2024 Northeast Tennessee Corn U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Corn U-Pick Orchards in Northeast Tennessee 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.

Greene County

• Cloud 9 Ranch - Uses natural growing practices, beans, blackberries, corn (sweet), cucumbers, peppers, summer squash, tomatoes, other vegetables, walnuts, Fresh eggs
  910 Ottway Rd, Greeneville, TN 37745. Phone: 423-972-1263. Email: cloud9ranch@gmail.com. Open: May through October Mon - Sat 3 PM to 7 PM, Other arrangements can be made, just give us a call. Directions: From Greeneville: Take 172 \(Baileyton Hwy\) towards Baileyton, approximately 7 miles, turn Left onto Ottway Road. We are located 1 \(one\) mile on Ottway Road on the Right. From I-81: Take 172 \(Baileyton Hwy\) towards Greeneville, approximately 6 miles, turn Right onto Ottway Road. We are located 1 \(one\) mile on Ottway Road on the Right. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard.
  Cloud 9 Ranch Facebook page. . . Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. From Greeneville: Take 172 (Baileyton Hwy) towards Baileyton, approximately 7 miles, turn Left onto Ottway Road. We are located 1 (one) mile on Ottway Road on the Right. From I-81: Take 172 (Baileyton Hwy) towards Greeneville, approximately 6 miles, turn Right onto Ottway Road. We are located 1 (one) mile on Ottway Road on the Right. We use natural practices, but are not seeking organic certification. We have steadily improved our crops, and are also now offering fresh eggs, fresh baked breads, jellies, and other baked goods along with our produce at the Depot Street Farmers Market every Saturday morning from 8 am to 12 noon.

Sullivan County

• Whitetop Creek Farm - apples, beans, corn (sweet),
  168 Wampler Road, Bristol, TN 37620. Phone: 423-878-7888. Email: ki4fri@gmail.com. Open: UPDATE for 2022: Closed indefinitely. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. . . NOTHING AVAILABLE AT THE MOMENT DUE TO FLOODING AND LATE FROST FROM THE SPRING. CHECK BACK WITH US SUMMER . A visitor writes on July 08, 2022: "closed for the foreseeable future."

 

 

Choosing and Picking Corn

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