The Best U-Pick Farms in Kentucky (& Southern Indiana)

With such rich farmland and a booming agricultural landscape, spring and summer in Kentucky means the start of U-Pick season. U-pick stretches all the way from strawberries in the spring to flowers and peaches in the summer apples and pumpkins and fall. It’s like DIY for your fruits and veggies, but with a MUCH better selection than what is typically offered at the grocery store (and way more fun!).

In a time where it’s so easy to be removed from our food sources, sometimes it’s nice to get to the pit of it all (get it??) We have rounded up all the best u-pick farms in Kentucky (and southern Indiana) so grab some sunscreen, shades, and your cutest berry-picking basket and check out these amazing farms and orchards in Kentucky and Southern Indiana!

Check out a few of these other posts:

• The 15 Best Apple Orchards in Kentucky (& Southern Indiana)
• 35 Epic Pumpkin Patches in Kentucky to Visit This Fall
• Louisville in Summer: The 25 Coolest Things To Do

U-Pick Farms in Kentucky

What comes to mind when you think of sunny summer days? For us, it’s fresh, juicy peaches, decadent berries, stunning sunflowers, and basking in the warm, summer sun. And what better way to check off all of those boxes than a day picking all the best in-season fruits and having a golden hour photo shoot in the middle of a blooming flower field? 

While Louisville may be located in the more northern, metropolitan part of the state, there are certainly plenty of agricultural excursions to embark on. The best part? All of the scenic drives among the gorgeous, rolling Kentucky hills. Enjoy the sights and roll down your windows as you venture to the farms.

Mulberry Orchard

Located in Shelbyville, Kentucky just a half hour from Louisville, Mulberry Orchard is the ultimate destination for all the exciting varieties of seasonal fruit… especially peaches! With a whopping 17 different varieties of peaches, you can test out all your peachy Pinterest dessert recipes!

The fuzzy skin marvels come in exciting types like the Saturn, a flatter peach that ripens in mid-July and is even sweeter than the classic peaches you’ll find in a grocery store. Or the flavorful Flamin’ Fury, a sweet and juicy variety of ample size (they can grow up to two pounds) and supreme quality when ripened in late June-late July. 

If other fruits are more your speed, you’ll be happy to see all your favorite apple varieties like the Gala and HoneyCrisp for the August harvest. Fresh blackberries, blueberries, and melons abound on this family-friendly farm during the summer season. 

Stock up on vegetables for a week of good eating on the grill. With over 25 vegetable varieties grown on the farm, the possibilities are endless! Grab some fresh green beans, bright red tomatoes, savory bell peppers, sweet corn, or yummy zucchini squash.

Mulberry Orchard even features its own kitchen! Mulberry Kitchen offers a full menu of lunchtime favorites and sweet treats made with products grown on the farm, such as the Orchard Pulled Pork sandwich served with apple pieces on a pretzel bun, or a delicious Cheeseburger made with Beef raised at the farm. And you can’t forget the fried peach pie!

Grab your littles for an outdoor summer fun day complete with gigantic playground shenanigans and navigating your way through a maze or two!

Mulberry Orchard is open from 9am to 6pm Tuesday through Saturday and from 1pm to 5pm on Sundays.

Hinton’s Orchard and Farm Market

About an hour from Louisville, Hinton’s Orchard is a fruit and veggie-packed farm in Hodgenville with an accompanying market in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. 

Hinton’s is focused on producing quality plants and fresh fruits and vegetables, their specialties being strawberries, apples, peaches, and pumpkins. Hinton’s works hard to stay educated on the latest growing practices and are on a mission to provide quality produce to the community. 

In the spring, you’ll find potted flowers, vegetable starts, and fine herbs to get your own garden up and going. Summer brings a spread of all the best veggies, including sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, and beans. The real stars of the summer at Hinton’s, however, are their juicy, tree-ripened peaches!

In the fall, Hinton’s transforms into a farm fantasy complete with hayrides, pumpkin picking, a tractor for kiddos to “drive,” a sensory corn bin, a toy play area where kids can “cook” pretend farm fresh fruits and veggies, and a giant jumping pillow.

Throughout the year, Hinton’s Kitchen offers fresh baked goods and sweet treats procured using the season’s bounty. Think fresh baked bread, homemade peanut butter, seasonally flavored soft serve (strawberry, caramel apple, or pumpkin pie, oh my!), muffins, and homemade turnovers and pies… is your mouth watering yet??? 

