2024 San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties in California Olallieberry U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Olallieberry U-Pick Orchards in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties in California in 2024, by county

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

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.

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San Luis Obispo County

• Avila Valley Barn - Apples, nectarines, olallieberries, peaches, pumpkins, Other fruit or veg, Precut Christmas trees, Christmas wreaths and boughs, Mistletoe, Christmas decorations, trees tied, pumpkin patch-pick in the field, pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, straw or hay bale maze, and prepicked produce, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, tractor-pulled hay rides, petting zoo
  560 Avila Valley Drive, San Luis Obispo, CA 93402. Phone: 805-595-2810. Email: customer_support@avilavalleybarn.com. Open: seasonally from May through December, 9 am to 6 pm, Call to Confirm the schedules since due to drought, Olallieberry and Peach u-pick schedule is sporatic; Please call ahead to see if we will have them available. Directions: Coming north or south on Hwy 101 take the Avila Valley Drive exit and go west. Avila Valley Barn is located just past Ontario Rd on the right side. Parking available on property. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover. . Fax:. . click here for picking updates. Our farm tractors will bring you to our berry patches and fruit orchards. We also grow and sell the following fruit: olallieberries, cherries, raspberries, strawberries, apricots, peaches, white peaches, nectarines, white nectarines, apriums, pluots, pears, gravenstein apples, gala apples, golden delicious apples, mutsu apples, jonagold apples, braeburn apples, fuji apples, empire apples, granny smith apples, laura red apples. We also grow and sell the following vegetables: tomatoes, sweet onions, summer squash, green beans, and winter squash. Anything we don't grow on our farms, we get from neighboring farms including broccoli, cauliflower, lettuces, potatoes, peppers, garlic, green onions, eggplant, green and red cabbages, carrots, leeks, brussel sprouts, fresh herbs, cilantro, parsley, and basil. There is nothing more pleasurable than picking plump, juicy, sweet berries right from the vines or plucking that perfect apple or peach straight from the tree in the warmth of summer. In the fall, you can discover your own ideal pumpkin nestled away in one of our many pumpkin patches. Our farm tractors will bring you to our berry patches and fruit orchards. Call to Confirm the schedules:. (UPDATED: May 02, 2018, JBS)
  Comments from a visitor on July 02, 2016: Apple picking starts in September and pumpkins in October. The farm also offers a market, hay-bale maze, hot roasted corn harvested from its fields, and fresh-baked pies, including olallieberry and pumpkin pie. You can feed the goats, pigs, cow, ponies, ostrich, peacocks, turtle, etc.. Hayrides for fruit picking and pumpkins too. A haybale maze for the little ones and one for the adults. Christmas trees already cut for sale. Nice clean restrooms. They sell BBQ'd corn, fresh apple cider and great coffee.
  Comments from a visitor on March 07, 2009: "While we haven't been recently, it's a real gem of the Central Coast. The staff is so friendly and helpful. The produce is wonderful! "
• Cal Poly Fruit and Crops - apples, apricots, blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, citrus, olallieberries, pears, peaches, pumpkins, raspberries
  California Polytechnic State University Use the Highland Drive entrance off of Hwy 1, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407. Phone: 805-756-2224. Email: orchardmanager@calpolyfruitandcrops.com. Directions: From Hwy 101 in San Luis Obispo, Take Highway 1 north toward Morro Bay, Right on Highland Drive, Follow the signs to the designated U-Pick area, Enter campus at Santa Rosa and Highland Road \(u-pick sign posted\). Take Highland Road straight until you come to the first road on your left - Mount Bishop \(u-pick sign posted\) - take a left. Make another immediate left on the driveway located next to the . