Nothing beats the flavor of a sun-ripened tomato freshly picked from the vine. If you want to skip the grocery store and get your hands on juicy, vine-ripened tomatoes, head to a pick-your-own (U-pick) tomato farm.
At U-pick tomato farms, you can wander through rows plucking ripe red tomatoes right off the vine. The ripe fruit often bursts with rich sweet flavor you just can’t find in store-bought tomatoes.
You may not think of finding farmland and tomato fields near busy cities. But even around urban areas like Los Angeles numerous family-friendly farms offer U-pick tomatoes and other produce.
Here is a guide to picking your own tomatoes and other fruit at farms near LA and other major metro areas.
What to Expect at U-Pick Tomato Farms
U-pick tomato farms are fun field trip destinations for families, couples, or solo vegetable lovers. Here’s a primer on what to expect:
- Pay an entrance fee or purchase a bucket/bag and pay for what you pick.
- Receive a map and directions to the tomato patch.
- Walk through rows of staked tomato plants.
- Identify ripe tomatoes by color and slight give.
- Twist off tomatoes, placing them gently in your container.
- Enjoy snacking on a few as you pick!
- Check out other activities like tractor rides, petting zoos, etc.
Ripe tomatoes come in a range of sizes shapes and colors. Pick ones free of blemishes and with a fragrant tomato smell.
Best Times to Pick Tomatoes
Tomato season runs from mid-summer through early fall. But timing your picking adventures is key:
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Early season (July): Pick cherry and grape tomatoes first. Good for salads.
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Mid-season (August): Most standard tomatoes ripen. Optimal for slicing, sauces, salsas.
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Late season (September/October): Heirloom and specialty varieties peak. Great flavor for eating fresh.
Check individual farm sites for their projected prime picking times. Weather can impact ripening. Morning hours often provide the best selection.
Top U-Pick Tomato Farms Near Major Metros
Here are some of the most popular U-pick tomato destinations near major cities:
Los Angeles Area
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Tanaka Farms (Irvine, CA): Organic tomatoes ripen July–September. Wagon rides included!
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Underwood Family Farms (Moorpark, CA): Huge variety of heirlooms August–October. Petting zoo!
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Weiser Family Farms (Temecula, CA): Open July–November. Wagon rides through the vines.
San Francisco Bay Area
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Farm Fresh to You (Capay Valley, CA): Organic heirlooms June–October. Pick strawberries too.
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Gizdich Ranch (Watsonville, CA): Farm fresh tomatoes July–September. Apple picking too!
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Morris Grassfed Beef (San Martin, CA): Vines produce June–September. Cow tours available.
New York Metro
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Fishkill Farms (Hopewell Junction, NY): Jersey tomatoes late July into September. Pick peaches too.
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Ochs Orchard (Warwick, NY): Organic heirloom tomatoes late July through September. Cider donuts!
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Wickham’s Fruit Farm (Cutchogue, NY): Pick tomatoes mid-July into October. Pumpkin patch fun.
Chicago Area
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County Line Orchard (Hobart, IN): Greenhouse tomatoes April into June. Outdoors mid-July through September.
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Puckerville Farms (Lemont, IL): Tomatoes ripening starting mid-July. Pumpkins come October.
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Stade’s Farm & Market (McHenry, IL): Organic heirlooms mid-July through September. Gift shop on site.
Grab the kids or a group of friends and head out to a U-pick farm near you. Harvest delicious, ripe tomatoes straight from the vine this summer and fall!
Find a pick-your-own farm near you! Then learn to can and freeze! Since 2002! We update continuously; Beware the copycat websites!
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!.
Always check the farm’s website or Facebook page before you go. If they don’t have a website or Facebook page, you can call or email them. Conditions on farms and crops can change very quickly, so if you don’t want to waste your trip, call the farm before you go! If I can’t get in touch with them, I don’t go!
PLEASE report closed farms, broken links and incorrect info using the “Report Corrections” form below.
