U-pick guides
Practical answers for a first (or fiftieth) trip to a pick-your-own farm. Every figure and rule in a guide links its source at the end.
- What is a U-pick farm?How pick-your-own farms work: you pick the fruit, it is weighed or measured on the way out, and you pay by the pound, pint, peck or bushel.Updated October 6, 2026 · 5 min read
- Strawberry picking tipsHow to pick ripe strawberries without damaging them, what to wear, how to keep berries cool, and when strawberry season usually runs in your state.Updated October 6, 2026 · 6 min read
- How to store strawberries after pickingKeep fresh-picked strawberries longer: chill them fast, store them unwashed with caps on, wash only before eating, and freeze the extras the right way.Updated October 6, 2026 · 5 min read
- Blueberry picking guideHow to spot truly ripe blueberries, the thumb-roll picking method, how to keep berries fresh at home, and when blueberry season usually runs by state.Updated October 6, 2026 · 5 min read
- Apple picking tips: what to bring, what to wear, how to pickHow to tell a ripe apple, the lift-and-twist picking method, what to wear to an orchard, how to store apples at home, and when apple season runs by state.Updated October 6, 2026 · 6 min read
- Pumpkin patch guide: picking a pumpkin that lastsHow to choose a pumpkin at the patch, why you never carry it by the stem, carving versus pie pumpkins, how to make it last, and pumpkin season by state.Updated October 6, 2026 · 5 min read
- Choose-and-cut Christmas tree guideCutting your own Christmas tree: when to go, which species to pick, how to check freshness, and the research-based way to keep the tree fresh at home.Updated October 6, 2026 · 6 min read
- U-pick etiquette: how to be a welcome guest on a farmThe unwritten and posted rules of pick-your-own farms: checking in, containers, eating in the field, pets, kids, ladders and leaving the plants unharmed.Updated October 6, 2026 · 4 min read