The Best Places to Pick Berries Near Boston
Feast on fresh-picked strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and more.
Berries photo by Cookbookman17 on Flickr/Creative Commons
If you’ve been limiting your pick-your-own adventures to apple orchards, you’ve been missing out on months and months of fresh, juicy goodness. During the summer months, many Massachusetts farms allow the public to pick berries, as well as fruits including peaches, plums, and cherries.
As a general rule, strawberries are ripe for picking from mid- to late-June, followed by blueberries and raspberries starting in July. Peaches and plums ripen a little later, usually in August. Still, we recommend double-checking each farm’s daily offerings before you set off, as weather and fellow pickers may affect availability.
Ready to get your harvest on? Try these great places to pick your own berries, all within 40 miles of Boston.
Belkin Family Lookout Farm
Town: Natick
Distance: 16.9 miles
Pick Your Own: Strawberries, peaches, nectarines, plums
After strawberry season wraps up in the early summer, return to this Natick farm to snag your own peaches, nectarines, and plums. When you’re done, rehydrate with a few cold beverages in the on-site taproom.
Reopening June 22. Hours vary. 89 Pleasant St. South, Natick, lookoutfarm.com.
Brooksby Farm
Town: Peabody
Distance: 17.9 miles
Pick Your Own: Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and peaches
Harvest juicy berries and peaches yourself, or take the easy way out and pick them up at the farm stand. Return in the fall for pick-your-own apples, and in the winter for cut-your-own Christmas trees.
Open daily, 9 a.m-5 p.m. 54 Felton St., Peabody, brooksbyfarm.org.
Connors Farm
Town: Danvers
Distance: 22.4 miles
Pick Your Own: Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, peaches
Known for its pumpkins and apples in the fall, Connors Farm is also a lively pick-your-own destination in the summer. If you go in September or October, take a spin through its highly elaborate corn maze.
Opening June 11. Open daily, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. 30 Valley Road, Danvers, connorsfarm.com.
Ward’s Berry Farm
Town: Sharon
Distance: 27.9 miles
Pick Your Own: Strawberries and blueberries
In June, you can take a hay ride to fields bursting with nine varieties of locally grown strawberries—but act fast, because they’re only around for a few weeks. After that, you can pick blueberries for the rest of the summer.
Hours vary by season. 614 South Main St., Sharon, wardsberryfarm.com.
Tangerini’s Spring Street Farm
Town: Millis
Distance: 32 miles
Pick Your Own: Strawberries, blueberries, apples, tomatoes, sunflowers
At Tangerini’s, you can harvest berries to your heart’s content. (No tangerines, unfortunately.) It also offers pick-your-own peppers and tomatoes, and will now offer peaches and plums.
Picking begins at 9 a.m. 139 Spring St., Millis, tangerinisfarm.com.
Smolak Farms
Town: North Andover
Distance: 30.5 miles
Pick Your Own: Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cherries, peaches, plums
In addition to a wide variety of pick-your-own fruits (gooseberries, anyone?), Smolak Farms offers plenty of family-friendly events and activities, from hay rides to outdoor concerts. There’s also a bakery, gift shop, and ice cream window.
Open daily, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. 315 South Bradford St., North Andover, smolakfarms.com.
Russell Orchards
Town: Ipswich
Distance: 36.3 miles
Pick Your Own: Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, cherries
True berry lovers will be in heaven at Russell Orchards, where you can pick many varieties yourself and find even more—like gooseberries and elderberries—at the farm stand. Make a day of it with visits to the on-site bakery, farm store, and winery.
Open daily, 7 a.m.-5 p.m. 143 Argilla Road, Ipswich, russellorchards.com.
Parlee Farms
Town: Tyngsborough
Distance: 38.1 miles
Pick Your Own: Strawberries, blueberries, peaches, cherries
Less than an hour outside downtown Boston, this farm boasts 10 sprawling acres of blueberry bushes ripe for the picking. You can also harvest strawberries, peaches, cherries, and fresh cut flowers.
Hours vary. 95 Farwell Road, Tyngsborough, parleefarms.com.
