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SALT LAKE CITY — Fruits and vegetables are always delicious, but produce is especially amazing when fresh off the farm.
U-pick farms let consumers pick produce themselves, providing a fun and tasty excuse for people of all ages to get outside and eat local. Without a market as the middleman, customers can be sure they have the freshest of fresh foods and pick only the items they think look the most delicious.
We compiled a list of a few Utah u-pick farms below. Let us know what your favorite spots are in the comments.
McBride Briar Patch ===================
The hardest part of picking at McBride Briar Patch is having the restraint to put the berries into a bucket instead of directly into your mouth. Joyce and Wayne McBride have been growing berries on their farm for close to a decade, becoming a favorite spot for families, youth groups and BYU students on dates. Groups from as far away as Russia have stopped by for a chance to sample the fresh fruit.
The McBrides' main offering is raspberries and blackberries, which come in a number of varieties like Autumn Britton, a thornless Joan J and yellow Annie raspberries. Each berry has a unique flavor, so some visitors will keep the varieties separate while others mix them together. Either way is sure to be delicious.
Pickers are given a bucket and rope to tie around their waist while they’re on the hunt for berries. When Joyce McBride was a child, her mother would do the same thing when they went to pick huckleberries. Customers should bring their own containers to bring the berries home.
The berry season started early in August and should last at least through September. Potential pickers should check the McBride Briar Patch Facebook page for updates.
1849 S. 2100 West, Mapleton
801-367-0755
Open Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
$3 per pound
This family-run u-pick is perfect for those who want fresh veggies, with large fields of peppers, tomatoes, beans and other foods ready to be taken home. The Day family said they enjoy having people come to the farm to pick their own produce and that some customers even refer to it as “their farm.”
Pickers can drive right up to the fields after stopping at a checkpoint to pick up boxes and a map. Customers are free to mix and match the different types of produce. The Day family said the wide variety of items, like eggplants, tomatillos and chili peppers, draw customers from numerous cultures and that one time they even had seven languages represented in the checkout line at one time — each visitor sharing what the items were called in their own language.
Raspberries are sold separately but are also available for u-pick from the farm’s produce stand. The u-pick produce will be available until the field freezes a few times, which is typically during the last week of September or the first weeks of October. Starting Oct. 10, the farm will be open for pumpkin season with hay rides on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays.
2500 W. Gentile Street, Layton
801-546-4316
Monday-Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
$13 per bushel
Phelps Fruit & Berry Farm =========================
This 26-acre farm offers a large variety of u-pick options and gives visitors the opportunity to feel like they are a farmer themselves, wandering through the trees and berry bushes in search of tasty fruit and vegetables.
The produce’s fresh flavor is enough to keep customers coming back and to draw in new visitors. One woman picking peaches said she heard about the farm just the day before from a friend and had already decided she wanted to pick more for herself. Peaches, raspberries, blackberries, peppers and tomatoes are currently in season.
Visitors who want to pick peaches are required to use boxes or smaller sacks supplied by the farm, while those in search of berries should bring their own carrier — the Phelps suggested using a milk container with the top cut off. Grapes should also be ready to pick off of the vines sometime in September. In other seasons, the farm has cherries, apricots, and walnuts, among other tasty goods.
Those planning to visit the farm should avoid using their GPS, because it will take them to the wrong location. Correct directions to the farm can be found on the Phelps Fruit and Berry Farm Facebook Page.
8722 S. 6200 West, Payson
801-465-4408
Monday, Wednesday-Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday: 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Saturday: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Peaches and grapes are $15 per 20-pound box, other prices vary by item.
