2024 Northeast New Jersey Raspberry U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Raspberry U-Pick Orchards in Northeast New Jersey 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.

Morris County

• Alstede Farms - apples, apricots, beans, blackberries, blueberries, broccoli, carrots, corn (sweet), cucumbers, currants (red and black), eggplant, flowers, gooseberries, herbs or spices, melons, nectarines, onions, other berries, peas, peaches, peppers, pumpkins, raspberries (red), raspberries (Spring, red), raspberries (Autumn, red), raspberries (yellow), raspberries (Spring, yellow), raspberries (Autumn, yellow), raspberries (black), raspberries (Spring, black), raspberries (Autumn, black), summer squash, winter squash, strawberries, tomatoes, other vegetables,
  1 Alstede Farms Lane, Chester, NJ 7930. Phone: 908-879-7189. Email: info@alstedefarms.com. Open: PYO Hours: Spring & Summer: 9 am to 6 pm, Fall: 9 am to 5 pm check website to see when hours change Click here for current open hours, days and dates. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx, WIC Vouchers, SFMNP Vouchers.
  Alstede Farms Facebook page. . . PYO Hours: Spring & Summer: 9 am to 6 pm, Fall: 9 am to 5 pm (check website to see when hours change) Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. We are also a CSA, which stands for Community Supported Agriculture. The basic idea of CSA farming is a cooperative relationship between the farmer and his customers. Based on an annual commitment to one another, community members provide a pre-season payment to purchase a share of the harvest . The member then receives a weekly box of a wide variety of fresh vegetables and fruit through the growing season, harvested at the peak of ripeness and flavor. We strongly recommend purchasing tickets for all Pick Your Own (PYO) activities in advance, online, utilizing our website. We can not guarantee PYO entry for walk in guests. Any (PYO) entry ticket that is purchased at the PYO sheds will incur a $5.00 per ticket convenience fee.Click here to view our updated Pick Your Own policies.Click here to purchase advance tickets.(UPDATED: September 7, 2021, JBS) (UPDATED: April 23, 2018)
  Comments from a visitor on July 19, 2019: "Blueberries and raspberries are $6.99/lb, which is high, but Peaches are $2.79/lb is is a good price."
  Comments from a visitor on August 12, 2012: "No longer is the price $3.00 (and optional $2.00 hayride). It is $5.00 each to enter farm with $3.00 credit per person. I said I did not need hayride to bring me to the apples and peaches that i could walk myself, but price is still $5.00. Taking hayride to fruits/ veggies OR NOT it is still $5.00 (with the $3.00 credit). Pretty expensive though, spent close to $100.00 on apples and peaches.."
  Comments from a visitor on September 22, 2010: "In reply to the post from Sept 11th 2010. I agree that at first it was a little unsettling to have to pay up front for the privilege of picking my own stuff. They charge $3.00 per person for admission to the fields and an additional $2.00 per person if you want to take the hayride. The hayride is completely optional, as the orchards/berry fields are easily within walking distance of the main areas and they actually give you back the $3.00 per person as credit towards paying for whatever you picked, you just need to hand over your ticket stubs to the cashier. My $30.00 worth of apples (My 3 yr old son had to pick an apple from every tree, lol) was reduced to only $12.00 after the credit. All in all, my family and I have a great time here and we come back every year for apples and pumpkins. We highly recommend it!"
  Comments from a visitor on September 11, 2010: "We visited today to pick our own fruit, something I've done multiple times per year with my daughters since we moved here 9 years ago. Sadly we were greeted with the new policy of paying $5 per person just to go out to the fields to pick..then you pay for the lbs of fruit on top of that. Can you imagine paying $20 for some raspberries?? That's what it would have cost us if just me and my 8 year old went out to the field and filled a basket! OUCH We didn't pick fruit and we didn't stay. What you used to be a fun simple low cost place to take your children has become a money hungry pit and almost commercial like. I can understand when they want to charge for the kids to play on the blow up rentals they have or ride the ponies but WHY would you charge a customer $5 to go out to the field and pick the berries FOR YOU and then pay for them? I know there are plenty other farms that don't do that and that's a shame. Shame Shame Shame"
  Comments from a visitor on June 27, 2009: "We love this farm!"
  Comments from a visitor, May 30, 2008: "They are open all year and have a fabulous store (if you don't want to get out in the brambles and pick your own) They are kid friendly with hayrides, horse rides, festivals, corn maze. They take credit cards and have restrooms. They make their own homemade ice cream (oh boy is it good!). They have farm markets in local communities throughout central NJ. You can even cut your very own wildflowers to take home in a bouquet! :D They are a great farm in a great little town (which also has a Sally Lunn's Tea Room and many wonderful little antique stores and old fashioned privately owned boutique stores."
• Sun High Orchard - raspberries, apples, flowers and pumpkins, farm animals, hayrides, birthday parties, farm tours
