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

Tomato U-Pick Orchards in Southwest 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 a state have tomatoes 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

Allegan County

• Sill Brothers U-Pick - Tomatoes, Peppers, Tomatillos, Eggplants,
  860 - 68th Street, South Haven, MI . Phone: 269-637-2415. Click here for a map and directions. . Tomato and Pepper U-Pick with other already picked vegetables available at the farm. Varieties usually include Tomato: Celebrity, Fabulous, Roma, cherry and grape. Sweet peppers: Bell, Cubanelle, Yummy Orange. Hot peppers: Jalapeno, Poblano, Hot Hungarian. We also raise: zucchini, summer squash, red potatoes, sweet corn, eggplants, tomatillos, green and yellow beans, pickles, beets, dill, cilantro, basil, watermelon, cabbage, Brussel sprouts and winter squashes. Also available at our farm market: Onions, garlic, Zucchini Relish and Cinnamon Cucumber Rings. U-Pick only available for Tomatoes, Peppers, Tomatillos and Eggplant. Everything else is available picked at the farm stand. (UPDATED: September 18, 2019, JBS)

Berrien County

• Lehmans Orchard - Uses integrated pest management practices, apples, blueberries, cherries, red currants, black currants, raspberries (red), raspberries (black), strawberries, Nectarines, Blueberries, Blackberries, Plums, ​Peaches, ​Tomatoes, Peppers, ​Pears, Sweet Cherries, Tart Cherries, Gooseberries, Honey from hives on the farm, Cider mill (fresh apple cider made on the premises), porta-potties are available, picnic area you may bring your own food
  2280 Portage Road, Niles, MI 49120. Phone: 269-683-9078. Email: stevelecklider@aol.com. Open: Monday to Saturday, from 9 am to 5 pm; Sunday from 12 pm to 5 pm, from late May through October; Off season hours open every day from 12 pm to 5 pm November, December, closed January, February, March then open in April and May. Directions: coming from Chicago, Take I80-90 Toll Road east to exit 72. Drive north on bypass 31 into Michigan, turn right on US12 and head east one mile. Turn right on Portage Road and head south one mile, the red farm house is on the right. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.
  Lehmans Orchard Facebook page. . Alternate Phone: 574-286-7815Fax: We use integrated pest management practicesPick your own tart cherry and blueberry starting around July 1; Please check website or phone for current pick your own information. Also visit our farm winery/cidery/farm stand during the season. We are always adding interesting products and crops(UPDATED: August 28, 2023, JBS)
• Sommerfeldf Farms - sweet cherries, tomatoes, peppers, pickles, cucumbers, pumpkins, winter squash.
  1091093 S Benton Center Road, Benton Harbor, MI 49022. Phone: 616-926-6959. Open: late June-Oct, daily noon-6pm. Directions: From the S take I-94 E to Napier Avenue, Exit. Go right to Benton Center Road, 2nd house on the right. . Click here for a map and directions.
  Sommerfeldf Farms Facebook page. Fresh fruits and veggies of all kinds. Sommerfeldt Farms is a family run farm with a wide variety of farm fresh produce of the highest quality. We specialize in sweet corn, watermelons, tomatoes, and cantaloupe. We also have large fall - pumpkins and winter squash. "Our policy is if you aren't happy we will replace it." Best sweet corn around. Shaded areas to relax. Melons are a specialty of ours, u-pick sweet cherries, some craft items, flowers. facebook page.

Branch County

• Hoff Vegetable Farm - strawberries and tomatoes
  538 Marshall Road, Coldwater, MI 49036. Phone: 517-278-2011. Open: seven days a week, May 9 am to 6 pm June-October, 9 am to 8 pm; November 9 am to 6 pm. Click here for a map and directions. 1/2 mile N of Coldwater on Old 27. Over 100 acres of fresh vegetables in season. Asparagus, strawberries, tomatoes, sweet corn, melons, squash, pumpkins, Michigan peaches and more in season. U-pick in season.

Cass County

• Eckler's Produce - blackberries, blueberries, raspberries (Spring, red), raspberries (Spring, black), tomatoes, porta-potties
  1879 Barron Lake Road, Niles, MI 49120. Phone: (269) 683-2509. Email: seedsman@ecklerfarms.com. Open: Call for availability. Directions: Take I94 to Niles exit us 12 to Niles becomes m60 continue on TO Barron Lake Road turn north down 3 12 miles on east side of road. From the north m51 take south of Dowagiac Mi. to Pokagon highway turn east to Barron Lake Road turn south take for a little over a mile on east side of road. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. Take I94 to Niles exit us 12 to Niles becomes m60 continue on TO Barron Lake Road turn north down 3 1/2 miles on east side of road. From the north m51 take south of Dowagiac Mi. to Pokagon highway turn east to Barron Lake Road turn south take for a little over a mile on east side of roadWe use integrated pest management practices (IPM)(UPDATED: May 21, 2018)

Van Buren County

• Schemenauer Farms - blueberries, grapes, raspberries (red), raspberries (Spring, red), raspberries (Autumn, red), tomatoes, other vegetables,
  26980 Cr 215, Bangor, MI 49013. Phone: 269-214-0837. Email: luka@i2k.com. Open: june23 pm to September 30 24 hours. Directions: 2 miles east of Bangor on M-43, 34 mile north on CR 215, on left. June 23 to September 30. Payment: Cash, Check. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check.
  Schemenauer Farms Facebook page. 2 miles east of Bangor on M-43, 3/4 mile north on CR 215, on left. June 23 to September 30unique self serve operation, taste testing, drive right to where you pick, leaves a feeling of being on your own farm. 30 acres of fruit. (ADDED: July 25, 2016)

 

Tomatoes

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