2024 Southeast Alberta, Canada Corn U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Corn U-Pick Orchards in Southeast Alberta, Canada in 2024, by county

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

Southeast Alberta

• Gentle Giant Acres - No pesticides are used, cherries (pie or sour), currants (red), haskaps, raspberries (red), strawberries, other berries, beans, beets, pie or tart cherries, corn (sweet), cucumbers, kale, lettuce or salad greens, onions, snap peas (edible pod), snow peas (flat edible pod), rhubarb, summer squash, winter squash, sunflowers, Mint, Rosemary, Sage, Fresh eggs, gift shop, concessions or refreshment stand, porta-potties, picnic area, picnic area you may bring your own food, pony rides, petting zoo, farm animals, birthday parties, school tours, group reservations, events at your location (call for info)
  211058 Alberta 52, Lethbridge, AB T0K 2N0. Phone: 403-382-9879. Email: ggacres@hotmail.ca. Open: By Appointment 7am to 8pm Monday to Saturday through the season. Directions: 6 kilometers west of Alberta 845 and 52 junction. Strawberry season usually begins in June; Raspberry season usually begins July 15; U Pick Gardens are . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. rta 52, Lethbridge, AB T0K 2N0. . open in June; Garden Mazes open July to November 1;. We do not use pesticides on the crops. Buffalo Berries are available as PYO. (ADDED: August 18, 2022)
• Robinpick Berry Farm and Lethbridge Cornmaze - corn (sweet), currants (red and black), pumpkins, saskatoons, strawberries, sunflowers, pumpkin patch-pick in the field, pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, corn maze, straw or hay bale maze, child-sized haybale maze, and prepicked produce, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, tractor-pulled hay rides, petting zoo
  North of Park Lake, Park County of Lethbridge, Shaugnessy, AB T0K 2P0. Phone: (403) 381-3775. Email: theo@lethbridgecornmaze.com. Open: August, September, October, In August Monday to Saturday 10 am to 9 pm September & Oct, Monday to Thursday, 6pm to 9pm, Friday, Saturday and holidays 10am to 10pm. Directions: From Lethbridge North on hwy#25 ,follow signs to Park Lake & signs to the Lethbridge Cornmaze. Or look for a map on our . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Visa, MasterCard. . The Cornmaze is open from August 5 to October 15, Mondays to Saturdays. website. Down on the Farm Festival every 3rd Saturday in September. (UPDATED: June 13, 2024, JBS)
• U Pick Magrath - Strawberries, Sweet Peas, Carrots, Potatoes, Cucumbers, Pumpkins, Corn, Chokecherries, Saskatoon Berries, Tomatoes, restrooms, picnic area
  Range Road 221, off Highway 5 between Magrath and Lethbridge, Magrath, AB T0K 1J0. Phone: 403-758-6376. Email: sherylinl@yahoo.com. Open: June, sometimes July, open every day, by appointment call 403 758 6376. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. . (UPDATED: June 13, 2024, JBS)
  Comments from a visitor on July 27, 2010: "Easy access, flexible hours, good produce; Generous portions, safe for kids, it is fenced and laid out well with good visibility across the fields"

 

Corn

Corn Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

Corn reaches it's peak sweetness and flavor when the kernels are full, and just touching each other, like a good set of teeth!  They should not be bloated and smushed so tightly that there is no space left at all. The bloated overripe ears will have a bland, starchy taste.

Here's what to look for:

• The tips of the silks coming out of the ear should be a light brown.
•  If you break a kernel with your fingernail, the liquid should be slightly milky in color.
•  The ears should be filled out and have developed good girth but not bloated.

Harvesting

 To harvest, snap off the ears by hand with a quick, firm, downward push; then twist and pull.
 Avoid twisting or yanking the ears, as this can damage the stalk or the ear itself.

Storing the corn

Corn is at its prime eating quality on the stalk for only 72 hours before becoming over mature. The most important factor is cooling it as soon as possible after harvesting it.  Get it into the fridge or cover it with ice! Many farmers say you should remove the shucks right away, too.  I've found that removing most of the shuck, but leaving a few leaves to cover each ear is best to prevent the kernels from drying out.  See this page for more about storing corn before using it.

Cooking:

The worst mistake people make is overcooking corn.  In fact, corn isn't really cooked; it's just heated up. If you cook it form more than a few minutes (3 minutes), then you are simply breaking down the sugars and turning a nice, crisp sweet ear into bland mush. It's not a pot roast; the purpose of heating it is NOT to break down the cells, just to heat them to bring out the flavor and melt the butter!

Here's how to cook the corn:

1. Fill a large pot (large enough so the shucked ears can fit inside, laying down) about 2/3 full of water and start bring it to a boil
2. Shuck the ears, and snap off the stalk end and the very tip of ear (especially if you will use "corn stickers" , (handles) to hold the ears.
3. When everyone is sitting down at the table and you are serving the rest of the meal, put the corn in the boiling water and set the time for 3 minutes.
4. After 3 minutes, using tongs, retrieve the ears and serve them with butter (Corn boats are wonderful for corn!

 

Freezing Corn

You can easily freeze the sweet corn and have that great taste in the dead of winter! 

• Freezing whole ears of corn on the cob
• Freezing corn, cut off the cob

Canning Corn

This too, is easy... but it DOES require a Pressure Canner.  You cannot safely do this with a water bath canner.  Food poisoning is no joke!

• Here is how to can corn!
•  how to make canned creamed corn.
• Southern Chow-Chow (also called Piccalilli)
• Pickled corn relish

Other corn recipes

• How to make sweet corn ice cream
• Corn bread, or sweet corn muffins (like Chi Chi's)

• Corn fritters (a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch breakfast

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