Find a local pick your own farm here!

Vegetable U-Pick Orchards in Centre County, Pennsylvania in 2024, by county

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

Not all areas of a state have vegetables 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

Centre County

  • Way Fruit Farm - U-pick strawberries, sour cherries, and Pumpkins. Many other prepicked fruits, corn, vegetables
    2355 Halfmoon Valley Road, Port Matilda, PA 16870. Phone: (814) 692-5211. Open: 8 am to 6 pm Monday to Friday 8 am to 5 pm Saturday. Click here for a map and directions.
    Way Fruit Farm Facebook page. Strawberries start in Mid-June and last till around July 4th. We have numerous varieties and a couple acres of Strawberries to be picked. The large Sour Cherry orchard is available for U-pick usually starting Mid-July and ending at the beginning of August. We start selling pumpkins in late September and continue until October. We also have a fall festival in October that you can get a wagon ride out to our patch and pick a pumpkin from the field yourself. See the Fall Festival page for more information. Every year hosts a Fall Festival on the 2nd and 3rd Saturday's of October. The Festival is a great time to come out with family or friends and take a free wagon ride out to the pumpkin patch and pick just the pumpkin you want. There is also numerous other things to do at the festival. There is an apple slingshot, over a dozen crafters, a petting zoo and other activities to enjoy. Food is provided by a local Lions Club and baked goods including apple dumplings are available. The best part of it all is that 10% of all the earning's on both Saturday's will go to an orphanage in the Dominican Republic. Facebook page

 

Vegetable PYO

Vegetable Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

Pick veggies that are firm and free of blemishes.

Canning, Freezing, Drying, Preserving and more!

Below are links to pages with easy and reliable directions about how to can, preserve, freeze and make other goodies fromveggiess.  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!

Pickled vegetables

Canning tomatoes (in water bath canners )Home canned tomato soup

Canning Tomatoes in Pressure canners

Freezing Tomatoes

Drying tomatoes

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:

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.

Many more recipes and directions:

 

Other Local Farm Products (Honey, Horses, Milk, Meat, Eggs, Etc.)
(NOT pick-your-own, unless they are also listed above)