2024 Lexington and north-central Kentucky Apple And Pumpkin U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org
Find a pick-your-own farm near you! Then learn to can and freeze! Since 2002! We update continuously; Beware the copycat websites!
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Apple And Pumpkin U-Pick Orchards in Lexington and north-central Kentucky in 2024, by county
Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for apples and pumpkinsthat we know of in this area. Not all areas of any state, nor even every state, have apples and pumpkins orchards that are open to the public. If you know of any others, please tell us using theadd a farmform!
Remember to always check with the farm's own website or Facebook page before you go - or call or email themif they don't have a website or Facebook page. Conditions at the farms and crops can change literally overnight, so if you want to avoid a wasted trip out there - check with the farm directly before you go! If I cannot reach them, I DON'T GO!
PLEASE report closed farms, broken links and incorrect infousing the "Report Corrections" form below.
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Bourbon County
Stepping Stone Farm- Strawberries, Blueberries, Apples, Sunflowers, U- Pumpkins, Indian corn, gourds. 1674 Cynthiana Rd, Paris, KY 40361. Phone: 859-588-3286. Email:steppingstonefarm2@gmail.com. Open: for the season at the end of April.Click here for a map and directions. . U-Pick Strawberries in May, Blueberries in July, Apples and Pumpkins in September and OCtober, Plus Tomatoes in Greenhouse and Sunflowers in July. pick apples (including Gala, McIntosh, Cortland, Mutsu, Stayman Winesap, York, Granny Smith, Fuji, and many more),(formerly Reed Valley Orchard) (ADDED: May 6, 2022)
Bracken County
Hillside Orchard- apples, pumpkins, raspberries, prepicked produce, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, school tours 4979 Aa Highway N, Foster, KY 41043. Phone: 606-747-5635. Email:mail@hillsideorchardandcountrystore.com. Open: May to December 24; Friday 3 pm to 7 pm, Saturday 10 am to 7 pm and Sunday 12 pm to 7 pm. Directions: from Cincinnati, take I-275 to AA Highway, drive 29 miles south on the AA Highway, Hillside Orchard is on the left. If traveling from Maysville, drive 21 miles north on the AA Highway from Route 68, Hillside Orchard is on the right. .Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. . . Crops are usually available in August, September, October, November, December.
Scott County
Evans Orchard and Cider Mill- apples, strawberries, blueberries, flowers, pears, pumpkins, U-pick and already picked, farm market, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, face painting, pony rides, petting zoo, farm animals, birthday parties, school tours, events at your location (call for info) 180 Stone Road, Georgetown, KY 40324. Phone: 502-863-2255. Email:info@evansorchard.com. Open: Tuesday to Saturday from 9:30am to 6 pm, Sundays from 12 pm to 6 pm; If you are coming out for a particular variety, please call ahead to see if they are ripe. Directions: From Lexington: Take Newtown Pike (922) North eight miles from the I-75 overpass. Take a right on Stone Road. Evans Orchard is the third drive on the left (approximately 1,000 feet). From Georgetown or I-75 North: take Exit 126 and turn right off of exit. Go to US 460 and turn Left going East on US 460. Travel 3 miles and turn right onto Newtown Pike (Route 922) at the caution lights. Go one mile and turn Left onto Stone Road Evans Orchard is the third drive on the left. .Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx. . . Pick-Your-Own Apples, Pears, Strawberries and Blueberries. At Evans Orchard, we grow over 20 different varieties of gourmet apples along with several varieties of delicious pears and blueberries. Fresh vegetables all spring and summer, peaches, apples and pumpkins in the fall, Bushels of Family Fun all year long in our playland and petting zoo! Festivals include: Sweet Corn Festival third Saturday in July, Apple picking usually starts second weekend in September and Harvest Festival beginning the third weekend in September and continuing through the end of October. Come explore all we have to offer at Evans Orchard!. (UPDATED: June 28, 2012, by a visitor)
Woodford County
