2024 Central Ontario (Coburg, Peterborough, etc) Pumpkin U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Pumpkin U-Pick Orchards in Central Ontario (Coburg, Peterborough, etc) in 2024, by county

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

Not all areas of a province or region have pumpkins 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.

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.

New! We just went live with our latest website, FunFactoryTours.com - As they name implies, you can find a fun factory tour, including chocolate, automobiles, historical forts and sites, famous buildings, Active Federal facilities even fun geology: like fossils and volcanic areas

Kawartha Lakes (Little Britain)

• Sweet Scent Farm - strawberries, raspberries, currants, pumpkins
  250 Thunder Bridge Rd, Kawartha Lakes, ON K9V 4R1. Phone: 705-324-7234. Email: krisher720@hotmail.com. Open: Monday to Friday from 8 am to 8 pm, Saturday and Sunday from 8 am to 5 pm. Click here for a map and directions. (ADDED: February 09, 2010, found online)
• Welcome Produce Market - Strawberries, Raspberries, pumpkins
  4754 Fourth Line RR1, Port Hope, ON L1A 3V5. Phone: 905-753-2302. Open: 7 days a week, 8 am to 6 pm. Click here for a map and directions. North of Hwy 401 (500m) at exit 461 on Hwy 2, Port Hope. Near Peterborough.Also has prepicked apples and a bakery!

Northumberland (Brighton, Cobourg, Grafton, Port Hope, Roseneath, Trent Hills)

• Burnham Family Farm Market - strawberries, raspberries, pumpkins
  RR 4 - County Road 2, between Cobourg and Port Hope, ON . Phone: 905-373-4578. Email: burnham.market@sympatico.ca. Open: June- December. Click here for a map and directions. invites you to Strawberry Day in June. Our own produce from berries to apples, on-site bakery, preserves & ice cream await while you browse in our friendly market. U-Pick available Strawberry Days 2014 is Saturday, June 28 to Sunday, June 29. Come on out to celebrate another year of fresh summer produce at our annual Strawberry Days festival! Hay rides, ice cream sundaes, burgers and fries, live music, face painting and many games await you at this year's festival. Hope to see you there.
• Cricklewood Farm - apples, pumpkins, raspberries (red), raspberries (Autumn, red), prepicked produce, farm market, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, picnic area, school tours
  27 Grandview Road, Brighton, ON K0K 1H0. Phone: 613-475-4293. Email: cricklewood@sympatico.ca. Open: daily, late July to November 5, from 9:30 to 5:30, Saturday 9:30 to 7 pm; Last walk thru the maze is one hour before closing. Directions: From the 401 \(Toronto\), take the Big Apple exit \(497\) and drive south to Colborne. Turn left onto King Street \(Hwy 2\) and drive 10 km. From the 401 \(Kingston\) take the Brighton exit \(509\) and drive south to the first set of stoplights in Brighton. Turn right onto Main Street \(Hwy 2\) and drive 3 km. Cricklewood Farm is on the south side of the road. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Debit cards. Call ahead for maze twilight walk hoursFrom the 401 (Toronto), take the Big Apple exit (497) and drive south to Colborne. Turn left onto King Street (Hwy 2) and drive 10 km. From the 401 (Kingston) take the Brighton exit (509) and drive south to the first set of stoplights in Brighton. Turn right onto Main Street (Hwy 2) and drive 3 km. is on the south side of the roadCrops are usually available in July, August, September, October. Raspberries, summer: mid July to mid August; Apples available from mid August to mid October; Pumpkins available mid September to end of October; Corn maze is open July 29 to early NovemberWe have over forty varieties of apples. Thirteen of these are available for pick your own. We also grow sweet corn, squash, tomatoes and sell cider, honey, home baked pies and cookies, candy and caramel apples.
• Dunnett Orchards - Raspberries, apples, pumpkins
  Dundas Street, Brighton, ON . Phone: 613-475-0465. Open: daily, 8 am to 7 pm, July to November. Directions: Take Highway 401 \(exit 509 Brighton\) south to County Road 2. Turn east on Dundas St. for 1 km. . Click here for a map and directions. Take Highway 401 (exit 509 Brighton) south to County Road 2. Turn east on Dundas St. for 1 kmAlso prepicked tart cherries, plums, tomatoes, squash, honey, apple cider and maple syrup.
• Moore Orchards - Strawberries, Raspberries, Apples, Pumpkins
  RR#5 - 1497 Moore Orchard Road, Cobourg, ON K9A 4J8. Phone: 905-372-3911. Open: see their page. Click here for a map and directions. ~3 km east of Cobourg on hwy 2. Turn south on Moore Orchard Road. Near Peterborough. Also: Cider, Squash, Sweet corn, Pears. PYO apples when in season. (UPDATED: June 08, 2014, by JBS)

Peterborough (Braund Port, Downers Corners, Edmison Heights, Hunters Ridge, Nassau)

