2024 Augusta area of Maine Pea U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Pea U-Pick Orchards in Augusta area of Maine 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 state 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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Kennebec County

• Lakeside Orchards and Farm Market - apples, Peas, Blueberries, and Pumpkins
  318 Readfield Rd, Manchester, ME 04531. Phone: 207-622-2479. Email: applefarm@adelphia.net. Open: daily, 8 am to 6 pm. Directions: 1 mile from Manchester CenterWe specialize in Pick-Your-Own Apples, but we also provide opportunities to Pick-Your-Own Peas, Blueberries, and Pumpkins. We are currently expanding our acreage of several . Click here for a map and directions.
  Lakeside Orchards and Farm Market Facebook page. PYO on Saturday & Sunday: 10 am to 6 pmcrops that will enhance our Pick-Your-Own offerings for many years to come. ​Farm market: We sell a wide variety of fruits and vegetables throughout the year. Our primary crop is apples, but we also produce large amounts of blueberries, pumpkins, salad greens, and other vegetables. Also in our market you will find many food and non-food items produced in Maine, often by small-scale family-owned businesses. We are open year-round, and our offerings of fruits, vegetables, and other products change with each exciting season. Pick your own apples in season. Varieties include Paula Reds, McIntosh, Cortlands, Spartans, Mutsus, Macouns, Red and Golden Delicious. Tractor rides on weekends. In addition to all our apple products, you will find home-made jams and jellies of every description, pure natural local honey, maple syrup, scrumptious, home-made pies and breads, local vegetables and loads of country charm. We also invite you to stroll through the orchards, perhaps pick a peck or two of your own apples in season, or watch cider being pressed. Bring a picnic. It's a great family outingWide variety of seasonal, locally grown fruits and vegetables, (UPDATED: May 09, 2018, JBS)

Knox County

• School House Farm - strawberries, apples, peas (English), peas (Snap),
  171 Atlantic Highway, Warren, ME 04864. Phone: 207-273-2440. Email: elenaburdina@gmail.com. Open: Starting Mid-September through October, 9 am to 5 pm. Click here for a map and directions. From SW 1.2mi on left after Rts. 90 & 1 intersection. From NE 2mi on Route after W/T bridge on Rte 1. Bus parking. 25 varieties of apples.

Sagadahoc County

• Fairwinds Farm - peas, strawberries,
  Brown\'s Point Road, Bowdoinham, ME 04008. Phone: 207-729-1872. Email: fairwindsfarm08@gmail.com. Open: 7 am to 7pm, seven days per week, in season. Directions: Take Route 24 to Bowdoinham and follow the signs. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover. Eight acres of beautiful berries on the banks of the Kennebec River. Also, pick your own beet greens. Restrooms available. Formerly called \Prout\'s Vegetables. ". Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover.
  Fairwinds Farm Facebook page. . Alternate Phone: 207-522-0246 Take Route 24 to Bowdoinham and follow the signsEight acres of beautiful berries on the banks of the Kennebec River. Also, pick your own beet greens. Restrooms available. Formerly called "Prout's Vegetables"

 

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