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, with other berries, peaches, tomatoes, sweet corn, squash and leafy greens coming soon. Bring the kids; many farms also offer fun festivals and playgrounds.
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 in 2009. Two years ago, they launched the Lincoln Strawberry Festival in neighboring Lincoln. This year’s festival returns May 16-17 with a Strawberry Toddler Fashion Show, Strawberry Ice Cream Eating Contests, a Strawberry Pie Eating Contest and live entertainment. Add on a ticket for the Strawberry Festival Pancake Breakfast or Strawberry Shortcake. 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
Great Country Farms
The Zurschmeide family has been farming in Loudoun County for 50 years—32 of them in Bluemont. Strawberry-picking season typically starts in mid-May. To celebrate, the farm will host its Strawberry Jubilee Fest on May 23, 24, 30 and 31. 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. Tickets, which cost $13-$16, include wagon rides, kids’ games and live music, but PYO carries an extra fee. Other summer festivals include the Color the Coop Fun Run on June 13, the Peach Fuzztival on July 25 and 26 and Aug. 1 and 2, and the Watermelon Bash & Crawl on Aug. 29-30. More PYO options include blackberries, potatoes, apples and pumpkins, depending on the season. 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 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 late May, 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
The PYO fruit season starts in mid-May at this 76-year-old, 300-plus-acre family-run farm. It starts with strawberries, and other fruits and veggies follow through summer and into the fall, including tart cherries, tomatoes, blackberries, apples and pumpkins. (Check conditions here.) In August, the farm usually hosts the Sunflower Spectacular, when guests can wander through two football fields’ worth of sunflowers and take pics with props among the crops. Leave time for kiddos to romp on playground equipment at Farm Park. 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 family-owned farm has been growing fruits and veggies for 40 years. PYO is available June-October on Thursdays-Sundays. Call before you head out to check what’s available, but generally, you can expect strawberries, beets and cherries in June; peaches, tomatoes and eggplant in July; apples, melons and nectarines in August; Asian pears, more apples and paw paws in September; and pumpkins and squash in October. Grab a bite at the Mackintosh Farm Café, or adults can kick back with local hard ciders, craft wines and appetizers in the Cider Room, opening in mid-May. 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. A $5 ticket gets you access to the u-pick strawberry fields (containers are an additional fee), and kiddos can bop around on a giant jump pad, play yard games and get face paint. New this year is the storybook trail, which follows the tale of Larry the Berry from seed to strawberry. Prefer to just pick berries and call it a day? Stop by on a weekday. Drive time from Arlington: 45 minutes. 10140 Piscataway Road, Clinton, Maryland
Yankey Farms
You can browse three acres of berry patches and fields of flowers at this Prince William County produce farm and PYO field. 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. Reservations are required only on Saturdays and May 25. Note that the farm is closed Sundays. Drive time from Arlington: 45 minutes. 11812 Bristow Road, Bristow, Virginia