U-pick farms for fruits and vegetables: Where to go in and near Detroit

2022-07-30 01:42:10 By : Ms. Cassie Lu

Vegetables, berries and peaches, oh my — the season to pick your own fresh produce is winding down, so now's the time to visit a local U-pick farm to satisfy your summer cravings.

As picking conditions vary daily, most orchards recommend calling in advance to make sure they are offering U-pick. 

Here's where you can go: 

Hazen's Farm: Bring on the berries! Hazen's is a family-owned U-pick blueberry and raspberry farm. The best picking for blueberries is mid to late July, and they anticipate the blueberry season to last through mid August. Raspberry picking will last until they are picked out. Their U-pick hours are 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Additionally, their bakery serves homemade ice creams, muffins, blueberry zucchini breads, Blueberry Bliss cookies and other treats.

Spicer Orchards: At Spicer's, you can bring their farm to your home with the opportunity to pick strawberries, sweet cherries, tart cherries, blueberries, peaches, pears, apples and pumpkins throughout the season. Currently, blueberries and raspberries can be picked from 9 a.m.- 7 p.m., with the last wagon of the day heading to the fields at 5:30 p.m. and returning at 6:15 p.m. Spicer's estimates peach picking to begin around Aug. 5-10, and sunflowers approximately Aug. 1. Their estimated ripening calendar can be found here.

Blake Farms: With three separate U-pick locations, Blake Farms offer a wide variety of fresh produce. All of their locations are open daily from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., and there is a $20 minimum of produce required per car for U-pick. Offerings vary by location, but they grow strawberries, raspberries, sweet cherries and pea pods. The full harvest calendar is available here.

Blake's Big Apple: 71485 North Avenue, Armada

Blake's Orchard and Cider Mill: 17985 Armada Center Road, Armada

Blake's Backyard: 5600 Van Dyke, Almont

Van Houtte Farms: This farm provides the chance to literally hand-pick the perfect flower bouquet. Fresh farm flowers are available for U-pick Thursdays through Sundays from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. Mason jars are provided for collecting flowers, and you can either bring your own clippers or borrow a pair. To enter the flower field, you can purchase a wristband and Mason jar (2 person limit per jar) and cut your own bouquet of flowers for $15, or purchase a wristband and admire the field without cutting flowers for $6. 

Westview Orchards: For those looking for more activities than just U-pick , Westview Orchards also features a farm market and winery. Currently, this orchard is offering U-pick raspberries and sunflowers, and they anticipate vegetable and apple picking to begin mid-August. Summer hours allow for fresh produce and family fun daily from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. 

Blueville Acres Blueberry Farm: This U-pick farm offers berry tasty blueberry picking from mid-July through mid-August. They are only open when there are enough berries to meet demand, so they update their schedule daily. They urge pickers to check their Facebook page or call to make sure that U-pick is available before coming that day.

Middleton Berry Farm: Look no further for fruit, vegetables, and flowers in the convenience of one farm. As of late June, their strawberry season ended. However, Middleton Berry Farm anticipates they will re-open in mid-August for U-pick raspberries, tomatoes and flowers. 

Long Family Orchard: A local favorite, Long Family Orchard grows a variety of vegetables throughout the summer season. The next crop that Long Family Orchard is expecting is sweet corn in late July. As the season approaches, they will have a better idea of when U-pick will begin. In the meantime, they recommend checking their website or calling for updates. Long's also grows apples and other fresh garden vegetables later in the season.

1540 E. Commerce Road, Commerce Township

Berry Hill Farm: Keep calm and berry on, because this raspberry picking farm's black raspberry season begins in July, with other raspberries coming mid-August. They have been growing raspberries for the Washtenaw County community since 1985, and they update their U-pick schedule on Facebook. 

Dexter Blueberry Farm: Looking for a sweet berry fix? Offering the opportunity to pick the best local fresh blueberries, the Dexter Blueberry Farm is open from mid-July through August. Their hours are Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. and Sundays from 12 p.m. through 6 p.m. Their peak season is usually the last week of July and the first two weeks of August.

Slow Farm: Calling all veggie lovers! Slow Farm currently has basil, three colors of beets, three varieties of beans, carrots, chard, collards, cucumbers, flowers, several varieties of herbs, kale, and several varieties of summer squash and zucchini available this week for U-pick  

4700 Whitmore Lake Road, Ann Arbor

Honey Bee U-Pick Patch: As strawberry season has come to a close, the Honey Bee U-Pick Patch has reduced their hours for raspberry picking to Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. 2021 was their first season offering U-pick strawberries, and it was such a hit they brought it back for another season. They plan to offer pumpkins in September.

With no official address, it can best be located from using 5700 Scio Church Road, Ann Arbor.