2024 Far Western North Carolina Tomato U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Tomato U-Pick Orchards in Far Western North Carolina 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

Graham County

• Stoney Hollow Farm - Uses natural growing practices, apples, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, corn (sweet), flowers, grapes, melons, other berries, pears, peaches, peppers, persimmons, plums, pumpkins, raspberries, summer squash, winter squash, tomatoes, other vegetables, prepicked produce, farm market, gift shop, restrooms
  941 Ollies Creek Road, Robbinsville, NC 28771. Phone: 828-735-2983. Email: stoneyhollowfarm@outlook.com. Open: 5 days a week, 8 am to 6 pm; Closed Wednesdays and Saturdays. Directions: From the center of Robbinsville \(Hwy. 129Hwy. 143\) go North on highway 129 3 miles. Just before the Ted Jordan Bridge, turn right on E. Buffalo Circle. Go 1 mile and turn right on E. Buffalo Road Go .3 mile and turn left on Ollies Creek Road Go .9 mile and you will see the farm on the left. Parking, farm map, and picking buckets are available in the barn at the top of the hill. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check.
  Stoney Hollow Farm Facebook page. From the center of Robbinsville (Hwy. 129/Hwy. 143) go North on highway 129 3 miles. Just before the Ted Jordan Bridge, turn right on E. Buffalo Circle. Go 1 mile and turn right on E. Buffalo Road Go .3 mile and turn left on Ollies Creek Road Go .9 mile and you will see the farm on the left. Parking, farm map, and picking buckets are available in the barn at the top of the hillCrops are usually available in April through NovemberJams and baked goods featuring products from the farm are available. Be sure to visit our website and sign up to receive a free e-letter with updates during the peak season. We use natural practices, but are not certified Organic. (UPDATED: July 25, 2023, JBS)

Haywood County

• The Ten Acre Garden - Beans, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cantaloupe, Corn, Cucumber, eggplants, Herb, Peppers, Squash, Strawberries, Tomatoes, Watermelon, Cut Flowers
  276 Chambers Farm Lane, Canton, NC 28716. Phone: (828) 235-9667. Email: farmboy53149@yahoo.com. Open: Monday - Saturday call for hours of operation; May thru October. Click here for a map and directions. The Ten Acre Garden From Canton come 6 miles south on Hwy 110 to intersection of 110 & 276, go straight through intersection onto Lovejoy Road approximately one mile. Turn right onto Chambers Farm Lane, signs posted. From Waynesville, 7 miles on Hwy 276 Bethel Community, turn right onto Lake Logan Road just past Bethel Grocery, one mile to Old Iron Truss Bridge on left, cross bridge and go right on gravel road, signs posted. Crop availability: Strawberries - May-June 10 Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower & Brussels Sprouts - June-September Greasy beans, Half Runner, Blue Lake sweet corn, Heirloom Tomatoes, eggplants, Sweet & hot peppers, Cantaloupes, Watermelon, Squash, Cucumbers, Cut Flowers & Herbs - July-September. (UPDATED: June 11, 2014, JBSncdac)

Henderson County

• The Farm - beans, blueberries, broccoli, corn (sweet), eggplants, onions, peppers, pumpkins, strawberries, tomatoes, other vegetables, Other fruit or veg,
  2731 Chimney Rock Road, Hendersonville, NC 28792. Phone: 828-696-5375. Email: sharon_searcy@yahoo.com. Open: Monday through Saturday 9 am Until 6 pm May through October. Directions: Take interstate 26 to exit 49 A \(Hwy 64 east, Bat Cave\), go 1 12 miles and The Farm is on the left \(about a mile past Walmart in Hendersonville\). . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx. Take interstate 26 to exit 49 A (Hwy 64 east, Bat Cave), go 1 1/2 miles and is on the left (about a mile past Walmart in Hendersonville)

Macon County

• Deal Farms - Bell Peppers, tomatoes, Runner Beans
  96 Deal Farms Circle, Franklin, NC 28734. Phone: (828) 524-3774. Email: info@dealfarms.com. Open: Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 5 pm, closed Sunday. Directions: across from Cullasaja Express Exxon . Click here for a map and directions. .
  Comments from a visitor on March 10, 2009: "Did PYO late last year for after the Deer wiped out my garden. Also bought Butternut squash and Cabbages from the stand. Excellent quality, friendly family run business (3 generations) always very helpful and warm, personable people. When you count the time and labor, I can't grow it myself at their prices!"
• Deal Farms Murphy Road - Bell Peppers, tomatoes, Runner Beans
  4402 Murphy Road, Franklin, NC 28734. Phone: (828) 524-5151. Email: info@dealfarms.com. Open: Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 6 pm, closed Sunday. Directions: Formerly Kirklands. . Click here for a map and directions.
• J. W. Mitchell Farms - lettuce, spinach, tomatoes (including heirloom varieties), cucumbers, squash, peas, green beans, runner beans, black-eyed peas, okra, multiple peppers (hot and sweet), onions, watermelons, cantaloupe, beets, pumpkins, winter squash, and flowers, restrooms
  Bradley Creek Road, Franklin, NC 29734. Phone: 828-349-2725. Open: Usually they open May 1st; This year 2010 they open June 15 through about October; 8:30 am to 5:30 pm on Monday through Saturday; Closed Sunday. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: cash, check. Usually they open May 1st; This year (2010) they open June 15 through about October; 8:30 am to 5:30 pm on Monday through Saturday; Closed SundayClick for here for a map and directions
  Comments from a visitor on June 03, 2010: "I love this farm. I live on the road next to it so I go there all the time. It is quite large and they let you pick almost anything they have. They usually have an extensive vegetable list as well as their own watermelons and cantaloupe. One of their specialties is you-pick flowers. They have some of the best corn around. No strawberries this year, but sometimes they grow them. They have also planted a young peach orchard. "

Swain County

• Shelton Farms, Inc. - Strawberries, Tomatoes
  500 Thomas Cove Road, Whittier, NC 28789. Phone: (828) 497-5323. Email: sheltonfarms@frontier.com. Open: Call - they may no longer have U-Pick - Monday to Saturday Daylight hours only. Directions: Located From Hwy 74 \(east from Bryson City, west from Sylva\) take Whittier Exit #72, 1st left cross bridge and railroad track, take left on Thomas Valley Road and go one mile farm on the left. . Click here for a map and directions.
  Shelton Farms, Inc. Facebook page. . Phone: (828) 497-6089. Call - they may no longer have U-Pick - Monday to Saturday (Daylight hours only). Crop availability: Strawberries - April-June Tomatoes - August-OctoberLocated From Hwy 74 (east from Bryson City, west from Sylva) take Whittier Exit #72, 1st left cross bridge and railroad track, take left on Thomas Valley Road and go one mile farm on the left. Shelton Farms Facebook page

Transylvania County

• Davis Family Farm - Strawberries, Raspberries, Grapes, Squash, Cucumbers, Potatoes, Tomatoes, Blue Hubbard squash, Pumpkins, Corn
  81 Honeybee Lane, Penrose, NC 28766. Phone: 828-877-3881. Open: Sale on the local farmer market on Tues Thur and Sat. Click here for a map and directions. Davis Family Farm 7am-12noon. Other times you can call and place an order.

 

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