2024 Northeast Colorado Winter Squash U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Winter Squash U-Pick Orchards in Northeast Colorado in 2024, by county

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

Not all areas of a state have winter squash 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

Larimer County

• Bartels Land and Livestock; U-pick and Pumpkin Patch - ORGANIC, beets, carrots, corn (sweet), cucumbers, melons, peppers, pumpkins, summer squash, winter squash, tomatoes, other vegetables, pumpkin patch-pick in the field, pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, and prepicked produce, petting zoo
  3424 E. Douglas Road, Ft. Collins, CO 80524. Phone: 970-493-3853. Email: llavud@frii.com. Open: If you want to pick straight from the garden, scheduling it by calling Nancy. Directions: I-25 exit 271, West 1 mile, North 2 miles, East one half mile on North side of road. We are one mile North of the Budweiser brewery. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only.
  Bartels Land and Livestock; U-pick and Pumpkin Patch Facebook page. . Crops are usually available in June, July, August, September, October daily October 1st-31st 10 am to 6 pm. July-September open most days by appt. 1 pm to 8 pm. Winter squash starting September 15th. Pumpkins, decorative corn, gourds, corn stalks, straw bales, petting zoo starting October 1st. Pre-picked seasonal vegetables starting June. Winter squash till Feb. We use natural practices, but are not yet certified OrganicWe are family owned and operated for over 100 years. The Bartels Pumpkin Patch Facebook page.

Weld County

• Fern Hill Farm - beans, beets, carrots, cucumbers, herbs or spices, onions, peppers, rhubarb, summer squash, winter squash, tomatoes, other vegetables, picnic area, picnic area you may bring your own food
  2001 Fern Avenue, Greeley, CO 80631. Phone: 970-302-9118. Email: cclift@what-wire.com. Open: Tuesday to Saturday, from 9 am to 7 pm, from July 6th to October 15, 2016. Directions: \(2\) miles east of Hiway 85 in Greeley, Colorado. Go East on East 18th Street to Fern Ave; turn right \(south\) and go 14 mile to 2001 Fern Avenue Go up hill to farm. For a map to our farm, . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. (2) miles east of Hiway 85 in Greeley, Colorado. Go East on East 18th Street to Fern Ave; turn right (south) and go 1/4 mile to 2001 Fern Avenue Go up hill to farm. For a map to our farm, (ADDED: July 05, 2016)
• Miller Farms - peppers, pumpkins, winter squash, tomatoes, other vegetables,
  9040 US Hwy 66, Platteville, CO 80651. Phone: 970-785-6133. Email: millerfarms80651@aol.com. Open: Call, email or see their Facebook page. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.
  Miller Farms Facebook page. Fax: 970-785-0176. Crops are usually available in September, October, November Your admission fee includes one trip per person to our fields to pick up to 5 bags of fresh produce per person. We supply the bags. All other activities like the corn maze and huge playground complex are included in the cost of your admission! Most farms charge an admission price and then charge an additional fee to do each activity. Your one time admission here at includes the produce you pick and ALL other activities!! Each time you come to harvest you can expect to be harvesting different types of produce. We rotate what we pick each day so that not any one crop will be depleted right away. Crops also vary from season to season and year to year. You can be certain that you're going to get a great deal for your admission price!
  Comments from a visitor on September 18, 2010: "This was a great experience for me and my three kids. We got a ridiculous amount of vegetables (which I should be canning, instead of typing on the computer!) The kids and I climbed into a huge wagon towed by a tractor and we were ferried around to different fields. We picked beets, cabbage, corn, peppers, basil, potatoes, onions, leeks, carrots, and more! The produce was very nice quality, and the drivers were helpful at each stop. My only gripe is that we were just turned out into the fields without any instructions about what to look for, or any tools. Some of the produce (like cabbages) were tricky to harvest without help. The drivers were available to dig carrots and leeks for us, which was appreciated. There is a large play area at the front of the farm with sheltered tables. After our harvesting trip (which took about 2 hours), we ate lunch, then the kids were able to play on the hay pyramid, fence maze, and pedal-operated "tractors." Wagons were provided for us to pull our produce out to the car. Overall, this was a fun trip and an amazing value. I will probably go back later this season to get some different veggies, and I will DEFINITELY return next year."
  Comments from a visitor on September 09, 2010: "We loved being at. There were a ton of different activities for the children. The fields to pick produce from are so vast. We got a very large selection of vegetables. There was a lot of fun things, like a giant jumping air pillow, and a massive hay pyramid, for the children to enjoy. The prices were so good for what you get. "

 

Winter Squash

Winter Squash Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

Winter squash comes in many sizes, shapes and colors.  Choosing a winter squash that meets your needs and the taste you will like can be tough without a guide!  This page provides you that information, plus nutritional analysis and links to our freezing and canning pages!

Unlike its summer squash, which is best when harvested very young and used right away, winter squash is harvested at a mature age, which makes the outer skin hard and inedible. The skin, however, is protective and increases its storage life. Winter squash can be stored for 3 months or longer if kept in a cool dark place, like a basement or garage.  I've had winter squash last a full year when stored like this!

