2024 The Santa Cruz County and Bay area of California Raspberry U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Raspberry U-Pick Orchards in The Santa Cruz County and Bay area of California in 2024, by county

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

Santa Cruz County

• Crystal Bay Farm - Certified Organic, olallieberries, raspberries (red), raspberries (yellow), strawberries, tayberries, picnic area, farm animals, birthday parties, school tours
  40 Zils Road, Watsonvillle, CA 95076. Phone: (831) 724-4137. Email: crystalbayfarm@mac.com. Open: to the public, located between two state beaches on the beautiful Monterey Bay. Directions: From Highway 1 take the the San Andreas Larken Valley exit to San Andreas road, drive 4.5 miles to Zils road We are at the corner of San Andreas and Zils Road. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. . . Please call ahead for u - pick; U-Pick is typically Wednesday & Sundays from 11- 4pm starting mid-May, ​$2.00 entrance fee; 2021 prices are Strawberries $5.00 per pound May-Sept, Raspberries (price TBD) June-July & September - Come out in October for our Pumpkin Patch!. From Highway 1 take the the San Andreas / Larken Valley exit to San Andreas road, drive 4.5 miles to Zils road We are at the corner of San Andreas and Zils Road. We are certified organic for all crops! We are a small family farm open We offer a self-serve farm stand, a pumpkin patch, and farm tours. Our Self-Serve Farm stand operates on the honor system. If the farmer is not around take your fruit and place your payment in the cash tube at the corner of the farm stand. In the Fall we have a huge assortment of pumpkins and winter squash. So come on out, we look forward to seeing you in the field. Certified Organic by CCOF since 1997. Come and enjoy the best organic strawberries on the Monterey Bay and spend the day with us. OCTOBER U-PICK DAYS ARE FROM 10-5PM COME AND ENJOY THE BEST ORGANIC STRAWBERRIES ON THE MONTEREY BAY AND SPEND THE DAY WITH US. OUR FARM IS LOCATED BETWEEN 2 STATE PARK BEACHES OVERLOOKING THE MONTEREY BAY, VISIT THE FARM ANIMALS HAVE A PICNIC RELAX AND UNWIND. IF YOUR GROUP IS LARGER THAN TEN PLEASE CALL IN ADVANCE FOR APPOINTMENT. Their website says COMING SOON, a VEGGIE U-PICK, ​VEGGIES LETTUCE, RADISH, CHARD, KALE, TOMATOES, BEANS, BEETS, CARROTS, GARLIC, HERBS, TOMATILLOS, BROCCOLI, SUMMER SQUASH
• Gizdich Farm - apples, blackberries, boysenberries, olallieberries, raspberries (Spring, red), strawberries, Cider mill (fresh apple cider made on the premises), U-pick and already picked, farm market, gift shop, concessions or refreshment stand, porta-potties are available, school tours
  55 Peckham Rd, Watsonville, CA 95076. Phone: 831-722-1056. Open: 7 days a week, 9am to 5pm. Directions: From Highway 1 \(southbound\), take Riverside Drive EXIT, turn left overpass, straight through downtown Watsonville \(high school on left side\), over a bridge, left on Lakeview Road, right on Carlton Road, left on Peckham Road. From Highway 1 \(northbound\), same exit, right on Riverside, follow above. From Highway 101 \(southbound & northbound\), take 129 WEST to Watsonville, fork right on Carlton Road, \(stop sign Thompson Road\), straight on Carlton, right on Peckham Road. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Visa, MasterCard. . Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. From Highway 1 (southbound), take Riverside Drive EXIT, turn left overpass, straight through downtown Watsonville (high school on left side), over a bridge, left on Lakeview Road, right on Carlton Road, left on Peckham Road. From Highway 1 (northbound), same exit, right on Riverside, follow above. From Highway 101 (southbound & northbound), take 129 WEST to Watsonville, fork right on Carlton Road, (stop sign Thompson Road), straight on Carlton, right on Peckham Road. Strawberries: May to September. Olallieberries: June. Boysenberries and Blackberries: Mid June to July. Apples: September (3 weeks). Pie Shop open Daily 9am - 5pm Serving our