• Buckhorn Berry Farm - Strawberries, Raspberries, Pumpkins, Pumpkin Festival
  RR#1, Lakefield, ON K0L 2H0. Phone: 705-657-8888. Email: info@buckhornberryfarm.com. Open: starting in mid June for Strawberries. Directions: 20 minutes north of Peterborough, 2 miles south of Buckhorn, off County Road 23 at Deer bay Road. Near Peterborough. Also: Peas, Beans, Potatoes. PYO strawberries will be $3.95lb \(2024 price\). Payment: cash, debit, and credit cardsPYO harvest calendar: Late June: Strawberries, Peas. Mid-July: Red Raspberries, Beans. Late July: Purple Royalty Raspberries, Black Currants. August - September: Tomatoes. October: Pumpkins. Please note, we shut down in the afternoon for raspberry season. This allo - truncated. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: cash, debit, and credit cards.
  Buckhorn Berry Farm Facebook page. Fax: 705-657-9256PYO STRAWBERRY HOURS: 8 am to 8 p.m. weekdays. 8 am to 4 p.m. weekends. PYO RASPBERRY HOURS: 8 am to 12 p.m. & 4 pm to 8 p.m. weekdays; 8 am to 4 p.m. weekends20 minutes north of Peterborough, 2 miles south of Buckhorn, off County Road 23 at Deer bay Road. Near Peterborough. Also: Peas, Beans, Potatoes. PYO strawberries will be $3.95/lb (2024 price) PYO harvest calendar: Late June: Strawberries, Peas. Mid-July: Red Raspberries, Beans. Late July: Purple Royalty Raspberries, Black Currants. August - September: Tomatoes. October: Pumpkins. Please note, we shut down in the afternoon for raspberry season. This allows daily picking and accommodates customers whose schedule permits only evening picking. Conditions can change at any time, so be sure to verify our Daily Crop Report. Just before you get in your vehicle, call the farm at 1-705-657-8888 or listen to 980 KRUZ at 6:50 am daily, starting in late June. Seasonal Employment: We begin hiring pickers in mid May to harvest our fruit crops. Pickers start in mid to late June and work 7 days a week, 6:30 am to 10:30-11 am, for approximately 4 weeks. Because we are located in a rural area, you must provide your own transportation. Mail orFax: your resume to the farm. Minimum age of 14 yrs. to apply. Facebook page. (UPDATED: June 12, 2024, JBS)
  Comments from a visitor on June 02, 2009: "Loved it! "

 

Pumpkin

Pumpkin Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

Do you want it for a party, decoration or eating?

For a wedding or party:

See this page: Finding pumpkins for weddings

Decoration to paint or carve:

OK, Then you need only look for any pumpkin that is

• visually appealing, evenly a deep orange. The shape is just whatever appeals to you. If it grew on its side and has a flat spot, you can either make that the make or use it as part of your design!
• free from cuts, soft spots, bruises. The flesh should feel hard, and not give easily. Infections can invade easily and cause rot
• Make sure the stem is attached.

Store it carefully, especially if you pick it from the vine yourself. Cure a fresh-picked pumpkin by keeping it in a dry place. Don't handle or disturb it. Curing toughens the rind, making it less prone to rot. Pumpkins will keep for months in a cool (50 F to 65F dry, low humidity environment; such as a cool, dry basement.

Tip: If you like roasted or baked pumpkin seeds, you can save the seeds from any pumpkin!

To make a pumpkin pie!

Then you need a small, sweet type of pumpkin that has been developed for eating. They are smaller, typically about 8" to 10" diameter. The meat is much less stringy and smoother than a decorative pumpkin variety. Pumpkin is rich in vitamin A and potassium. One-half cup of cooked pumpkin provides more than the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A. One cup of cooked pumpkin contains only 81 calories. It's low in fat and sodium! Usually you can get these at the grocery store, and some of the pumpkin patches and farm stands have them. Be sure to tell them that you intend to use it for a pumpkin pie. Again, look for firm, no soft spots, or signs of any rot. See this page for easy, illustrated directions to make a pumpkin pie from a fresh pumpkin!

Varieties of Pumpkins

• Sugar - Excellent for baking
• Jack O'Lantern - most common for carving
• White Lumina - unusual, medium-sized white pumpkin
• Mini - Great for decoration
• Gourds - Many varieties, used for decorations

For a very complete, detailed list of many varieties of pumpkins and where to get the seeds, see this page!

Want to Grow Your Own Pumpkins?

Then see this page!

Pumpkin recipes

• How to prepare cooked pumpkin from a fresh pumpkin (for use in all the recipes)
• Illustrated instructions to make a pumpkin pie from a fresh pumpkin - the best pumpkin pie you will ever taste! (metric version for the UK, Europe, Australia, Japan, etc.)
• How to home-can pumpkin (in a cooked, cubed form) and why you shouldn't home-can the pureed forms.
• Traditional Pumpkin Pie
• Chocolate pumpkin pie
• Pumpkin Spice Muffins
• Pumpkin muffins
• Pumpkin Bread
• Pumpkin Butter!
• Pumpkin cheesecake - INCREDIBLE!!! You have to try this one!
• Pumpkin Cookies
• Pumpkin soup - even if you normally aren't a soup lover; you will love this one.
• Butternut-Chestnut Panchetta-Bacon Soup - Pumpkin or Butternut squash combines with chestnuts and bacon, ham or panchetta in this great soup
• Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
• No Sugar Pumpkin Pie
• Apple Cider Doughnut Recipe (with maple glaze or sugar glaze)

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