  19 Canfield Avenue, Randolph, NJ 7869. Phone: (973) 584-4734. Open: 7 days a week Monday to Friday from 9 am to 6 pm, Saturday from 9 am to 6 pm and Sunday from 9 am to 6 pm. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. . Sun High is a 25-acre farm raising peaches (not pyo), apples (pyo), sweet corn (not pyo) and a variety of vegetables (not pyo) and cut flowers, which are available in the farmer's market. Special attractions include seasonal events. Today, our on site farm market offers you a full range of fresh picked fruits and vegetables. Come early in the morning and smell the breads and apple pies baking in our ovens. Maybe try some of our picnic salads in the summer months or warm up with a quart of delicious soup in the cooler months. Got a sweet tooth? Sun High now makes homemade gourmet ice cream. Enjoy a cone or sundae on our garden patio or have us pack a pint for take home! The whole family will enjoy visiting our friendly animals. Our alpaca "Jersey Gold" and mini donkey "Jessica" are always looking to make new friends. In our market, you can play a game of checkers or Candyland in front of our reconsturcted historic bee hive oven and fireplace. Why not celebrate your child's special day on the farm. We love to host birthday parties that include bouncers and hayrides! Get down to basics and bring home a harvest that you picked yourself! The flower garden is open for cutting in the summer months while pick your own apples begins in September. The pumpkin patch opens the last weekend in September with continuous hayrides on the weekends (weather permitting). Always call in advance for current availability of crops.
• Wightman's Farms - peaches, kale, raspberries, strawberries, tomatoes, pumpkins; apples, spring onions
  1111 Mount Kemble Avenue, Morristown, NJ . Phone: (973) 425-9819. Email: wightmansfarms@yahoo.com. Open: picking on Saturdays and Sundays 9 am to 5 pm; Call 973 425-9819 to confirm picking availability; the Market: Daily, year-round except Christmas, 8 am to 6 pm. Directions: I-287 to Exit 30B, right at light, 13 miles on left; S on Route 202 from Morristown; N on Route 202 from Bernardsville. We also have a roadside market farm stand with Apples: all varieties; fruits; vegetables. Our apple varieties are Cortland, Empire, Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Jonathan, Macoun, McIntosh, Red Delicious, StaymanWinesap. We also have Jersey Fresh Cooks cookbook; apples - weekends only after Labor Day thru Oct.; hay rides & pumpkins - weekends only September 14 thru Oct.; group tours on weekdays by appt.; corn maze; picnic area; gourds; Indian corn; corn stalks; bedding plants; hanging baskets; . Click here for a map and directions. . Alternate phone: (973) 425-0840 Hotline. . picking on Saturdays and Sundays 9 am to 5 pm; Call to confirm picking availability; the Market: Daily, year-round except Christmas, 8 am to 6 pm. No PYO During the Week. I-287 to Exit 30B, right at light, 1/3 miles on left; S on Route 202 from Morristown; N on Route 202 from Bernardsville. We also have a roadside market / farm stand with Apples: all varieties; fruits; vegetables. Our apple varieties are Cortland, Empire, Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Jonathan, Macoun, McIntosh, Red Delicious, Stayman/Winesap. We also have Jersey Fresh Cooks cookbook; apples - weekends only after Labor Day thru Oct.; hay rides & pumpkins - weekends only September 14 thru Oct.; group tours on weekdays by appt.; corn maze; picnic area; gourds; Indian corn; corn stalks; bedding plants; hanging baskets; Christmas trees; wreaths; roping; decorations; hardy mums; perennials; Easter flowers; dried flowers, fresh bouquets; apple cider; gourmet foods; honey; maple syrup; birdhouses & feeders; bird seed; hickory-smoked meats; cheeses; deli meats; home-made salads; bakery (pies, donuts, muffins, cookies, brownies) . Every person over the age of 3 years old should have a membership card to enter the fields and orchard. Then you pay for what you pick and enjoy your local harvest! 2018 ​Strawberries are $3.99 a pound. Pick Your Own only on Saturdays & Sundays beginning the first weekend in Mid June through October. A current years Pick Your Own Club Membership is required for entry into the orchard and you must have your membership card with you for access to the orchard in future trips. Wrightman Farms Facebook page. (UPDATED: August 8, 2022, JBS)2022 Price update: there is a One-time "membership" Entry fee * of $10.00/Person Ages 3 & Up. this is good for the entire season (Pay once & pick often)! the entry fee grants you access to the picking areas based on seasonality. sign up early!the one-time "membership fee" offer ends on august 31st. after august 31st it's $10.00 per visit (If you bought the membership then you do not have to pay again). the membership is good for entry for the entire season.
  Comments from a visitor on August 28, 2010: "We went to this farm to pick apples with our children. I looked at the website before visiting to get an idea but there was no information on pricing. Before you go you should know the first thing they ask you to do is join as a member $11 for a family of 5. You can't pick fruit unless you are a member. At first this was very disturbing but my husband convinced me to just join because we were already here with the kids. What I realized was that the $11 was to enter the fields to pick apples and peaches and also where they have several areas set up for children to play, ie mazes, slides, corn pit, tunnels and picnic area. The apples and peaches are still priced by the pound but you don't have to wait on long lines and purchase tickets for the kids, everything is included. I ended up spending $35 total and got 18 pounds of fruit and a nice day out with the family. And the membership is a card that allows you to return to pick your own fruit any weekend, so my family will probably go back. One problem that I see for families with little kids in strollers it to get to the peach trees you have to hike up 1/2 a mile up a steep gravel washed out road. I was glad to have my hiking boots on and ended up carrying my 2 year old up and down the steep hill. I saw a lady wearing high heels pushing a stroller trying (but could not) get up the hill and that looked painful. Do not wear flip-flops either.. you need boots or sneakers."

 

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