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
- North Windsor Berries: pumpkins, peppers, beans, beets, blackberries, cucumbers, onions, peas, peppers, pumpkins, strawberries, tomatoes, summer squash, strawberries, and red raspberries. Open for school tours at 1609 NY Rte 79, Windsor, NY 13865. Phone: 607-655-2074. Email: NWBLTitus@aol. com. From the middle of June to October 31st, it’s open Sunday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information on seasonal hours, please visit the website. Directions: From Binghamton: 17 East to Exit 79. Make a left off from exit. Farm is 1. 5 miles on the Right. From Deposit: 17 West to exit 79. Make a right off from the exit. Go to the light and make a left. Farm is 1 mile on the right. From Sydney: Take 88 West to Exit 6 Harpursville. Make a left off the exit onto rte 79. Farm is approximately 9 miles on the left. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: cash, check, credit or debit ($15 minimum for cards). Kids can be in the fields, but they need to be with an adult. Among the fruits and vegetables that you can pick yourself are berries, green beans, peas, summer squash, peppers, onions, tomatoes, beets, kale, collard greens, cucumbers, brussel sprouts, and more (JBS, September 9, 2023).
- To tomatoes, snap beans, and peppers, go to Bradley Farms at 1543 Maple Avenue, Elmira, NY 14904. Phone: 607-732-0561. Email: bradleyfarms@aol. com. Open: daily 9am to 6pm. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard. Bradley Farms Facebook page. The Haunted Empire is adding a new paintball attraction this fall: zombie safari. It will be part of the same events as The House of Lost Souls and The Trail of Terror. As spring comes, our greenhouses are filled with a lovely array of hanging baskets and bedding plants. During the summer, the farm market store sells fresh food, building up to our spooky fall harvest festival, complete with pumpkins, apples, and fun activities for kids and adults of all ages. After the harvest, the farm sells fresh-cut Christmas trees for the holiday season.
- The address of Allens Vegetable Market is 4837 County Route 25, E Waneta Lake Rd, Dundee, NY 14837. They sell tomatoes and peppers. Phone: 607-292-3464. Open: early August-mid September, call first. Click here for a map and directions. Open .
- 5286 Stillwell Road, Trumansburg, NY 14886 Silver Queen Farm has apples, asparagus, cucumbers, nectarines, peas, peaches, peppers, raspberries, strawberries, tomatoes, other vegetables, and produce that has already been picked. Phone: 607-387-6502. Email: Gallupgoodnews@aol. com. Open: Every day 8 am to 8 pm. Directions: And for a map to our farm, . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. Silver Queen Farm Facebook page. You can usually get crops in June, July, August, September, and October. The 97-acre farm has more than 6 acres of strawberries (15 varieties), 2 acres of raspberries (13 varieties), a peach orchard (10 varieties), and an apple orchard (15 varieties). Farm stand featuring large selection of prepicked fruits and vegetables. All of this takes place in a beautiful, relaxed setting designed with kids and families in mind. From June to July, you can pick your own strawberries at the farm, and when sweet corn season comes around, there is a self-service stand. You can also buy our food at the Trumansburg Farmers Market and at restaurants in the area, like Hazelnut Kitchen, Northstar, and Falls Tavern. You can now rent our big, beautiful barn for weddings, birthday parties, parties, and any other event you can think of. Click here to see how much it costs. In 2019 U-pick strawberries are $2. 50/lbFacebook page. There will be a “self-serve” station set up near the barn in case it rains a lot.
- Flowers, vegetables, beans, tomatoes, and potatoes can be bought at Ed-Mar Produce at 2937 State Hwy 17C, Tioga Center, NY 13845. Phone: 607-343-4138. Click here for a map and directions. /4139, 687-1644. Open June-October, call first .
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. Ive noted whats required for each, below, following each entry, with W for water bath, P for Pressure canner, and W, P for either may be used!
Serenity U-Pick tomatoes
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