As summer wanes and fall is on our doorstep, it’s also time for peak harvest. With that comes apples, tomatoes, raspberries, carrots, lettuce, and other fresh vegetables and fruits. If you’re looking to for a way to spend an autumn weekend, here are a few places in the Washington area doing pick-your-own harvesting.
The Well at Ox Run
When: Friday, September 11, from 4 to 7 PM.
Location: 300 Valley Ave., SE.
Price: Free entry.
Brought to you by DCGreens, a food access advocacy organization, the one-acre community garden in Ward 8’s Oxon Run Park is opening its gate to community members on September 11. The event allows attendees to harvest their own fresh produce, up to five pounds. A host of fruits, herbs, vegetables, beans, and leafy greens are available for picking.
Larriland Farm
When: Tuesday through Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM; weekends, 9 AM to 5 PM.
Location: 2415 Woodbine Rd., Woodbine MD.
Price: $3 per person entry.
This family-owned Maryland farm has pick-your-own fields open almost every day of the week. Tomatoes are in plentiful supply, and the farm updates its website daily with information on produce availability. Starting September 8, the farm is hosting its fall festival, which features hay rides, pumpkin-picking mazes, and more.
Swann Farms
When: Daily, 9 AM to 2 PM.
Location: 7740 Swan Lane, Owings, MD.
Price: $3 per person entry.
If your pantry is already chock-full but you still want to frolic in the fields, Swann Farms has sunflower and zinnia cutting in September. Put together a hand-picked bouquet or wander through flower-laden pathways. If you get peckish, the farm stand has fruit, veggies, and honey aplenty.
Hollin Farms
When: Wednesday through Sunday, 9 AM to 1 PM.
Location: 1524 Snowden Rd., Delaplane, VA.
Price: Free entry.
Up to nine kinds of apples, a plethora of fall vegetables, potatoes, and sunflowers are all available for picking at Hollin Farms. The fruit tree orchards are even puppy-friendly, as long as they’re on a short leash. Check out the season picking guide on their website to see what produce will be available for your visit.
Great Country Farms
When: Daily, 9 AM to 5 PM.
Location: 34345 Snickersville Turnpike, Bluemont, VA.
Price: $14 a person on weekdays and $16 on Saturdays and Sundays.
Apples are the name of the game in September at Great Country Farms. There are Shizuka, Candy Crisp, and Gala ready for picking, alongside a few lingering Honey Crisp, and with Fuji season on the horizon. The orchard also offers wagon rides from 9:15 AM to 4 PM to transport you to the orchards.
Baugher’s Orchard and Farms
When: Hours vary.
Location: 1015 Baugher Rd, Westminster, MD.
Price: $3 to $4 a person entry.
Wagons take you to and from your field of choice at Baugher’s, which offers flower cutting and apple picking on select days in the early harvest months. Pumpkins and hayrides, along with other fall festivities, will become available all through October. For more family fun, the farm features both a petting zoo and ice cream stand.
