2024 Southeast Michigan Tomato U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Tomato U-Pick Orchards in Southeast Michigan in 2024, by county

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

Jackson County

• Hearthstone Farm Market - tomatoes, green beans, pumpkins
  3215 Chapel Road, Spring Arbor, MI 49283. Phone: 517-750-2696. Email: FarmMkt@aol.com. Open: Monday to Saturday 10 am to 6 pm, Sunday 1 pm to 5 pm. Click here for a map and directions. . U-Pick: Beans available late July through mid September. Tomatoes late August through mid September. Peppers late August through mid September. Winter Squash & Pumpkins late September through October. CALL FOR EXACT PICKING TIMES AND DATES! 1 mi. N on Chapel Road from M-60 in Spring Arbor. 1st farm on the right. Growers and marketers of quality seasonal Michigan produce. Primarily a family run fruit and vegetable market with a small orchard. Most items are home grown with a very wide variety of items available on an "in season" basis. Corn maze, pumpkin picking & hayrides on October weekends.

Lenawee County

• Gust Brother's Pumpkin Farm - Uses integrated pest management practices, beans, beets, broccoli, carrots, eggplant, flowers, peppers, pumpkins, tomatoes, other vegetables, Other fruit or veg, Honey from hives on the farm, Fresh eggs, concessions or refreshment stand, porta-potties are available, picnic area, petting zoo, farm animals, school tours
  13639 Mulberry Road, Ottawa Lake, MI 49267. Phone: 517-486-2237. Email: gustbrothers@gmail.com. Open: See our website for current hours; Click here for current open hours, days and dates. Directions: Take U.S. 23 to exit 1 in Michigan, then go west and follow the signs there. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover.
  Gust Brother's Pumpkin Farm Facebook page. . . We use integrated pest management practices. provides a real, wholesome, and fun farm experience to all visitors. We offer fall decor and produce both pre-picked and you-pick: pumpkins, gourds, squash, Indian corn, corn shocks, straw bales, crafts, jams, etc. Families enjoy our farm animals on display, which includes young and old animals. Included are sows with piglets, cows and calves, sheep, goats, bunnies, chickens, chicks, and kittens. Visit our new concession barn for some freshly made donuts, cider, or other snacks, or enjoy a hayride around the farm. Gust Flower and Produce Farm offers visitors an opportunity to cut their own flower bouquet, take a stroll through our sunflower trail, or pick-your-own vegetables. We also offer pre-picked produce for purchase. Get lost in our 10 acre you-pick field filled with over 100 varieties of different vegetables and cut flowers. Picking your own vegetables and flowers is a fun and wholesome activity for the whole family to enjoy! Here is a sampling from 2020 of what you can pick and the 2020 PRICES Sweet Corn-$5 per dozen or $0.50 per ear, Tomatoes-$1 each, Bell Peppers-$1 each, Green Beans-$2 per quart, Cucumbers-$.50 each, Zucchini/Summer Squash-$.50 each, Cantaloupe-$3 each, Watermelon (seedless)-$5 each, Eggplant-$1 each, Cabbage-$2 each, Cauliflower-$3 per head, Broccoli-$2 per large crown or $2 per quart, Potatoes-$3 per 5+ lb bag, Large sweet onions-$.75 each

