Best Places To Pick Summer Fruit In The Cleveland Area
Summertime brings delightful fresh fruits to snack on and picking your own makes the fruit taste even sweeter. Although in Northeast Ohio, strawberry picking season is usually only in June, there is still plenty of time between July and September to enjoy a day or half-day trip to a local farm to pick your own summer fruit. Blueberries, raspberries, currants, peaches and tomatoes are just getting ripe for the picking starting in July. Here are some of the best orchards within an hour of Cleveland to get out, enjoy the warm summer sunshine and pick the fruit of your choice. It is always a good idea to call ahead to be sure that there is still crop available for picking.
West Orchard Farm Market
3034 N. Ridge Road
Perry, OH 44081
(440) 259-3192
www.westorchardsfarmmarket.com
Todd and Ame West are the fifth generation of the West family to run the West Orchard Farm Market in Perry, OH. About a 30-minute drive east of Cleveland, this farm that opened back in 1891 has received a Century Farm Honor from the state of Ohio, one of only 51 in the state. The pick-your-own options at West Orchard are strawberries earlier in the season, sour cherries in July and blackberries will be ripe in the beginning of August and the picking area is very organized, making the experience more pleasurable for the picker. West Orchard Farm Market also has pre-picked peaches, nectarines, pears, apples and vegetables available for purchase. As supporters of the local community, there are also many items from other local businesses for sale in the market.
Rosby Berry Farm
42 E. Schaaf Road
Brooklyn Heights, OH 44131
(216) 661-6102
www.rosbycompanies.com
A 70-acre farm that overlooks the Cuyahoga Valley, Rosby Berry Farm is located in Brooklyn Heights, just five miles out of Cleveland. Rosby's Farm offers fresh raspberries for picking, usually starting in mid-August and lasting until the end of October. The company offers a "punch card" deal also — for every nine quarts picked, a tenth one can be picked for free. Rosby's Farm also has pre-picked strawberries for shoppers as well as pre-picked raspberries if unable to take the time to pick on a certain day. There are also pickling cucumbers and dill for purchase from this farm.
Livengood's Berry Patch
4952 State Route 601
Norwalk, OH 44857
(419) 668-9811
This small family-run farm in Norwalk, Ohio is just about an hour west of Cleveland. The farm is open from May 1 to August 15 and all of the crops are pick your own. In July, there are blueberries to pick, with peaches starting to ripen near the end of July for picking. From August to September, the blackberry crop is also ready for folks to pick. Livengood's Berry Patch is a nice day trip for the family to take, just be sure to call ahead to be sure of crop availability. It will be an intimate experience for the family at this farm.
Rainbow Farms
2464 Townline Road
Madison, OH 44057
(440) 259-4924
www.rainbowfarmsonline.com
Located 40 miles northeast of downtown Cleveland, Rainbow Farms in Madison, Ohio offers many options for folks looking to pick their own fruit this season. July crops that are available are red raspberries and four different colors of currants: red, pink, black and white. Come August, the tomatoes are ready to be picked as well as blackberries, and a new crop this season, elderberries. There is a farm market on the premises to help you stock up on the other fruits and vegetables, organic eggs and even jewelry. Rainbow Farms is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., but it is always a good idea to call ahead to be sure nothing has changed.
Voytko Berry Farm
11391 Franks Road
Auburn Township, OH 44023
(440) 543-8586
www.voytkofarms.com
Located 35 miles southeast of Cleveland, Voytko Berry Farm in Auburn Township, has berries ready for picking starting in early July. There are several acres of berries that are available for picking. The farm has blueberries, raspberries in a variety of colors and even currants this season. The raspberries come in a variety of red, gold and black. The farm tries to keep the use of any pesticides to a minimum, but when it is necessary, the farm only uses environmentally friendly products.
Marcia Hudgel is a writer, yoga teacher, wife, mother to her animals and aunt to 10 nieces and nephews living in Cleveland, OH. She writes about family, animals. Her work can be found on Examiner.com.