famous farm fresh pies and our Award winning Apple Juice. They grow 16 varieties of apples but only Red Delicious, Newton Pippins & Golden Delicious are U-pick. Pik-Yor-Self - Strawberries, Olallieberries, Boysenberries, and Apples are available in our Pik-Yor-Self program. Experience the most fun part of growing fruits, here at the Ranch! Combined with fresh air, sunshine and a little sweat, it's a whole lot of fun for the kids and the entire family. Don't forget your camera.Call for our opening dates and prepare for a fun day of picking delicious fruit. Bring your own containers or let us provide boxes for a small fee.After picking, take a self guided tour of our apple orchard and berry farms. If you're here on Saturdays (September-April only), you can watch the apples get pressed for juice!
  Comments from a visitor on June 20, 2011: "This place has been around forever!! I picked berries here as a kid. I took my teenagers last year. My mom and all her friends use them for their jam berries. Worth the trip (unless Rancho Not So Grande can beat their prices. They are local while Gizdich is an almost 3 hour drive"
  Comments from a visitor on June 26, 2010: "Love it, have been going for many years. "
  Comments from a visitor on December 21, 2009: "Have been going to their ranch for years. It is a wonderful place. Their olallieberries and apples are the best! Gizdich Ranch is surrounded by other small family farms. The whole county is rich in agriculture. Fields of artichokes, strawberries, olallieberries, boysenberries, apples, vegetables, etc. In the fall the area it is a cornucopia to the season. They have a shop located in their barn that sells farm grown apples and fresh berries in season or bags of frozen berries ( 4 & 8 lbs.), frozen berry puree, freshly pressed apple juice and a variety of jams, etc. There is also a bakeshop/deli that serves: freshly baked pies (sold whole or by the slice), shortcakes, pastries, apple dumplings, sandwiches, box lunches & drinks. Also have an antique shop next to the barn. Yes they have restrooms. Yes, credit card and ship nation wide. There are picnic tables & tours of ranch. Family friendly. They are not organic. But are trying a variety of natural approaches to cut back on spraying."
• Live Earth Farm and Discovery Program - Certified Organic, apples, apricots, beans, blackberries, olallieberries, peppers, pumpkins, raspberries (red), raspberries (Spring, red), raspberries (Autumn, red), raspberries (yellow), raspberries (Spring, yellow), raspberries (Autumn, yellow), raspberries (black), raspberries (Spring, black), strawberries, tomatoes, Honey from hives on the farm, Fresh eggs, Cider mill (fresh apple cider made on the premises), concessions or refreshment stand, porta-potties are available, restrooms, picnic area, picnic area you may bring your own food, face painting, farm animals, birthday parties, weddings and wedding parties, school tours, group reservations
  1275 Green Valley Road, Watsonville, CA 95076. Phone: 831-763-2448. Email: farmers@cruzio.com. Open: U-Picks will be held seasonally on Saturdays and Sundays only from 10 am to 3 pm, May to October; call before you come. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard.
  Live Earth Farm and Discovery Program Facebook page. . Alternate Phone: 831-728-2032. . We are certified organic for all crops! Please be advised that availability of crops varies from week to week; check the table below for the status of available items. Discounts apply to produce the more you pick! Bring buckets, boxes, or other containers to harvest into, or purchase containers from us for a small fee. Make sure to dress accordingly to layers, hats, sunblock. Load up the kids, pack a picnic lunch and make a day of it! Though we appreciate canine friends, please do not bring your dogs to our farm. Typical dates (may change!):Strawberries Mother's Day Weekend Saturday and Sunday May 12th and 13th Blackberries End of July Dry-farmed Tomatoes August Peppers Apples September/October )