Macomb County

• Blake Farms Orchard and Cider Mill - apples, asparagus, blackberries, cherries, corn (sweet), cucumbers, herbs or spices, lavender, melons, pears, peas, peaches, peppers, plums, pumpkins, raspberries (red), raspberries (Spring, red), raspberries (Spring, black), raspberries (Autumn, black), rhubarb, summer squash, strawberries, tomatoes, other vegetables, watermelons, Honey from hives on the farm, Maple Syrup from trees on the farm, Cider mill fresh apple cider made on the premises, U-pick and already picked, farm market, gift shop, concessions or refreshment stand, porta-potties, restrooms, picnic area, inflatables or bounce houses, jumping pillow, trike track, pedal kart track, pony rides, petting zoo, farm animals, birthday parties, school tours, group reservations
  17985 Armada Center Rd, Armada, MI 48005. Phone: (586) 784-5343. Email: info@blakefarms.com. Open: MID JUNE THROUGH EARLY NOVEMBER from 8 AM to 6 PM, 7 DAYS A WEEK. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.
  Blake Farms Orchard and Cider Mill Facebook page. . . We use integrated pest management practices (IPM). Blake's Big Apple, located in Armada, Michigan offers everything for the family. You can get our award winning cider and donuts prepared fresh daily, as well as pre-picked seasonal produce. You can also come out and pick our your own produce. We also carry our own line of jarred goods, like salsas, jams, jellies, pickled veggies and bbq sauces. During the fall we also have a variety of haunted attractions, like zombie paintball and haunted hayrides.Apple varieties: Empire, Jonathon, Japanese Rose, MacIntosh, Cortland, Gala. Also U-Pick tomatoes and Peppers: Jalapenos, Pablanos, Bell peppers, Banana peppers, Raspberries, Plums, Bartlett Pears.Apple varieties: Empire, Jonathon, Early Fuji, Japanese Rose, Wolf River, Wealthy, Cortland, Gala. Vegetables: Green beans, Tomatoes, Broccoli, Cabbage, and Lavender, Wild flowers. Peppers: Jalapenos, Pablanos, Bell peppers, Banana peppers, Blake's Orchard & Cider Mill LEARN MOREBlake's Big Apple LEARN MOREBlake's Almont Garden Center LEARN MORE (UPDATED: May 26, 2018)

Oakland County

• Middleton Berry Farm - strawberries, fall raspberries, tomatoes and pumpkins
  4790 Oakwood Road, Ortonville, MI 48462. Phone: 248-831-1004. Open: Call for picking days and times. Directions: 5 miles east of Ortonville between M-15 and M-24. From I-75 take Exit 84 \(Baldwin Rd.\). Go north on Baldwin Rd 10 miles to Oakwood Road, turn left. Farm is one mile on the left. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Credit cards. . E 5 miles east of Ortonville between M-15 and M-24. From I-75 take Exit 84 (Baldwin Rd.). Go north on Baldwin Rd 10 miles to Oakwood Road, turn left. Farm is one mile on the left. Crops are usually available in June, July, August, September, October. (UPDATED: September 25, 2016, JBS)

Washtenaw County

• Slow Farm - Certified Organic, asparagus, herbs/spices, peppers, pumpkins, raspberries (red), raspberries (Autumn, red), winter squash, strawberries, tomatoes, other vegetables, Honey from hives on the farm, U-pick and already picked, porta-potties, school tours, farmstand
  4700 Whitmore Lake Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48105. Phone: (917) 837-0975. Email: slowfarmandfriends@gmail.com. Open: Friday to Sunday, from 10am to 5pm, October 1 to October 31. Directions: From M-14 West: - Take Whitmore Lake Road Exit \(Exit 4\) - Turn right on Whitmore Lake Road - Continue north on Whitmore Lake Road , approximately 2 miles - Slow Farm is on the left. Look for field with a campermarket stand and a deer fence. - 4700 Whitmore Lake Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, AmEx.
  Slow Farm Facebook page. . . Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. From M-14 West: - Take Whitmore Lake Road Exit (Exit 4) - Turn right on Whitmore Lake Road - Continue north on Whitmore Lake Road , approximately 2 miles - is on the left. Look for field with a camper/market stand and a deer fence. - 4700 Whitmore Lake Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105. Asparagus season: May to June; Strawberry season: June; Flower season: June or July to October; Tomato season: August to September; Pumpkin and Squash season: September to November;. We are certified organic for all crops! is certified organic by OEFFA since June 2018. We practice collaborative agroecology and welcome visitors during our open hours. (ADDED: October 09, 2018)

 

Tomato Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

Pick tomatoes that are firm and free of blemishes. Cracking is common in very hot weather, especially after a rain, and if you intend to use the tomatoes within 1 day, that will be ok.

