2024 Edmonton area of Alberta, Canada Rhubarb U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Rhubarb U-Pick Orchards in Edmonton area of Alberta, Canada in 2024, by county

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

Not all areas of a province or region have rhubarb 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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Edmonton area of Alberta

• Big Rock Berry Farm - raspberries, strawberries, rhubarb, cherries, and haskaps
  3-51310 Range Road 261, Spruce Grove, AB T7Y 1B5. Phone: 780-886-3387. Email: bigrockberryfarm@gmail.com. Open: Upick No Appt Necessary; Call ahead for u - picking dates and hours, starting mid-July. Directions: Lot #3 in Saramaga Avenue off of Fleming Road. Payment:: VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Cash, Cheque. Watch for our pumpkin patch picking date October. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: : VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Cash, Cheque.
  Big Rock Berry Farm Facebook page. U-Pick Strawberries, Rhubarb, Saskatoons and Raspberries. Our hours during the week (Monday to Friday) are by appointment and on weekends first come first serve! Contact us via phone or text or email with questions or to book an appointment to pick! Berries in season in July. Come enjoy our beautiful farm and pick a pail! NOTE: We are on Range Road 261 (NOT Range Road 274). If you click on the Facebook map, it will try to take you to RR 274. Our season is expected to be approximately mid-July to mid-August depending on the weather and how the fruit is growing. We will post here and on our website when we have ripe fruit and are open for picking. (UPDATED: July 12, 2022, JBS) (ADDED: September 7, 2017, JBS)
• Don's Berries and Vegetables - Flowers, Strawberries, Pumpkin, Rhubarb, Vegetables:
  Range Road 252 north, Sturgeon County, AB . Phone: 780-939-0144. Open: Upick By Appt. Click here for a map and directions. From St. Albert #2 North 7 km to Highway 37 overpass. Take Ft. Saskatchewan exit east for 2 km then turn left at first road north, Range Road 252 north, second place on right side. (ADDED: September 7, 2017, JBS)
• Monty's Berry Patch - Saskatoon berries, Raspberries, Rhubarb
  RR # 5, Wetaskiwin, AB T9A 1X2. Phone: 780-352-7564. Email: embob@telusplanet.net. Open: noon to 8:30 pm. Directions: Exit Hwy 2 at Correctionline Overpass \(6 km north of Wetaskiwin overpass or 6 km south of Millet overpass\). Go west on overpass and take first north \(RR 255\). We are 1 km on east side of road. Click here for a map and directions. Fax: 780-352-8682Established in 1995; have about 1,000 trees. Open Exit Hwy 2 at Correctionline Overpass (6 km north of Wetaskiwin overpass or 6 km south of Millet overpass). Go west on overpass and take first north (RR 255). We are 1 km on east side of road.
• Pipestone Berry Farm - beans, beets, carrots, cucumbers, currants (red and black), onions, haskaps, other berries, peas, raspberries, rhubarb, saskatoons, tomatoes, other vegetables, and prepicked produce
  Hwy 795, Millet, AB T0C1Z0. Phone: 780-387-5466. Email: russw@incentre.net. Open: Daily Mid June thru August from 9 am to 6 pm Rhubarb May-June . Directions: 19 Km west of Millet, Mid way between Wizzard Lake and Pigeon Lake on Hwy 795. Watch for signs. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. Fax: 780-387-7486Saskatoons Early July -Mid Aug. Raspberries Late July--End August Vegetables Mid-June end Aug We have a 10 acre park like berry farm established in 2000 with over 3000 producing Northline, Thiessen and Martin Saskatoon trees as well as raspberries, rhubarb, honeyberry, black and red currant and a well cared for vegetable garden. A small on site kiosk provides refreshments, our own jams, jellies, preserves, vegetables and frozen (U Bake) pies and recipes. A full service restaurant is located one block away. Handicap access to berries is provided with golf carts and all areas are seeded to lawn. Ample on site parking and picnic tables are available for groups or individuals. Over 40 birdhouses provide nesting for swallows who provide us with a virtual mosquito free picking area. Wear hats for picking and long sleeves for picking raspberries. For further info contact Tonia or Russ by phone, fax or e mail.
• The Berry Farm - Uses natural growing practices, apples, currants (red and black), other berries, plums, raspberries (red), raspberries (Autumn, yellow), raspberries (black), raspberries (Autumn, black), rhubarb, saskatoons, haskaps,
  52002 Range Road 232, Sherwood Park, AB T8B1B3. Phone: 780-918-3221. Email: theberryfarm@xplornet.com. Open: at 8:30 am on weekends. Directions: Look for a big white metal gate. Gates . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Cheque. Call for an appointmen, We're sorry but drop in U Pick is not available. - Saturday Sunday 8:30 to Dark, May 24th to September 1stopen We use natural practices, but are not seeking organic certificationCash or Cheque only. All fruit and berries are $4 per lb. by weight. Also known as (at Christie's Corner). is a tiny family farm, non-certified organic, and produces limited amounts of a range of fruits, berries, and fruit-based products. These include sea buckthorn, apples, plums, cherries (Evans, Juliette, chokecherries, and pin-cherries), currants (white, red, and black), saskatoons, honeyberries (haskap), and raspberries (purple/black, yellow, and red). Limited amounts of various jams, as well as dehydrated and frozen fruits and berries, are available for sale upon request. Prices may vary from time to time without notice. We suggest checking by email in advance for prices, availability, and other unexpected changes. (UPDATED: September 7, 2018, JBS)

 

Rhubarb

Rhubarb Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

Rhubarb is a cool weather crop, which appears in the late Spring. The stalks are the edible portion, never eaten raw (too acidic), but cooked and sweetened, they have a flavor much like strawberries.

