New Jersey's Best Summer Pick-Your-Own Farms

They don't call it The Garden State for nothing. New Jersey is a great place to go to pick your own summer fruit and veggies. Whether it is strawberries, peaches, or peas, you can find plenty of u-pick farms in New Jersey.  Picking your own produce is great thing to do, especially with kids. Not only does it help you eat locally with farm fresh produce, but it's important for kids to learn about where their food comes from and make that connection with the farm. Plus it's lots of fun. Read on for picking season info, and the skinny on some great farms.

The NJ picking season starts end of May for strawberries with other berries and peaches coming in season end of June through end of July, and apples, pumpkins and other vegetables available through the Fall.  Here are some of our favorite farms close to New York City for picking your own fruits and vegetables. Click through to each u-pick farm to find out what they have ripe for u-pick now, plus hours and directions, but also call ahead before you go to make sure they aren't picked out.
 

Alstede Farm (Chester)

Alstede farm has strawberries (early June), raspberries, gooseberries (end June), currants (season is over already), blueberries, blackberries, peaches, peppers, tomatoes eggplants, and the usual fall fare. Weekends the farm offers extra family fun on top of the pick your own: a moonbounce, a hay pyramid, a corn kingdom, pony rides, food stations and hay rides.  There are picnic tables and the farm even does pick your own birthday parties and summer camp.  9am to 7pm daily.

Stults Farm (Cranbury)


This farm is the place to go if you want to pick both berries and veggies and avoid large crowds.  You can pick blueberries, cucumbers, eggplant, green beans, yellow beans and italian beans.  Monday - Friday 3pm to 7pm.  Saturday & Sunday 10am to 6pm.

Melicks Town Farm (Oldwick & Califon)

Melicks Town Farm is a group of 3 farms offering a variety of pick your own and farm stand produce. The location in Oldwick has strawberry picking and flower picking while the Califon location is the place to go to pick peaches.  9am to 6pm daily.
 

Terhune Orchards (Princeton)

This farm has pick your own strawberries (done for the year), cherries (done for the year), blueberries, flowers, peaches, pears, and veggies such as green beans.  The farm is known for their "Read and Pick program" for preschoolers to 8 year olds where they read a story about the fruit or vegetable and then pick it.  You can also find pony rides, hay rides, farm animals, a food market, and activities for kids.  Monday - Friday 9am to 7pm, Saturday & Sunday 9am to 6pm. 
 

Phillips Farm (Milford)

This is berry heaven with pick your own strawberries (done for the year), blueberries, raspberries, black raspberries, blackberries, and peaches.  Monday - Friday 10am to 7pm, Saturday & Sunday 8am to 7pm.  No pick-your-own on Tuesdays.
 

Lee Turkey Farm (East Windsor)

You may not think a turkey farm is the place to pick fruit, but this farm will prove you wrong!  You can pick your own strawberries and cherries (done for the year), peaches, melons, raspberries, nectarines, pears, blackberries, not to mention veggies!  Right now sweet corn, cucumbers, zucchini and snap beans are in season, but you can also find peppers, eggplant, cauliflower and more throughout the season.  Not to mention the turkeys!  Monday - Saturday from 9am to 6pm, Sunday from 2pm to 6pm. 

For full coverage of apple picking, pumpkin picking, strawberry picking and farm fun info in the tri state area, check out our Pick Your Own Guide.