 

Raspberry Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

Raspberries can produce an early summer crop or  a late summer and Fall crop. In the U.S. Spring / Summer raspberries (called florocanes) typically peak during June in the South, and in July in the North. The primocane varieties, which produce raspberries on shoots that come up each Spring are typically read from August until frost.

In addition to the variety a farm plants, the berries are ready at various times depending the local climate, such as which part of the state you are located. See this page for a list of raspberry festivals around the U.S.

And for those of you from the upper midwest through the west and up to Canada, if you are interested in Thimbleberries, see this page.

Before you leave to go to the farm:

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 raspberries, but they may charge you for them; be sure to call before you go to see if you need to bring containers.
   If you use your own containers, remember that heaping raspberries 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 raspberries

1. Raspberry bushes don't have thorns, but they are a pick prickly, so if you want to hold the stem while picking, a pair of lightweight gloves is helpful.

   Raspberries Nutritional Data
   (fresh)

   Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
   Energy	220 kJ (53 kcal)
   Carbohydrates	11.94 g
   Sugars	4.42 g
   Dietary fiber	6.5 g
   Fat	0.65 g
   Protein	1.2 g
   Vitamins
   Thiamine	(3%) 0.032 mg
   Riboflavin2	(3%) 0.038 mg
   Niacin3	(4%) 0.598 mg
   Pantothenic acid5	(7%) 0.329 mg
   Vitamin B6	(4%) 0.055 mg
   Folate9	(5%) 21 μg
   Choline	(3%) 12.3 mg
   Vitamin C	(32%) 26.2 mg
   Vitamin E	(6%) 0.87 mg
   Vitamin K	(7%) 7.8 μg
   Minerals
   Calcium	(3%) 25 mg
   Iron	(5%) 0.69 mg
   Magnesium	(6%) 22 mg
   Manganese	(32%) 0.67 mg
   Phosphorus	(4%) 29 mg
   Potassium	(3%) 151 mg
   Zinc	(4%) 0.42 mg
   Other constituents
   Water	85.8 g
   Units μg = micrograms � mg = milligrams IU = International units
   Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults. Source:

   
   
2. A ripe raspberry is deep color with a plump, soft but firm feel. It will pull free from the plant with only a slight tug. The center will remain on the plant. Keep in mind, raspberries come in many colors: red, yellow, black, purple, so you want to pick the darker shade of whichever it is.
3. Pick only the berries that are fully ripe. 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!
4. I find it helps to hold the stem with one hand, while picking with the other.
5. Repeat these operations using both hands until each holds 3 or 4 berries. Repeat the picking process with both hands.
6. Don't overfill your containers or try to pack the berries down. Ideally, the collection containers should be wide so the pberries aren't more than a few deep.
7. Pick berries into a shallow container. If they get piled too deep they will crush each other.
8. 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.

When 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. DO refrigerate! Right after picking, place raspberries in the fridge. If your fridge tends to dry out produce, lightly cover the container.
3. Raspberries don't store for very long, usually just a few days. The reason the ones from the grocery store last longer is they are covered with fungicides!
4. Pour them out into shallow pans and remove any mushed, soft or rotting berries
5. 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) raspberries 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 raspberries (while they are in the fridge)!
6. Even under ideal conditions raspberries will only keep for a week in a refrigerator, so for best flavor and texture, use them as soon as possible after purchase
7. See this page for illustrated freezing instructions.

Raspberry Recipes

1. Now, get ready to make raspberry jam - It is VERY easy - especially with our free
   raspberry jam directions - very easy! or for a jam with a little kick, try raspberry chipotle jam
2. And if you want to freeze them to use later, see my How to freeze berries page.
3. You can also make your own raspberry vinaigrette,
4. See this page for an easy recipe to make raspberry chipotle sauce

 

Raspberry Facts

• Raspberries are a very healthy food; packed with anthocyanins!
• Raspberries contain more vitamin C than oranges, are super high in fibre, lhave a good amount of folic acid, are high in potassium, vitamin A and calcium.
• The USDA says 1 cup of raspberries has about 62 calories.
• 11 cup of raspberries, not packed down weighs about 140 grams.
• An average raspberry has 100 to 120 seeds.
• Select plump, firm, fully raspberries. Unripe berries will not ripen once picked.
• Raspberries belong to a large group of fruits known as brambles, such as blackberries, in the plant genus Rubus.
• Raspberries come in red, yellow, orange, purple and black colors.
• Yellow raspberries are red raspberries that don't make red pigment.)
• In most areas, raspberries begin to bloom in late May or early June.
• Bumblebees, honeybees, and other wild bees love to visit brambles.
• 60-70 pints of fruits can be harvested from 100 feet row.
  Raspberries can be harvested from early summer through fall, usually right up until a freeze
• The United States is the world's third-largest producer of raspberries (FAOSTAT, 2013).
• Production occurs across much of the country, although most of it is concentrated in California, Oregon and Washington. California leads the nation in both black and red raspberry production (NASS, 2015).
• According to the most recent Census of Agriculture, the United States has 8,052 raspberry farms totaling 23,104 acres (Census of Ag, USDA, 2012).
• U-pick raspberry farms typically sell berries by the pound. A quart equals 1 and 1/4 pounds of fresh berries.
• Do the math and be careful not to over-purchase as raspberries quickly mold when left at room temperature, and only last a couple of days in the refrigerator.
• 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.
• Want to go to a raspberry festival? See this page for a list!

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