Eckert's Versailles Orchard (Formerly Boyd Orchards)- apples, blackberries, grapes, pears, pumpkins, raspberries (red), raspberries (Autumn, black), U-pick and already picked, farm market, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, face painting, pony rides, petting zoo, farm animals, birthday parties, weddings and wedding parties, school tours 1396 Pinckard Pike, Versailles, KY 40383. Phone: 859-873-3097. Email:boydorchards@hotmail.com. Open: See our website for current hours. Directions: .Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover. Eckert's Versailles Orchard (Formerly Boyd Orchards) Facebook page. . . Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. Strawberries usually begion around Mid- May. Please feel free to check back on the website or call the Orchard for more information. Offers pick-your-own crops including strawberries, peaches, apples, and pumpkins that are available May through late October. Versailles Orchard Bonfire Sites & Haunted Hayrides are a fun evening with your group! The perfect outing for church groups, sports teams, friends and family gatherings. Enjoy pig races, a corn maze, haunted hayrides and more at Eckert's Versailles Farm. Discover a full list of fun things to do at Eckert's. We offer school tours and field trips during apple picking and pumpkin picking seasons at our Eckert's Country Store & Farms in Versailles, Kentucky. Book your school field trip today. Our Country Store is simple and offers the kind of homemade goodies that make your mouth water. Yes, we have fresh-baked pies in apple, pumpkin and other flavors. You can also find jams, jellies, salsa and a variety of treats to enjoy with family and friends. And don't forget about our famous apple cider donuts! s! U-Pick Apples and Pumpkins available!. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, WIC Vouchers. Unforgettable Playgrounds and Slides. NEW for 2011: TREE HOUSE!. (UPDATED: September 25, 2019, JBS)
Apple picking tips:
Apples ripen from the outside of the tree towards the center, so the apples out
the outside of the tree will ripen first. Once they are picked, they stop
ripening. Picking apples directly from a
tree is easy. Roll the apple upwards off the branch and give a little twist;
don't pull straight away from the tree. If two apples are joined together at the
top, both will come away at the same time. Don't shake the trees or branches.
If the apple you are trying to pick drops, (or others on the tree) go ahead and
pick it up. They're perfectly fine! But do wash them before you eat them! More info:How to tell
when apples are ripe
Once picked, don't throw the apples into the baskets, place them in
gently, or they will bruise and go bad more quickly.
Don't wash apples untiljust before using to prevent spoilage.
Keep apples coolafter picking to increase shelf life. A cool basement is ideal, but the fruit/vegetable drawer of a refrigerator will work, too. A refrigerator is fine for small
quantities of apples. Boxed apples need to be kept in a cool, dark spot
where they won't freeze. Freezing ruptures all of an apple's cells, turning
it into one large bruise overnight. The usual solution is to store apples in
a root cellar. But root cellars often have potatoes in them: apples and
potatoes should never be stored in the same room because, as they age,
potatoes release an otherwise ethylene gas, which makes apples spoil faster.
If you can keep the gas away from your apples, they will keep just fine.
Just don't store them right next to potatoes. Prevent contact between apples stored for the winter by wrapping them
individually in sheets of newspaper. The easiest way to do this is to unfold
a section of newspaper all the way and tear it into quarters. Then stack the
wrapped apples. See more here:How
to store apples at home
There are tens of thousands of varieties of apples, developed over centuries. They vary in sugar, acoidity, flavors, storing, crispness and many other
attributes. See our guides to apple varieties:
Recipes, illustrated with step by step instructions
Apple pie recipe and directions and
illustrated!I can say, with, ahem, no bias at all, that this is the
best apple pie recipe in the world! (Alright, I did have an apple strudel in
Vienna once at that place listed in Fodors that was REALLY good, but that
wasn't a pie, was it? And since this was the recipe my grandmother used, it
must be great!)