2024 central Virginia, Charlottesville, etc. Tomato U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Tomato U-Pick Orchards in central Virginia, Charlottesville, etc. 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

Madison County

• Sunrise Gardens - No pesticides are used blackberries, blueberries, tomatoes,
  1168 Spring Branch Road, Brightwood, VA 22715. Phone: (540) 407-1424. Email: marghut41@gmail.com. Open: Mid June to August. Directions: On Spring Branch Road between Thoroughfare and Lester Utz road. Across from a house with solar panels. Look for pavilion and park near it. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, PayPal. We do not use pesticides on the cropsBlueberry season typically mid May to third week June; Blackberry season typically mid June through July; Tomatoes July through September. We strive to grow healthy produce to help you eat healthier. . (UPDATED: June 10, 2021)A visitor writes on July 14, 2014: "We visited Sunrise Garden in Madison VA on 7/12/2014 and were very pleased by the blueberries (some were the size of quarters or larger). Very neat, well maintained farm. Saturday was honor system/self serve. We had no problems picking 4 quarts of great blueberries. Price on this date was $5.50 per pound. Blackberries were just coming into season- they were HUGE (thumb size) and delicious!! We would definitely go again. One note re if you use a GPS, it will tell you to turn on Sunrise Lane- we missed the turn and stumbled on the patch- it is actually just beyond (East) this lane on the main road and has a large sign to grab your attention."

Orange County

• Liberty Mills Farm - Minimizes chemical and pesticide use, corn (sweet), cucumbers, herbs or spices, peas, peppers, pumpkins, raspberries (red), raspberries (black), winter squash, strawberries, tomatoes, Honey from hives on the farm, picnic area you may bring your own food, school tours, group reservations
  9166 Liberty Mills Road, Somerset, VA 22972. Phone: 434-882-6293. Email: info@libertymillsfarm.com. Open: Visit our website for PYO hours, which vary by crop. Directions: From Charlottesville, VA Take Route 29 north to Ruckersville, then take a right onto Route 33 east. At Barboursville, take a left onto Route 20 north toward Orange. At the Somerset Store, take a left onto 231. Turn right onto Liberty Mills Road, 641. Liberty Mills Farm will be on your right. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard.
  Liberty Mills Farm Facebook page. . Alternate Phone: 434-882-MAZE Picking updates: Click here for picking updatesStrawberries: May to June; Contact for hours and days. We minimize use of pesticides and other chemicals. Check our website and Facebook pages often for specials, events, coupons and more!Click here for our Facebook page. No pets, smoking or alcohol allowed on the farm at any time. Strawberries: May to June; Contact for hours and days. We minimize use of pesticides and other chemicalsNo pets, smoking or alcohol allowed on the farm at any time. Located in Central Virginia, just 30 minutes northeast of Charlottesville, would LOVE for you to have an A-Maze-ing Adventure. Wind your way through our 33 acre Fall Corn Maze, pick Flowers, attend our Sunflower Festival, pick Strawberries or Pumpkins, explore our Farm Market and view our antique tractor collection. No pets, smoking or alcohol permitted on the farm.(UPDATED: October 14, 2019, JBS)

 

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