Gourmet food items like fruit preserves, salsas, pickles, and ciders are available throughout the year. Fresh, local honey made by bees on the property is even available at the markets!

Hinton’s operates year round with fruits, vegetables, and flowers available from spring to fall. You can even pick up a Christmas tree in the winter! They’re also a member of the Kentucky Proud Program, which is the best way to support local farms in the bluegrass state.

Hinton’s Elizabethtown Market and the Hodgenville Farm Market are both open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 6pm.

James Bennett’s Orchard

In the super small town of Buffalo, Kentucky (we’re talking like a population 500 kind of small town), is the hometown staple- James Bennett’s Orchard. Buffalo is about an hour outside of Louisville, and although the town is technically unincorporated, it’s only a 7 minute drive from Hodgenville. So if you are really feeling frisky, you could totally hit up Hinton’s Orchard and James Bennett’s Orchard in the same afternoon. 

Bennett’s Orchard specializes in apples and peaches with a harvest season between June and November for their hand picked varieties. Early season favorites like glossy Redfrees and hazy Paulareds are ideal for baking and applesauces. While Bennett’s Prima, Gala, and Honeycrisp are deliciously biteable right off the branch.

This is the ideal stop if you’re on a small town tour of the rolling hills. The simplicity of the orchard and store front cut right to the heart of what makes small town America a unique experience.

James Bennett’s Orchard is open at 8am Monday-Saturday and closes at 6pm everyday except Saturday when doors close at 5pm. They are closed all day on Sunday.

Eckert’s Orchard

Eckert’s Orchard, located about 25 minutes outside the city of Versailles near Lexington, is one of the most charming orchards in Kentucky. The expansive, country-red painted barn is matched only in charm by the name of its hometown, which is pronounced VER-SAILS with a Kentucky twang rather than VER-SIGH as in the French château. 

Vibrant shades of red are the name of the game at Eckert’s, with over nine varieties of apples to choose from. Maybe you’re in the mood for a bright ruby colored Fuji variety that is the perfect combination of juicy and sweet. Or perhaps you are feeling adventurous and opt for the Arkansas Black, a deep red, almost purple apple that is perfect for baking rich pies. 

Whatever your favorite color, Eckert’s is sure to have a u-pick fruit at some point in the season to match. Choose your own ripe blackberries in mid-late July. Spruce up your kitchen table with a sunny yellow (sustainably grown) sunflower stem. Wait til the fall to visit for a perfectly plump orange pumpkin.

Check out their harvest schedule and list of seasonal events to perfectly plan your outing. Field passes for picking vary based on day and time, but usually run around $3. So make a day of it! Allow your littles to explore the playground after picking their own fruits right from the stem. Peruse the bakery featuring mouth-watering seasonal pies and fritters. Stock up on homegrown fruits and veggies including rhubarb, asparagus, and corn. 

Eckert’s Orchard is open from 9am-6pm everyday but Monday.

Evan’s Orchard and Cider Mill

Just over an hour from Louisville in Georgetown, Kentucky, you’ll find Evan’s Orchard and Cider Mill. At Evans’, you can pick just about any summery berry you could dream of sinking your teeth into AND find some of the best examples of what an apple can become when it reaches its true potential. 

Pick your own sweet strawberries for a refreshing pie, gather some blueberries for a delicious tarte, or grab some blackberries just to munch on! Select a perfectly ripe pear or compile a vibrant bouquet of zinnias, asters, sunflowers and mixed flowers. Plump pumpkins of all shapes and sizes are available in the fall, but the real stars of the show at Evans’ make their appearance later in the harvest season: apples!

The folks at Evans’ Market know how to turn an apple into just about any kind of sweet treat. And when we say they know how to make anything apple-infused, we mean they know how to do it right. From spreadable apple butter, to delectable cinnamon-tossed apple cider donuts, to fried apple pies, Evans’ has alllll the apple things. And don’t even get us started on their signature spiced apple cider (we’ll take five gallons, please). 

Check out the Evans Orchard’s Play Area for an afternoon of entertainment for everyone from the youngest toddlers to the young at heart. Complete with jumbo jumpers, swings, a pedal cart track, a tire climb, corn hole, a petting zoo, and SO MUCH MORE, this farm fun area is sure to bring out the kid in everyone. 

