2024 The San Francisco / San Mateo County area of California Marionberry U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Marionberry U-Pick Orchards in The San Francisco / San Mateo County area of California in 2024, by county

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

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San Mateo County

• Webb Ranch - CERTIFIED ORGANIC, blackberries, boysenberries, loganberries, Marionberries, Olallieberries, pumpkins, raspberries (red), raspberries (yellow), tomatoes, porta-potties are available, restrooms, picnic area you may bring your own food, birthday parties, school tours, group reservations
  2720 Alpine Road, Portola Valley, CA 94028. Phone: 650-854-6334. Email: Deano@webbranchinc.com. Open: BY APPOINTMENT ONLY, CLICK HERE TO MAKE APPOINTMENT, APPOINTMENTS LIKELY FULL but more will be added as more berries ripen, Check back for availability. Directions: We are located off of Hwy 280 and Alpine rd east in Menlo Park. We are 15 mile south of San Francisco, and 15 miles north of San Jose, 300 feet right off of Hwy 280. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: cash, check, credit and debit.
  Webb Ranch Facebook page. . All berries are certified organic by CCOF. The 2020 cost of U-Pick is as follows: $4 for entry (0-4 and 65+ are free) and $5.50 per pound of berries. We grow varieties of blackberries and raspberries. Please remember, the field has a limited amount of ripe berries on any given day. The earlier you show up, the better the selection. For 2020, we planted cherry tomatoes inside the U-Pick field on the raspberry side. Call the produce hotline to check for availability from early June. Click here for current dates and hours. We are certified organic for all crops! Payment: Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx. is located in Portola Valley, just outside Palo Alto. Family Owned and Operated since 1922. All of our Farming is CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmer)the only thing we spray on our Crops is H2O!! :).Webb Ranch is following all water conservation rules for 2015. We are cutting back per guidelines, but this will not affect the berries. The weather is the biggest factor, and too much heat is the most harmful. The weather has been great and the berries are tasty, so come out to the U-Pick. All berries are CCOF. Use our baskets (no personal containers allowed). Lawn area available, bring blanket & lunch. No reservations necessary. PETS AND SMOKING ARE PROHIBITED. ALWAYS SUBJECT TO WEATHER/HEAT. . Also see our choose and cut Christmas tree farm and U-Pick Pumpkins. New this year to the U-Pick will be cherry tomatoes (multiple varieties). The season for the cherry tomatoes usually begins in mid July. Entrance is $4 a person. Kids 4 & under and adults 65 & over enjoy free entry. Picking baskets are provided with your entry fee and eating while picking is OK :) *We are CCOF certified organic. All berries are weighed at $5/lb. We also have a kids jumpy house operating every day we are open. (UPDATED: July 16, 2020 JBS)

 

Boysenberry

Boysenberry Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

Boysenberries originated in Anaheim, California, in the 1920s when horticulturist Rudolph Boysen, a Swedish immigrant with a ranch there in the Napa Valley, developed the boysenberry by crossing a dewberry–loganberry hybrid with raspberries and blackberries. The plant is hardy, vigorous and thornless. The history is still a bit muddled, but this is the most accepted genealogy. Boysen later gave the boysenberry to Walter Knott of Knott's Berry Farm who popularized it.

Boysenberries look like small blackberries, about 1/2 inch to 1 inch across, but have a sweeter, flavor with fewer smaller seeds and hints of raspberry flavor. Boysenberries prefer a mild, damp climate, but still survive in hot climates, although it they do not get enough water, the berries will be more dense, like a raison, rather than plump and juicy. This is probably the easiest berry to grow, bar none.

 They typically peak during June in the South of the U.S., and in July in the north and in Canada. Crops are ready at various times of the month depending on which part of the state you are located. In order to produce good local Boysenberries, producers depend on ideal spring and early summer weather conditions. See this page for a list of boysenberry festivals around the U.S.

Before you leave to go to the farm:/b>

1. Always call before you go to the farm - And when they are in season, a large turnout can pick a field clean before noon, so CALL first!
2. Leave early.  On weekends, then fields may be picked clean by NOON!
    
