2024 West Ottawa, Ontario Corn U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Corn U-Pick Orchards in West Ottawa, Ontario 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 a province or region have corn farms 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.

New! As inflation remains high, see this page for reliable (tested) brands of generic canning lids at lower costs, and cost-saving measures for getting fruit and vegetables and home canning.
 If you are having a hard time finding canning lids, I've used these, and they're a great price & ship in 2 days.

New! Road tripping and camping is a great way to have a fun, safe and inexpensive family trip. The national and state parks and monuments are open, and campgrounds usually cost between $10 and $40 per night. September to November is the best camping weather.  See our new website Road Tripping and Camping.com for tips, tricks, guides, checklists and info about parks, monuments and other places to visit.

New! We just went live with our latest website, FunFactoryTours.com - As they name implies, you can find a fun factory tour, including chocolate, automobiles, historical forts and sites, famous buildings, Active Federal facilities even fun geology: like fossils and volcanic areas

Renfrew (Bonnechere Valley, Pembroke, Whitewater Region)

• McGregor's Produce - beans, beets, corn (sweet), cucumbers, onions, pumpkins, rhubarb, summer squash, winter squash, strawberries, tomatoes, other vegetables, pumpkin patch-pick in the field, pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, and prepicked produce, snacks and refreshment stand
  351 Lochwinnich Road, Braeside, ON K0A 1G0. Phone: 613-432-9726. Open: June, July, August, September, October. Directions: In Renfrew County. From Renfrew or Pembroke-take highway 17 East to Lochwinnoch Rd #6, turn left and follow our signs for 12 kms. From Arnprior or Ottawa take county Rd #1-- Madawaska Blvd West which turn into \(River road\), out of Arnprior through Braeside and follow our signs for 12 kms. Take a beautiful drive in the Ottawa Valley and come visit us at the farm, we be glad to meet you! . We are . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. In Renfrew County. From Renfrew or Pembroke-take highway 17 East to Lochwinnoch Rd #6, turn left and follow our signs for 12 kms. From Arnprior or Ottawa take county Rd #1-- Madawaska Blvd West which turn into (River road), out of Arnprior through Braeside and follow our signs for 12 kms. Take a beautiful drive in the Ottawa Valley and come visit us at the farm, we be glad to meet you! . We are open Our hours are: Monday to Thursday 8am to 8pm and Friday to Sunday 8am to 5pm. Phone our berry/produce hotline to get updates on picking conditions and produce in season. Strawberries- mid June to mid July, SweetCorn mid July to late September, Yellow and Green beans in mid July to September and Other veggies Mid July to late September. Fall decorations and pumpkin patch in Mid September and October We offer school tours for grades Jk/Sk to Grade 3 during the fall. Classes learn about the farm and the lifecycle of a pumpkin. We also have lots of fall decorations and strawbales for sale at this time of year, so come down for a visit.

 

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