Produce starts losing nutrients within hours of being picked, which means the fruit and veggies you grab from the grocer have already decreased in nutritional value. For optimal flavor and to see your healthy eating goals come to fruition, head to these nearby pick-your-own (PYO) farms as they reopen for the spring and summer growing seasons.
Strawberry season is now underway, and summer promises other kinds of berries, along with peaches, tomatoes, sweet corn, squash, leafy greens and more. Bring the kids, as many farms also offer fun festivals and playgrounds.
Great Country Farms
The Zurschmeide family has been farming in Loudoun County for 50 years—32 of them in Bluemont. “We are a regenerative agriculture farm,” says owner Kate Zurschmeide. “From our mobile chicken coops to sheep in the orchards and pigs cleaning up our pumpkin patch, our farm animals are our partners in farming.” Strawberry-picking season typically starts in mid-May. To celebrate, the farm will host its Strawberry Jubilee Fest on May 24, 25 and 31, plus June 1. On weekends, littles can participate in the Lil’ Sprout Float Parade if they’re decked out in a decorated stroller, wagon or cart. Other events include a daily pie-eating contest, egg toss and diaper derby. “A fun little secret is that we give away season passes as prizes at our festivals,” Zurschmeide says. Tickets, which cost $10-$16, include wagon rides, kids’ games and live music, but PYO carries an extra fee. Other summer festivals include the Pick Your Own Blackberry Bonanza in July and the Peach Fuzztival on July 26 and 27 and Aug. 2 and 3. Drive time from Arlington: 1 hour. // 34345 Snickersville Turnpike, Bluemont, Virginia
Hollin Farms
Named after Hollin Hills, a Fairfax County community of contemporary houses (now a historic district) founded by developer Robert Davenport in the 1950s and ’60s, this 40-acre property began as a beef cattle farm. Free-range Angus beef is still available, and starting in June, so is a wide variety of produce grown using environmentally sensitive Integrated Pest Management practices. Crops include cherries, blueberries, black and red raspberries, blackberries, 21 types of peaches, 27 varieties of apples, nectarines, summer Asian pears and European pears. Depending on when you go, you can also pick veggies such as peas, arugula, kale, beets, tomatoes, broccoli and sweet corn. Check the website for availability. Drive time from Arlington: 1 hour. // 1524 Snowden Road, Delaplane, Virginia
Butler’s Orchard
This 300-plus-acre family-run farm turns 75 this year. You can taste the secret to its longevity when you pick your own strawberries starting in May, plus other fruits and vegetables through summer and into the fall, including tart cherries, tomatoes, blackberries, apples and pumpkins. In August, the farm’s Sunflower Spectacular invites guests to wander through two football fields’ worth of sunflowers and take pics with props among the crops. Leave time for kiddos to romp around the all-new playground equipment at Farm Park. “We previously had just a wooden ship and a castle—which we still have because they are beloved—but they have moved,” says Julia Wieseckel, the farm’s marketing coordinator. “We put in another huge playground structure in their place.” The $5 entrance fee includes access to the playground, plus farm animals, pedal tractors and fields of seasonal produce. Drive time from Arlington: 45 minutes. // 22222 Davis Mill Road, Germantown, Maryland
Mackintosh Fruit Farm
Located in aptly named Berryville, this farm has been growing fruits and veggies for 40 years. Owner Bill Mackintosh attributes the flourishing crops to using “good insects to control the bad insects” and mineral-packed, pH-balanced dolomitic limestone soil. This year, in addition to the strawberries, tomatoes, cherries, beets, peaches, melons and eggplants that are usually available throughout the warmer months, you can also pick purple asparagus (available in early May) and blackberries, which will ripen in June. PYO hours are Thursday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Adults can kick back in the Cider Room, open Thursday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., from May to October, to enjoy local hard ciders, wines, craft brews and appetizers. Check the website for the live music schedule, and mark your calendar for farm dinners on June 14 and Sept. 27 at 6:30 p.m. Drive time from Arlington: 1 hour and 15 minutes. // 1608 Russell Road, Berryville, Virginia
Miller Farms
Building on the success of its first-annual Strawberry Fest in 2024, this 19th-century family-owned and operated farm is hosting a series of strawberry-themed weekends in May with access to the PYO strawberry fields, a giant jump pad, yard games and face painting (for an additional fee). Admission is free, though a reservation with a pre-purchased berry container is a must. Berries are priced at $8 per quart, $28 for the first gallon and $24 for each additional gallon. Alternately, swing by on a weekday between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. andpay a mere $3.99 per pound of fruit. “The strawberry field is located right around the corner from our main farm and farm market,” says co-owner and farm manager Adam Miller. “After all of the fun, stop at the farm market to enjoy some homemade ice cream and doughnuts, fresh produce, barbecue, jarred goods and more.” Drive time from Arlington: 45 minutes. // 10140 Piscataway Road, Clinton, Maryland
Wegmeyer Farms
Harriet and Tyler Wegmeyer started this Loudoun County farm in 2002 with a small crop of pumpkins. They opened the patch to PYO in 2008 and expanded to strawberries fields in 2009. Last year, they launched the Lincoln Strawberry Festival in neighboring Lincoln, a village founded by Quakers in the 1750s as Goose Creek that later changed its name in honor of our 16th president. The festival returns May 16-18 with live entertainment, a strawberry pancake breakfast and opportunities to pick berries or buy ready-made strawberry baked goods. Can’t make it for festival weekend? No worries. The farm has three pick-your-own locations. Reservations are required. Drive time from Arlington: 1 hour // Wegmeyer’s Home Farm, 38299 Hughesville Road, Hamilton, Virginia; Oatlands Historic Mansion, Little Oatlands Lane, Leesburg, Virginia; Strawberry Hill, 18451 Taylor Road, Hamilton, Virginia, wegmeyerfarms.com
Yankey Farms
You can browse three acres of berry patches and fields of flowers at this Prince William County produce farm and pick your own for $32 per gallon or $9 per quart. Owner Jay Yankey, who’s been growing strawberries at the farm for 20 years, says the best way to check availability is to visit the farm’s Facebook page for daily updates on picking conditions and weather-related closures. Drive time from Arlington: 45 minutes // 11812 Bristow Road, Bristow, Virginia, yankeyfarms.com