2024 Red Deer area of Alberta, Canada Pea U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Pea U-Pick Orchards in Red Deer area of Alberta, Canada in 2024, by county

Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for peas that we know of in this area.

Not all areas of a province or region have peas 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.

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Red Deer area of Alberta

• Billyco Junction Gardens - Uses natural growing practices, apples, beans, broad beans, carrots, cucumbers, honeyberries, haskaps, onions, peas, pumpkins, raspberries, rhubarb, strawberries, Saskatoons, potatoes
  40110 - Range Road 260 RR#4, Lacombe, AB T4L 2N4. Phone: 403 782-4263. Email: info@billycojunction.com. Open: Daily from 10 am to 7:30 pm; from May to October. Directions: We are 8 kilometers east of Lacombe, Alberta on Highway 12, and 4.4 kilometers South on Prentiss Road. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Cheque, MasterCard, Visa, Interact. Fax: 403 782-4202Closed TuesdaysWe use natural practices, but are not seeking organic certification
• Eagle Creek Farms - Uses natural growing practices, beans, beets, carrots, corn (sweet), flowers, herbs or spices, melons, peas, pumpkins, summer squash, winter squash, tomatoes, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, farm animals, birthday parties
  34532 Range Road #14, Bowden, AB T0M 0K0. Phone: 877 224 3939. Email: fresh@eaglecreekfarms.ca. Open: Summer Hours: Monday to Saturday from 11 am to 6pm: Sunday from 11am to 5pm Fall. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Cheque, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard.
  Eagle Creek Farms Facebook page. Fax: 403 224 3994 Picking updates: Click here for picking updatesU-pick Open Mid July until Early September. We use natural practices, but are not seeking organic certificationWe grow a selection of Vegetables & Flowers in our Gardens for you to pick. There is no admission to enter the Upick Gardens, you are only charged for what you pick. We have everything you need to cut a bouquet of flowers or harvest fresh veggies from the gardens including clippers, forks and bags. . (UPDATED: May 15, 2023, JBS)
• Pinky's Organics - Uses natural growing practices, not yet certified, apples, haskaps, pears, red raspberries red, Yellow raspberries, Black raspberries, strawberries, asparagus, beans, beets, broccoli, pie or tart cherries, sweet corn, pickling cucumbers, slicing cucumbers, garlic, kale, lettuce or salad greens, onions, snap peas (edible pod), snow peas (flat edible pod), hot peppers, sweet peppers, Swiss chard, summer squash, winter squash, Heirloom tomatoes, paste or Roma tomatoes, tomatoes, watermelons, daffodils, lavender, Lillies, sunflowers, tulips, zinnias, flowers, Basil, Mint, Oregano, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme, Fresh eggs
  26040 highway 595, Red Deer County, AB t4e0t8. Phone: (403) 347-7148. Email: pinkysflowerfarm@xplore.net. Open: daily 9 am to 5 pm starting in July through to October. Directions: 8KM east of Red Deer on highway 595. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only.
  Pinky's Organics Facebook page. We use natural practices, but are not yet certified Organic (ADDED: April 17, 2024)

 

Pea

Pea Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

Peas (English, Snap peas, Snow Peas, Crowder Peas, etc.) are very easy to grow.  They thrive even in poor soil. In fact, as a legume, pea plants are able to take nitrogen from the air and fix it in nodules in their roots with bacteria to enrich the soil. Whether you grow them yourself or pick them at a PYO farm, or buy them at the market, they're available fresh almost everywhere.

Here's what to look for!

English peas

Pick English Peas when the pod is full and green and the peas are still tender and sweet. Test for maturity frequently by picking a couple of pods and examining them for firmness. Harvest the Chinese and snow peas, which are eaten pod and all, when the pods are 1-1/2 to 2 inches long and the peas are about the size of BB's. The pods are usually picked 5 to 7 days after flowering.

 

Snap Peas - aka, edible-podded peas

Similar to English peas, except the pod itself is also sweet and tender, like the peas inside.

Snow peas, aka Chinese peas

Like snap peas, the pod is edible, except you want to pick them while they are still flat, before the pod starts to swell with peas inside. Harvest Chinese and snow peas, which are eaten pod and all, when the pods are 1-1/2 to 2 inches long and the peas are about the size of BB's.

Specialty Peas

There are many varieties, like purple hulled peas, crowder peas, black-eyed- peas. Each has their followers!

 

When are peas available?

Peas are a cool, even cold weather crop, and can tolerate frost and cold soil. In the U.S. Peas typically peak during February (in the Deep South) through October in the North. Peak season is February through June before the weather gets hot.  Some farms plant a Fall crop too, as they only take 45 to 60 days from the time the seed is planted!

Before you leave to go to the farm:

1. Always call before you go to the farm - it's hard to pick in a muddy field!
2. Most growers furnish picking containers designed for Peas, but they may charge you for them; be sure to call before you go to see if you need to bring containers.
3. 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 while the weather is still cool, but some deet might be good to bring along if it has been rainy.

General Picking Tips

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

Look for Peas that are :

1. firm
2. Bright green (not yellowish!)
3. smooth, shiny pods, not wrinkly on the surface - that's an old or dried out pea.
4. The Peas in the photo at right are, from left:
   - old and yellowing,
   - overripe and lumpy; and
   - dried out and damaged.
5. Avoid placing the picked Peas 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. I prefer to bring a cooler with ice in it. Peas may be kept fresh in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days
6. It is best to shell English peas and either freeze them or use them promptly.

When you get home

1. Put them in the vegetable crisper in the fridge, in a loose plastic bag.
2. Now, get ready to can or freeze the extra Peas - It is VERY easy! Click on the links for easy instructions.
   • How to can Peas
   • How to freeze English peas, Crowder peas and other shelled peas
   • How to freeze snap peas and snow peas
3. Pea shellers - simple inexpensive devices to quickly shell English peas
    

1. 
2. The Peas in the photo at right are, from left:
   - old and yellowing,
   - overripe and lumpy; and
   - dried out and damaged.
3. Avoid placing the picked Peas 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. I prefer to bring a cooler with ice in it. Peas may be kept fresh in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days
4. It is best to shell English peas and either freeze them or use them promptly.

When you get home

1. Put them in the vegetable crisper in the fridge, in a loose plastic bag.
2. Now, get ready to can or freeze the extra Peas - It is VERY easy! Click on the links for easy instructions.
   • How to can Peas
   • How to freeze English peas, Crowder peas and other shelled peas
   • How to freeze snap peas and snow peas
3. Pea shellers - simple inexpensive devices to quickly shell English peas
    

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