The yellow and orange flesh of the winter squash is more nutritious and richer in vitamins, especially beta carotene, than summer squash. Winter squash is always served cooked and, because of its tough skin, only the inside flesh is eaten. The flesh, is sweet and great to make pie (pumpkins are a winter squash)

Size:

Choose a size based on your cooking needs. There's no difference in flavor based on size of the same variety of a squash.

Appearance:

For a quality squash, choose one that has a smooth, dry rind and is free of cracks or soft spots. Skin that is easily nicked or scraped with a fingernail means that the squash did not reach maturity. Look for rind that has a dull appearance. A shiny rind indicates that is has been picked too early or has a wax coating, which masks the skin. Choose squash that has a deep color and is heavy for its size. It is also best to choose squash with a firm, rounded, dry stem. Squash with no stem permits bacteria to enter.

Cut pieces can be found in the grocery market. Choose pieces that have a good interior color and finely-grained flesh that is not fibrous. Ideal flesh should be barely moist, but not too dry or too watery.

Storing Winter Squash

Winter squash has a long shelf life and can be stored for up to 3 months or longer in a cool, dry place between 55° and 60°F. A higher temperature will shorten storage time, but it will not alter the flavor. Storage temperatures below 50°F (as in a refrigerator) will cause squash to spoil more rapidly. If the squash needs to be refrigerated, it can be stored for 1 to 2 weeks. Cut pieces of squash should be tightly wrapped and refrigerated. Cooked, pureed squash can be frozen for use later as a side dish or to thicken, color, or flavor soups, sauces, or stews.

Varieties of Winter Squash

Here are a few of the most popular winter squash varieties; see this page for a complete master list of winter squash varieties.

	Acorn This acorn-shaped squash is one of the most widely available among the small winter squash. It measures about 6 inches around and weighs 1 to 2 pounds. Baking is an excellent way to bring out the sweet, nutty flavors of this tender fleshed squash.
	Banana This squash comes in three varieties: blue, orange, and pink. Among the three varieties, the pink banana is the most common in the United States. It is grown commercially in Florida. This large, thick-skinned cylindrical squash averages 20 inches long and weighs around 12 pounds. It is so large that it is usually sold in chunks instead of whole. Its creamy textured orange flesh offers a fruity and buttery delight to your palate. Although both baking and steaming are great ways to prepare this tasty squash, steaming produces a slightly sweeter, yet mild flavor.
	Buttercup This stocky squash is 6 to 8 inches in diameter, averaging 2 to 4 pounds. Its popularity stems from its sweet and creamy orange flesh. Its shortcoming is that it tends to be a bit dry. Baking or steaming can solve this problem; the dry flesh becomes smooth and tastes similar to a mixture of honey, roasted chestnuts, and sweet potato. Even more than baking, steaming softens the flesh and creates a thick puree (Great for pies)
	Butternut This elongated bell-shaped squash measures about a foot long and weighs an average of 2 to 4 pounds. Its popularity is due to its meaty, yet moderately sweet golden orange flesh. Because of its thin skin, this squash can easily be skinned with a vegetable peeler, which makes it easy to cut and prepare. Baking enhances its sweet, moist, and nutty flavors. Butternut squash is usually available from August through March. There are actually many variations of butternut.  It can be used to make great "pumpkin" pies.
	My favorite winter squash is one called "Argos Gold", sometimes also simply called "Mexican Butternut" - it is much longer than the usual "Waltham" butternut, often almost 2 feet long and has a much sweeter taste and smoother texture.  I've finally found one supplier, see this page. I found another winter / butternut-type squash at Gurney's that looks promising .
	Hubbard This tear-shaped squash comes in several varieties: green (true), golden, blue, and baby blue. It ranges from dark green to orange and weighs from 5 to 50 pounds. Because of its size, Hubbard's popularity has decreased over the years. However, pre-cut portions of green and orange Hubbard can be found in markets. Green Hubbard's are thick, sweet, and dry. Golden Hubbard's; a smaller squash than the green or blue; are fairly sweet, but have a bitter aftertaste.The Blue or gray varietiey make wonder pumpkin pies!
	Spaghetti This oval-shaped yellow squash is also called the vegetable spaghetti. It averages 9 inches in length and may weigh 2 to 3 pounds. When cooked, the crisp, tender fhesh falls a apart into spaghetti-like strands that have a mild lightly sweet and fresh taste. Keep in mind that the larger the vegetable, the thicker the strands and the more flavorful the taste. It really is good with spaghetti sauce on the cooked squash "noodles"
	Sweet Dumpling This solid round squash, formerly known as the vegetable gourd, is a perfect serving for one person. It is about the size of an apple and weighs up to 1 pound. The skin is a warm cream color striped with ivy green, and it changes to butter color and orange during storage. The skin is relatively tender and can be eaten. The pale-yellow flesh is smooth, fine, and dry as a potato and produces a rich starchy, light to mild sweetness, with a slight corn flavor.

 

 

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