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Pea U-Pick Orchards in Milwaukee area of Wisconsin 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 any state, nor even every state, have peas 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.

Jefferson County

  • Jelli's Market - beans, blueberries, peas, raspberries (Spring, red), raspberries (Autumn, red), strawberries, tomatoes, Honey from hives on the farm, Fresh eggs, restrooms, farm animals, school tours
    N5648 S Farmington Road, Helenville, WI 53137. Phone: 262-593-5133. Email: sknoebel@jellismarket.com. Open: Hours vary so see our website for current hours. Directions: Easy to get to from I94 or Highway 18. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, WIC Vouchers, SFMNP Vouchers. . . See our website for directions.

Kenosha County

  • Jerry Smith Produce & Country Store - beans, cucumbers, eggplant, peas, peppers, tomatoes, other vegetables, gift shop, concessions or refreshment stand, porta-potties are available, picnic area, picnic area you may bring your own food, face painting, jumping pillow, pony rides, farm animals, birthday parties, school tours, group reservations
    7150 18th Street, Kenosha, WI 53144. Phone: 262-859-2645. Email: aksmith@tds.net. Open: . Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, WIC Vouchers.
    Jerry Smith Produce & Country Store Facebook page. Alternate Phone: 262-620-0081 aksmith@tdsnet Click here for current open hours, days and dates Click here for a map and directions Pumpkin Farm festivities open mid September through October 31; Sweet Corn Festival third Saturday of August every year; Event runs 10 am until 6 pm Free Hay Rides, Pick Your Own, Chef Demonstrations, Fresh Roasted Sweet Corn, Face Painting, Jumping Pillow, Live Children's Music Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, WIC Vouchers Click here for our Facebook page Family run business for over 41 years

Ozaukee County

  • Barthel Fruit Farm - strawberries, apples, peas, pears, plums, pumpkins
    12246 N Farmdale Road, Mequon, WI . Phone: 262-242-2737. Email: info@barthelfruitfarm.com. Open: strawberry hours are as follows: Monday to Friday from 9 am to 6 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 9 am to 5 pm, weather and berries permitting. Click here for a map and directions. . Closing time varies daily; we close when we run out of ripe berries for the day or at closing time, whichever comes first. ALWAYS CALL FOR A PICKING UPDATE BEFORE DRIVING OUT. 242-2737 or 242-2774 (PYO hotline). Also picking sugar snap peas and snow peas, supply permitting. Fall hours are 9 am to 6 pm Mon through Saturday and 10 to 5 pm Sunday, mid August through New Year or depending on crop. Pick your own as available. Cider, baked goods, pears, plums etc. (UPDATED: June 13, 2020 JBS)
    Comments from a visitor on July 02, 2010: "We just went there today, July 2nd 2010, and the strawberries we got are great! I was worried it was too late in the season, but I personally picked 18lbs myself and they weren't all tiny berries! Plenty of good reg. and big size if you are willing to dig around a little! Extremely friendly & helpful staff, prices are awesome, and a HUGE variety of things to choose from - strawberries, sugar snap peas (picked a whole bag of those too), tomato plants, beautiful flowers, several kinds of apples in fall, on and on!!!! GO - it's worth the trip! We drove an hour and it was well worth the trip! Kids welcome as well! :o) 2 THUMBS UP!"

Rock County

  • Wiser Farm Produce - Uses natural growing practices, beans, blackberries, broccoli, corn (sweet), cucumbers, eggplant, flowers, herbs or spices, melons, onions, peas, peppers, pumpkins, rhubarb, summer squash, winter squash, strawberries,
    9107 W US Highway 14, Evansville, WI 53536. Phone: 608-882-5807. Email: wiser@litewire.net. Open: Directions: Click here for a map and directions. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, WIC Vouchers, SFMNP Vouchers.
    Wiser Farm Produce Facebook page. . We use natural practices, but are not seeking organic certification.

Washington County

  • Basse's Taste of Country - pyo apples, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, peas, pumpkins.
    3190 County Road Q, Colgate, WI 53017. Phone: (262) 628-2626. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions.
    Basse's Taste of Country Facebook page. . U-Pick: 7-5 Daily Until Done Store: 9-5 Daily (Strawberry Season Only) They have restrooms/wash stations/petting zoo/kid activities/corn maze/hay rides/school tours They do accept credit cards and also have a store with crafts, pre made jams/jellies/, ice cream stand, homemade items, apple cider, and prepicked fruits and veggies. Strawberries: Available mid-June until season end. Peas: Sugar, Garden and Snow Peas. Available mid-June until season end. UPICK hours: 7am-5pm Daily (weather permitting). UPICK Store hours: 9 am to 5pm Daily. UPICK seasons are approximate. Please call Produce Hotline at 262-628-3866 to confirm crop status. Basse's will offer a U-Pick Apple Orchard in 2016. UPDATE: June 11, 2010 - A visitor tells me that the farm's phone sometimes get's overwhelmed. You have to try a few times to get through"
  • The Fideler Farm - strawberries, peas and raspberries, prepicked produce, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, farm animals, school tours
    2863 Ridge Road, Kewaskum, WI 53040. Phone: 262-338-0494. Email: info@thefidelerfarm.com. Open: Call for hours of operation during each season. Directions: 40 minutes north of Milwaukee right off of Highway 45 North. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check.
    The Fideler Farm Facebook page. . . Crops are usually available in June, July, August, September, October. Strawberries are available June 15- July 4. Summer raspberries start about July 15. Fall Raspberries start August10 until the first hard freeze in October. Pumpkins, gourds, and Indian corn are available the last weekend in September until Halloween. (UPDATED: June 21, 2018, JBS)

 

Pea Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

Peas, English peasPeas (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.
  3. Pea shellers - simple inexpensive devices to quickly shell English peas
     
  1. Canned peas
  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.
  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)