During hot summer weather, pick the tomatoes when they have a healthy pink/red (or yellow or orange depending on the variety) color and let them finish the last day or two of ripening indoors. Tomatoes do not need to be in the sunlight in order to ripen. If you have green fruit on the plants in the fall when frost is approaching, pick the tomatoes and store them in a cool, dark place to ripen.

Tomato Varieties

In general paste or Roma-type tomatoes are the best to using for canning, as they have thicker, meatier walls and far less water. And cherry tomatoes are the worst to use, as they are mostly water.  But you can use any type you can get hold of.  You may just have to cook them down longer to boil off excess water.  See our Master list of tomato varieties

Growing tomatoes

• Master list of tomato varieties
• Master List of Heirloom Tomato Varieties
• How to Grow Tomatoes in Your Yard or Patio - Everything you need to know
• Detailed directions to starting tomatoes from seed
• Master List of Roma and Paste Tomato Varieties for the Home Garden
• Master list of disease-resistant tomato varieties
• Tomato plant diseases

Canning, Freezing, Drying, Preserving Tomatoes and more!

Below are links to pages with easy and reliable directions about how to can, preserve, freeze and make other goodies from tomatoes.  Some of these require a Pressure Canner to prevent potential spoilage and food poisoning, due to the low acid content of the food.  For others, you can use a water bath canner OR a Pressure Canner.  I've noted what's required for each, below, following each entry, with
W for water bath,
P for Pressure canner, and
W, P for either may be used!

And don't miss: Answers to common tomato canning problems and see this page about what to do with your unripe green tomatoes!

Prepping tomatoes

• How to quickly and easily remove tomato skins

Canning tomatoes (in water bath canners )

• How to can tomatoes using a water bath canner - W
• Diced, chopped or crushed tomatoes - W
• Bruschetta - W
• Tomato sauce - W
• Tomato paste - W
• Barbecue sauce (BBQ sauce) - W
• Chili sauce from your own tomatoes and peppers - W
• Diced, chopped or crushed tomatoes - W
• Tomato Preserves- W
• Tomato salsa - W
• Spaghetti sauce - without meat - W, P
• Spiced Green tomatoes- W
• Pickled Green Tomatoes - W - another pickled green tomato recipe, this one sweet
• Ketchup.. or if you prefer... How to make catsup - W, P
• NEW! SUPER-EASY homemade ketchup recipe - W
• Salsa from your unripe, GREEN tomatoes! - W
• Tomatillo salsa - W
• How to make roasted tomatoes, boiling water bath canner version - W

Canning Tomatoes in Pressure canners

• Canned tomatoes using a Pressure Canner - P
• Baked  Beans With Tomato or Molasses Sauce - P
• Canning your own chili con carne (with meat) - P
• How to make roasted tomatoes, pressure canner version - P
• Spaghetti sauce - with meat  - P
• Stewed tomatoes - P
• Tomato soup or tomato-basil soup - P
• Tomato sauce - P
• Tomato juice - P
• Tomato juice, like V8 - P

Freezing Tomatoes

• How to freeze tomatoes from you garden or the farm; for that fresh taste this winter!
• Space-saving prepping and freezing extra tomatoes from your garden to can later

Drying tomatoes

• NEW! How to make Sun-Dried Tomatoes
• Food drying basics and principles
• How to dry your own herbs
• Food Dehydrators - models, specs and pricing information

Ripening green tomatoes in your garage or basement

If you want to bring your green tomatoes indoors before a freeze in the Fall, and ripen them, see:

• How to ripen your green garden tomatoes indoors in the Fall and Winter.

And if you'd like to start you own tomatoes from seed (you can save a small fortune and grow the heirloom varieties you like) see this page for easy directions for growing your own tomato plants from seed.

Frequently Asked Questions About Canning, Freezing and Preserving Tomatoes

• See this page for answers to many common questions about tomatoes.

 

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