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, credit cards. . Better call before you go; their website disappeared over the winter, so I put a link to the department's website; Saturdays 10am to 1pm Occasionally Wednesdays 3pm to 5pm Picking is available when the crops are ready. From Hwy 101 in San Luis Obispo, Take Highway 1 north toward Morro Bay, Right on Highland Drive, Follow the signs to the designated U-Pick area, Enter campus at Santa Rosa and Highland Road (u-pick sign posted). Take Highland Road straight until you come to the first road on your left - Mount Bishop (u-pick sign posted) - take a left. Make another immediate left on the driveway located next to the Crops Unit (u-pick sign posted). Follow the driveway down until it becomes a dirt parking lot (u-pick sign posted). You will keep driving straight through this parking lot (running parallel with Highland Road) until you see the entrance to the Bramson Trail (u-pick signs posted on the right-hand side). Follow the path to the entrance to the first field on your right (orange cones at the entrance to the field). Enter the field and stay on the gravel road. You will dead end at the u-pick orchard. Take a left and park at the far end of the field. Parking is free on weekends. Crops are usually available all year. We have Satsuma Tangerines in the Winter months and Various Navel Oranges, blood oranges and other citrus for most of the year. We also have many varieties of prepicked avocados that change throughout the year.April: at Cal Poly Orchards - Citrus Field - Moro Blood Oranges, Tarocco Blood Oranges, Daisy Mandarins, Pixie Mandarins & Gold Nugget Mandarins in 2023 are $2.50/pound . Blueberries are open in April, price in 2023 is $7/pound Feel free to bring your own clippers and a bag to pick into! please leave your pets at home (UPDATED: April 27, 2023, JBS)
• Jack Creek Farms - Uses natural growing practices, beans, cucumbers, flowers, herbs or spices, lavender, olallieberries, onions, peas, pumpkins, summer squash, tomatoes, other vegetables, Honey from hives on the farm, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, farm animals, birthday parties, weddings and wedding parties, school tours
  5000 Highway 46 West, Templeton, CA 93465. Phone: 805-239-1915. Email: info@JackCreekFarms.com. Open: Late May through September Thursday, Friday Saturday and Monday 10 am to 6 pm Sunday 11 am to 6 pm Closed on Tuesday and Wednesday; October Thursday, Friday Saturday, Monday and Tuesday 10 am to 6 pm Sunday 11 am to 6 pm Closed on Wednesday November Thursday, Friday Saturday and Monday 10 am to 5 pm Sunday 11 am to 5 pm Closed on Tuesday and Wednesday; December Please check website - dates and hours are dependent upon weather. Directions: Our farm is midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles in San Luis Obispo County, about a half hour drive from Hearst Castle. We are located west of Templeton and Paso Robles; and east of Cambria, Harmony and Cayucos, on Highway 46 West. If you are coming from the north or south on Highway 101, we are located about 7 miles west of Highway 101 on Highway 46 West. If you are traveling from Highway 1, we are exactly 16 miles east of Highway 1 on Highway 46 West. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover.
  Jack Creek Farms Facebook page. . Our farm offers a number of special events each year including an annual Kid's Day on the Farm (August), Old-fashioned Threshing Bee (September - Labor Day Weekend), Heirloom Tomato Tasting (September), Scarecrow Contest (September through October), Pumpkin Painting Workshop (October) and more; Please check our website for exact dates and times; For updates on our current harvest, please check the bottom left-hand side of every page on our website. We use natural practices, but are not seeking organic certification. We offer u-pick with almost every crop grown on our farm. You can pick your own sweet onions and garlic in early June, and blackberries from our olallieberry patch in late June and early July. Middle July means u-pick lavender season, for buds or bundles. July and August means u-pick peach and plum season. In August we have available for u-pick all of our heirloom tomatoes (over 50 different varieties), and September through November means u-pick apple season.(UPDATED: October 02, 2021, JBS)
• Talley Farms - Uses natural growing practices, blackberries, boysenberries, loganberries, olallieberries, pumpkins, raspberries (red), raspberries (yellow), gift shop, restrooms, picnic area, school tours, group reservations
  Talley Vineyards 3031 Lopez Drive, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420. Phone: (805) 489-5401. Email: FreshHarvest@TalleyFarms.com. Open: Talley Vineyards is open seven days a week, 10 am to 4:30 pm. Directions: We are approximately 10 miles inland from Pismo Beach, on the way to Lopez Lake. We use natural practices, but are not yet certified Organic. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.
  Talley Farms Facebook page. . Alternate Phone: (805) 489-0446. Fax: 805-489-5201. . Our CSA boxes are available for sign up at our winery and farm stand. We can deliver our farm boxes most anywhere in the Western United States. (ADDED: May 02, 2018)

 

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