The stalks that grow from energy stored in the roots the previous year are the part that is harvested. After picking stalks for a few weeks, the plants must be left for the rest of the growing season to recover and save energy for the next year.

Strawberries are usually ripe about the same time as rhubarb, and since the two flavors compliment each other so well, many recipes combine them. One thing rhubarb does not like: prolonged periods of hot, humid weather.  It is really difficult to grow rhubarb in the deep South (unless you plant it as an annual, planting new roots early each Spring).

Rhubarb Recipes, Canning and Freezing Rhubarb

• How to freeze Rhubarb!
• Rhubarb-strawberry jam!
• Easy Rhubarb-Strawberry pie
• Rhubarb custard pie
• Rhubarb crisp
• Rhubarb festivals

Picking Rhubarb

Most people prefer smaller stems (12 inches to 18inches long. The larger, fatter stems can be tough and fibrous, which is worse during summer heat and drought.

Tips on How to Pick Rhubarb

1. Pick only the best Rhubarb: Select firm stalks, nothing wilted. 
2. Grasp the stalk near the base of the plant
3. Twist the the stalk in a rotating motion gently, but firmly until you feel; the stalk separate. Or, if the farm prefers, cut the stalks an inch or two above the base.
4. Do not remove more than one third of the leaves from a plant at one time. Immediately remove the poisonous leaves from the stalk, discard them in the walkway.

 

Rhubarb Facts, Measurements and Tips

• Rhubarb is a fruit, not a vegetable  According to a 1947 NY court!
• Rhubarb festivals: Most areas that grow rhubarb have a Rhubarb festival, at which you can taste all kinds of fresh Rhubarb foods, pies, jams, cakes - and most commonly, fresh Rhubarb shortcake.  To find out where and when there is one near you, see this page for a list of Rhubarb festivals, sorted by state!
• Rhubarb measurements:
  2 lbs. of chopped stalks is about 4 cups.
• The stalks are the only edible part of the plant; in fact, the leaves of rhubarb are poisonous. The leaves contain the high concentrations of oxalic acid, which gives the rhubarb it's astringent taste. So don't let your children or pets eat the leaves.  I usually twist the leaves off the stalk and throw them on the ground to become mulch.
• One cup of Rhubarb contains only about 50 calories
• U-pick Rhubarb are much healthier than store-bought.  Consumer reports says store bought Rhubarb have so many pesticide and fungicide residues on they, that they don't recommend you eat them at all!
• Rhubarb has been used for thousands of years as a medicinal plant by the Chinese.
• Want to grow your own Rhubarb?  Here's an article about how to: Rhubarb is an Excellent Fruit for the Home Garden
• See this page for many more fun and interesting Rhubarb facts, nutritional information and trivia

Before you leave to go to the farm:

1. Always call before you go to the farm - Rhubarb are affected by weather (both rain and cooler temperature) more than most crops. 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. Some growers furnish picking containers designed for Rhubarb, but they may charge you for them; be sure to call before you go to see if you need to bring containers.
   Plastic dishpans make good containers.
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.

When you get home

1. Refrigerate, they will stay good for about a week or two, but the fresher, the better.
2. Do not wash the stalks, just wrap in plastic wrap. .
3. Freeze any that you do not plan to use within a week.  It is easy to blanch and freeze rhubarb. See this page.

Growing your own Rhubarb

1. Before planting, eliminate all weeds, especial persistent invasive weeds, like Bermuda grass, nutsedge, etc.
2. Choose a site that is sunny, well-drained, with a loose loamy soil.  Rhubarb does not like the shade nor sitting in water.
3. Plant rhubarb crowns in early spring as soon as the ground can be worked.
4. Some varieties of Rhubarb can be planted in the fall after they have gone dormant. (check with the nursery)
5. Dig large holes and work in compost. Rhubarb plants are heavy feeders. 
6.  Space rhubarb plants about 3 or 4 feet apart and plant the crowns 1 to 2 inches below the surface of the soil.
7. Mulch with a heavy layer of straw, compost and rotted manure
8. Water and weed your plant well.
9. Remove seed stalks as soon as they appear.

Rhubarb Varieties

There are two common types of rhubarb, those with bright red stalks (like Crimson Red) and those whose stalks are mostly green.  They taste about the same, but most people prefer the red.I ahve usually bought my crowns from Indian Berry; I've found them to be reliable and provide large crowns. (I have no affiliation with them)

• Canada Red  (extra sweet)
• Cherry Red (red inside and out)
• Crimson Red (slimmer diameter red stalks) (photo of plant above right)
• MacDonald (tender skin; bright red)
• Ruby
• Valentine (good flavor)
• Victoria (green with red tint - see photo at right)

 

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