Looking for a warm-weather activity that is both outdoors and delicious? Try hunting down some local blueberries!
As the weather heats up and days get longer, parents everywhere are looking for ways to tire out the kids. Summer is prime time for picking fruit, and blueberries are up next! In June and July, visit one of these Maryland farms to get your thrills on a blueberry hill.
The best thing about blueberries is that they grow on high shrubs so its very easy to find and pick them. No crouching down like you do for strawberries!
Hybridoma Organic Fruit Farm
Address: 13734 Baldwin Mill Road | Baldwin, Maryland
Phone: (443) 902-0370
For 2021, the farm will be open Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. if you want to pick your own.
From June to July, you can find big, beautiful blueberries at this certified organic farm. July and August will bring on black raspberries, blackberries, and red raspberries, so check their Facebook page for updates and call before you head out.
Courtesy of Hybridoma Organic Fruit Farm
Pryor's Orchard
Address: 13841B Pryor Road | Thurmont, Maryland
Phone: (301) 271-2693
The picking season will start at this family farm on June 25 this year for blueberries. Summer Lodi apples, and sour cherries are available around July. Bring cash – they don't take checks or credit cards.
The orchard is open on the weekends, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day.
Larriland Farm
Address: 2415 Woodbine Road | Woodbine, Maryland
Phone: (301) 854-6110
This pick-your-own farm is open for a wide variety of crops until November. Go this summer for your blueberries, and go back in the fall for your apples! Check their daily u-pick webpage for updates, and call to check on picking conditions before you head out.
Courtesy of Larriland Farm
Butler's Orchard
Address: 22222 Davis Mill Road | Germantown, Maryland
Phone: (301) 428-0444
For the 2021 season, Butler's Orchard is offering reservations for picking. This family farm started in the 1950s and prides itself on its family-friendly atmosphere. In addition to 300 acres of pick-your-own crops, there is a Farm Market to buy your own local produce.
Read more about their special events, including the sunset picking series, on their Facebook page.
Courtesy of Butler's Orchard
Homestead Farm
Address: 15604 Sugarland Road | Poolesville, MD
Phone: (301) 977-3761 for a recorded message
The cool thing about this farm is that they give you regular field updates with what you can expect when you come for picking.
They charge an admission fee of $2 per person for fruit-picking, and you will have a bit of a walk to the blueberry bushes. Admission grants you access to a grassy picnic area and the pick-your-own fields and orchards. Visit their website for more information and a fruit availability calendar.
Courtesy of Homestead Farm
Wherever you go, make sure you call to get an idea of the field conditions. Most pick-your own operations are family farms and have a recorded message with real-time updates. There's nothing worse than trying to find fruit on bushes that have been stripped clean!
Pick your fill of the biggest blueberries you can find. Blueberries freeze very well and can be used months later in pancakes, quick breads, pies, and sauces. Simply rinse and dry the berries on a few layers of paper towels, and freeze them in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Store frozen berries in freezer bags, and enjoy a taste of summer whenever you want.
Do you go berry-picking every summer? These are just a handful of spots in Maryland – what are your favorite farms? Let us know in the comments!