White Red Simple Strawberry Farm Berry Picking Promotion Facebook Post (1280 x 1080 px) - 1
Ripe for the snipping! Each summer, Gran handed out scissors and spread sheets beneath the cherry tree. We “picked” barefoot under the canopy and reached the highest branches from the raised bucket of Pa’s tractor. Cherry after cherry plopped onto the sheets below.
After we’d earned a few more freckles in the sun, we carefully collected the sheets and brought the fruit into the house to be cleaned, pitted, frozen … and, of course, baked into the prettiest pies.
Since the cherry tree fell many storms ago, I’m scouting places to take my kiddo. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of u-pick farms in the KC area.
Apple of My Eye Farm & Orchard
Apples
10455 North Hwy., Platte City, Mo.
816.330.3448
AppleOfMyEyeFarmAndOrchard.com
The Berry Patch
Blueberries
22509 S. State Line Rd., Cleveland, Mo.
816.307.8019
Kid favorites: Obstacle course, hay bale maze and the Berry Train ($2.50/ride)
KC Parent Pro Tip: Blueberry muffins are baked fresh every morning during the picking season. Treat yourself and your little pickers to one with a delicious blueberry lemonade to sip.
Buckeye Acres
Strawberries, cherries, blackberries and pumpkins
91 NE 600 Rd., Warrensburg, Mo.
660.747.7760
Cary’s You-Pick
Vegetables
21703 NE 148th St., Kearney, Mo.
816.679.6404
Cider Hill Family Orchard
Cherries, blackberries, sweet corn, pears, apples and pumpkins
3341 N. 139th St., Kansas City, Kan.
913.721.2507
Kid favorites: Free wagon rides and play area
Colonial Gardens
Black raspberries, red raspberries, blackberries, flowers, elderberry, apples and pumpkins
27610 E. Wyatt Rd., Blue Springs
816.229.1277
Cy and Dee's Blackberry Patch
Blackberries and tomatoes
28615 Rockville Rd., Louisburg
913.731.2324
Fahrmeier Farms
Strawberries, blackberries and pumpkins
9364 Mitchell Trail, Lexington, Mo.
816.289.2496
Fun Farm
Pumpkins
650 N. Jefferson St., Kearney, Mo.
816.628.0028
Kid favorites: Play area, hayrides, pumpkin cannon and petting zoo
Gieringer’s Family Farm
Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, peaches, apples and pumpkins
39345 W. 183rd St. Edgerton, Kan.
913.893.9626
KC Parent Pro Tip: No cards accepted! Gieringer’s is cash-only (as are most KC-area farms). Bring small bills to avoid delays at checkout, as change may be limited.
Grinter Farms
Sunflowers
24050 Stillwell Rd., Lawrence
Hillside Honey Apiary
Flowers, veggies, berries, pumpkins and more
531 Dawson St., Easton, Kan.
913.773.0157
John & Linda's Fruit and Berry Farm
Blueberries, peaches, apples and flowers
2428 Texas Prairie Rd., Bates City, Mo.
816.694.1688
Johnson Farms Plants and Pumpkins
Apples, pumpkins, sunflowers, zinnias and vegetables
17701 Holmes Rd. Belton
816.300.9410
Kid favorites: “Kids’ Corral” play area, slides, corn pit, animals and hayrides
KC Parent Pro Tip: Open mid-September through Halloween, Johnson Farms has extensive garden offerings to pick from and over 30 activities for children — consider saving with season passes.
My Front Yard Flower Farm LLC
Flowers
2025 E. Wyandotte St., Olathe
913.489.7064
Nan’s Berry Farm
Blueberries and blackberries
908 Spelman Dr., Smithville
816.213.0309
Oregon Trail Farm
Raspberries, blueberries and blackberries
18962 Santa Fe Trail, Leavenworth
520.249.0480
KC Parent Pro Tip: If you’re off to the Northland for picking on a weekend, swing by the C.W. Parker Carousel Museum just 15 minutes away! The museum is open 1:00-5:00 on Saturdays and Sundays.
Pendleton's Country Market
Lettuce, greens, asparagus, peas, potatoes, green beans and pumpkins
1446 E. 1850 Rd., Lawrence
785.843.1409
Peter’s Orchard
Peaches and apples
32615 U.S. 65, Waverly, Mo.
660.493.2368
Pome on the Range Orchard & Winery
Cherries, apples and pumpkins
2050 Idaho Rd., Williamsburg, Kan.
785.746.5492
Red Barn Ranch
Sunflowers and pumpkins
23111 S. Jefferson Pkwy., Harrisonville, Mo.
816. 258.1797
Rock Creek Apple Orchard
Apples
619 Lone Jack Lees Summit Rd., Lone Jack, Mo.
816.286.6262
Shively Farms
Sunflowers, sweet corn and pumpkins
5950 Southeast Croco Rd., Berryton, Kan.
785.633.7374
KC Parent Pro Tip: A berry patch by any other name still tastes as sweet! Berry Hill U-Pick Farm, run by Jay and Katelyn Shively since 2017, officially became Shively Farms in 2024.
Sibley Orchards and Cider Mill
Blackberries and apples
3717 N. Buckner Tarsney Rd., Sibley, Mo.
816.650.5535
Schweizer Orchards
Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, peaches, apples and pumpkins
5455 SE State Route FF, St. Joseph
816.232.3999
StoneBriar Farm
Strawberries
9035 Edgerton Rd., De Soto
913.583.0361
KC Parent Pro Tip: Subscribe to StoneBriar Farm’s email newsletter for picking times and farm updates.
Tubby Fruits
Peaches, thornless blackberries, cherries and apples
2570 E. 215th St., Cleveland, Mo.
913.851.7414
KC Parent Pro Tip: For a fruitful day of picking, visit both Tubby Fruits and The Berry Patch — the locations are less than 10 minutes apart.
Wagon Wheel Orchard
Apples
15380 Edgerton Rd., Gardner
913.893.6050
Wohletz Farm Fresh
Strawberries and blueberries
1831 N. 1100 Rd., Lawrence
785.331.3468
Weston Orchard & Vineyard
Strawberries, blackberries, cherries, peaches, apples and pumpkins
18545 County Road H, Weston
816.640.4013
Kid favorites: Goats, chickens, bounce pillow, zip lines, apple cannons, rat racers, low ropes course and corn maze
KC Parent Pro Tip: If you work up an appetite picking, Green Dirt Farm Creamery is less than five minutes away! Enjoy a farm-fresh bite or book a tour and tasting for a full day of fun in Weston.
Whether you plan to reach for peaches on tiptoes or crouch to find berries in the bush, remember what’s needed for a “berry” good time: B(ug spray), E(mpty containers), R(ed wagon), R(efreshments) and Y(ard hats).
The good old days are upon us!
Nichole Parks looks forward to picking at The Berry Patch alongside her favorite little taste-tester.