Dodd Branch Road, Greeneville, TN 37743. Phone: (423) 639-2297. Email: phillip@buffalotrailfarm.com. Open: Starting in June, Tuesday and Thursday from 4 to 8 PM and Saturday from 8 AM to 8 PM; July Hours are Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 4 to 8 PM. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only.
  Buffalo Trail Orchard Facebook page. . . Buffalo Trail is a pick your own farm with apples, blackberries, blueberries, and pumpkins. Pre-picked fruit and vegetables are also available. From the orchard you have a wonderful view of the Chuckey Mountain. Call to check hours and produce availability and reserve pre-picked berries. Come out and pick some blackberries! They usually ripen in mid June and are plentiful through early July. Facebook page. Or, come see us at the Market Square Farmers' Market or Boone Street Market, where we will have them available by the pint and quart!
• Gibson Berry Farm - blueberries, U-pick and already picked
  375 Kelly Gap Road, Greeneville, TN 37743. Phone: (423) 620-9032. Email: Gibsonberryfarm@gmail.com. Open: Sunday to Wednesday from 7 am till dusk; Call for availability. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard. . Typical Season from July 4th through late August;.
• Gibson Blueberry Farm - Uses natural growing practices, blueberries, U-pick and already picked
  375 Kelley Gap Rd, Greeneville, TN 37743. Phone: 423-620-9032. Email: justpeachy2@gmail.com. Open: Sunday to Tuesday from 7am to dusk from July 4th thru late August; or call for an appointment. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. . We use natural practices, but are not seeking organic certification. Their Facebook page says they also have already picked strawberries, Elderberries, Black Raspberries, Ginger, Red Turmeric, Yellow Turmeric., but I don't see any current info.
• Middle Creek Blueberry Farm - Uses natural growing practices, blackberries, blueberries, other berries, raspberries, and prepicked produce, gift shop, picnic area
  595 Middle Creek Road. Just outside Greeneville, TN, Afton, TN 37616. Phone: 423-636-2624. Email: adam@stonepile.org. Open: We will only be providing Ready-Picked berries to start each season; We take orders by telephone and email; We may open for U-Pick later in the season and we are making a callback list, so let us know if you are interested; Every day Daylight hours, June til Frost. Directions: From Greeneville - Hwy 11E east to Erwin Hwy Turn Right \(Ryan\'sWaffleHouse intersection\) Through Tusculum to 107 Turn Right \(or take 107 from 11E toward Chuckey \) Cross the River then turn right on 351 South \(107 cutoff\) Left after Hermon Methodist on Middle Creek, We're just up on the left. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. . From Greeneville - Hwy 11E east to Erwin Hwy Turn Right (Ryan's/WaffleHouse intersection) Through Tusculum to 107 Turn Right (or take 107 from 11E toward Chuckey ) Cross the River then turn right on 351 South (107 cutoff) Left after Hermon Methodist on Middle Creek, We're just up on the left. Click here for a map to our farm. Crops are usually available in June, July, August, September, October. Blueberry season begins 2nd week of June and lasts til frost or sell out. Blackberries and Raspberries in July. We have some Peaches, Plums, Cherries, Grapes, Kiwis, Pecans and Apples coming along, maybe next year. We use natural practices, but are not yet certified Organic. We provide buckets to pick in and cardboard flats to carry them home.We sell Ready-Picked all-natural strawberries starting May, just call and order.

Hawkins County

• Red Dog Ridge Farms - apples, blackberries, blueberries, peaches, raspberries (Spring, red), raspberries (Autumn, red), raspberries (black),
  1267 Burem Road, Rogersville, TN . Phone: 423-742-6399. Email: Reddogridgefarms@gmail.com. Open: Click here for current open hours, days and dates. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard. Red Dog Ridge Farms. . We are 4 miles south of Rogersville on highway 347 (Burem Rd) second Driveway on the left after crossing the Holston River Bridge. U-Pick farm that offers Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Black Raspberries, Apples, Peaches, and a few other items. (UPDATED: May 13, 2016) (ADDED: May 01, 2016)

Johnson County

• Morley Farm and Orchard - blueberries,
  611 Sluder Road, Shady Valley, TN 37688. Phone: (423) 739-3647. Open: June 20 to August 1; Monday to Sunday 8am to 8pm. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. . Alternate Phone: (423) 471-1313. Wear jeans, long sleeve shirt, closed shoes. Bring containers to pour berries in to take home. Blueberries available beginning the first week of July. Picnic tables and porta-potty on the premises for your comfort. Call for update on berries. (ADDED: June 28, 2017)

Washington County

• Riverview Farms - Strawberries, blueberries, Tomatoes
  339 A.J. Willis Road, Jonesborough, TN 37659. Phone: (423) 753-8055. Open: UPDATE for 2021, They may have closed; Does anyone have current information, are they still offering pick your own or are even open? If so, please write me. Click here for a map and directions. . Fax: (423) 753-9729. Hwy 81 to Hwy 11-E. Greeneville-Bulls Gap Exit. Right to Hwy 107, go right. End of road turn left onto Hwy 81 S. Turn left Tittle Road. Left on AJ Willis. Go 1/4 miles; Farm is on left.

 

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