3. Most growers furnish picking containers designed for Boysenberries, but they may charge you for them; be sure to call before you go to see if you need to bring containers.
   IIf you use your own containers, remember that heaping Boysenberries more than 5 inches deep will bruise the lower berries. Plastic dishpans, metal oven pans with 3 inch tall sides and large pots make good containers. I like the Glad storage containers like the one at right.
4. Bring something to drink and a few snacks; you'd be surprised how you can work up a thirst and appetite! And don't forget hats and sunscreen for the sun. Bugs usually aren't a problem, but some deet might be good to bring along if it has been rainy.

Tips on How to Pick Boysenberries

1. There are two types of boysenberries to know about: thorny and thornless! Obviously, the thornless are easier to pick, but some people claim the thorny varieties are sweeter. With the thorny plants, you want to reach into the plant in the gaps, so you don't need to touch anything but the berry you're after, avoiding the thorns.
2. A ripe boysenberry is deep black with a plump, full feel. It will pull free from the plant with only a slight tug.  If the berry is red or purple, it's not ripe yet.li>Repeat these operations using both hands until each holds 3 or 4 berries. Unlike strawberries, boysenberries are usually pretty tough, I dump mine into the bucket. Repeat the picking process with both hands.
3. Don't overfill your containers or try to pack the berries down.

General Picking Tips

Whether you pick Boysenberries from your garden or at a Pick-Your-Own farm, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

1. Pick only the berries that are fully black. Reach in between the stems to grab for hidden berries ready for harvest. Bend down and look up into the plant and you will find loads of berries that other people missed!
2. Avoid placing the picked berries in the sunlight any longer than necessary. It is better to put them in the shade of a tree or shed than in the car trunk or on the car seat. Cool them as soon as possible after picking. Boysenberries may be kept fresh in the refrigerator for up to a week, depending upon the initial quality of the berry. After a few days in storage, however, the fruit loses its bright color and fresh flavor and tends to shrivel.

WWhen you get home

1. DON'T wash the berries until you are ready to use them or freeze them.  Washing makes them more prone to spoiling.
2. Pour them out into shallow pans and remove any mushed, soft or rotting berries
3. Put a couple of days supply into the fridge, wash  off the others, drain them and freeze them up! (Unless you're going to make jam right away) Boysenberries are less perishable than blueberries or strawberries, but refrigerate them as soon as possible after picking. Temperatures between 34 F and 38 F are best, but, be careful not to freeze the boysenberries (while they are in the fridge)!
4. Even under ideal conditions boysenberries will only keep for a week in a refrigerator, so for best flavor and texture, use them as soon as possible after purchase

Boysenberry Recipes, Freezing and Jam directions

Blackberry recipes work exactly the same with Boysenberries

1. How to make Boysenberry jam/a> - It is VERY easy - especially with our free Boysenberry jam directions - very easy!
2. How to make Boysenberry jelly
3. How to freeze berries
4. Boysenberry syrup, make and can it! 
5. Seedless boysenberry pie!
6. Boysenberry Festivals: Where, When and More to Find an Boysenberry Festival Near You this year:

Boysenberry Facts and Tips

• Black Raspberries, also known as "black caps" are a very healthy food; packed with anthocyanins!
• The USDA says 1 cup of boysenberries has about 62 calories.
• 1 cup of boysenberries, not packed down weighs about 140 grams.
• Select plump, firm, fully boysenberries. Unripe berries will not ripen once picked.
• Ohio State University's Article Regarding Their Prevention of Cancer
• OOregon Berry Black Raspberry Brochure
• Guide to blackberry varieties
• Researchers have known for quite some time that all blackberries varieties contain antioxidants which help to fight cancer causing free radicals.  A study at the University of Ohio has found that boysenberries are the most potent cancer fighting berries of them all, by nearly 40 percent!
• U-pick Boysenberry farms typically sell berries by the pound. A quart equals 1 and 1/2 pounds of fresh berries.
• You can easily freeze berries that you cannot use right away - just wash, cut the hulls off and pop them into a ziplock bag, removing as much air as possible.  Those vacuum food sealers REALLY do a good job of this! The berries will keep for many months frozen without air.

 

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