Consult Evans’ u-pick schedule and calendar of events in order to properly plan your visit. Evans Orchard and Market is open from 10am to 5pm Tuesday through Saturday and from 12pm to 5pm on Sunday. Evans Orchard is closed on Monday, but remains open from May to October each year.

Reid’s Orchard

An incredibly scenic hour and a half drive from Louisville, Reid’s Orchard is the small town mom-n-pop farm of our nostalgia. The orchard sits just off of the Ohio river in Owensboro, Kentucky. 

At Reid’s, fresh, homegrown produce is the passion of choice. Not only will you find the freshest and best quality fruits and vegetables the season has to offer, you will also be greeted with the smiling faces of helpful staff members that can only be found at a fifth generation family farm. 

In the summertime, you’ll find peaches, sweet corn, tomatoes, cantaloupe, watermelon, and so much more undeniably fresh produce available in the market or in the fields waiting to be picked. Seasonal picking is available from mid-May all the way until October.

Pick your own strawberries for a delicious strawberry shortcake, or snag a mellow Red Delicious, a crisp Yellow Delicious, or even a tart Jonathan among other classic apple varieties to create your take on a yummy pie. 

Reid’s Orchard plays host to a number of events and market days throughout the year, each themed for popular grows of the season- think spring flowers, succulent strawberries, juicy peaches, and crisp apples. Be sure to check out their calendar of events when planning your visit!

Reid’s Orchard is open everyday from April-December from 8am to 7pm Monday through Saturday and from 11am to 5pm on Sunday. The children’s play area, appropriately titled Reidland, is open from May-June for a few weeks then all September and October from 10am to 5pm Monday through Saturday and from 11am to 5pm on Sunday.

McGlasson Farms

McGlasson Farms is a little roadside market on the side of Route 8 in Hebron, Kentucky, which sits right along River Road about an hour and a half outside of Louisville. From July through November, this family owned and operated farm proudly offers farm grown fruits and vegetables for sale at their roadside stand. 

The long-standing farm has been around since the 1800s and has been through six generations of family farming, more than likely making it one of the oldest orchards in Kentucky! That being said, it’s important to remember when you are visiting that they only accept cash. Just part of the charm of the old-school tradition.

At McGlasson Farms, you can pick tomatoes, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, apples, and pumpkins from their fresh grown fields, depending on the season. In addition to the u-pick selections, McGlasson Farms also grows diverse crops such as eggplants, melons, and sweet potatoes. Check out their helpful harvest schedule to see what is in season!

Fresh produce aside, this roadside stand also stocks all of our favorite sticky accouterments like fruit jams, honey, and maple syrups!

McGlasson Farms is open from July to the end of November, 7 days a week. You can find them from 9am to 6pm Monday through Friday and from 9am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Stepping Stone Farm

You may have seen or heard about Reed Valley Orchard in past years, however, recently the owners have decided to retire and the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree to new owners, Stepping Stone Farm. 

Located in Paris, Kentucky, a little over an hour and a half from Louisville, Stepping Stone Farm offers seasonal u-pick options Thursday-Monday during the harvest season, which runs from June to November. Seasonal u-pick is available at Reed Valley Orchard only on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday.

Fill your baskets with sweet strawberries in May, red raspberries in June, and rich blackberries in July. If apples are more your speed, head 3 miles down the road to Reed Valley Orchard to gather a harvest of all the apple varieties you could imagine. 

Stepping Stone Farm and Reed Valley Orchard also offer a fine selection of fresh blueberries, cherries, peaches, pears, and tomatoes to be bought in their market or picked yourself. 

Grab your camera and bask in the glory of the huge sunflower field located on site. Sunflowers are typically expected in mid July and last a month or so, but are very weather dependent and Kentucky natives know how predictable THAT can be. 

Parents who are interested in completing their day of agricultural education by allowing their children to burn off more energy (and likely doing a load of laundry) can head over to the playground, where you will find two jumbo jumpers, 10-20 foot slides, a corn pit, a hay mound, and a WHOLE mountain of DIRT!

The original Stepping Stone Farm is open Thursday through Monday from 10am to 6pm. The former Reed Valley location is open Monday, Thursday, and Saturday from 9am to 5pm. 

U-Pick Farms in Southern Indiana

For many Louisvillians, it’s actually a little easier to cross the bridge to Southern Indiana for berry-picking fun than it is to stay within Kentucky lines. If you are down for a short road trip, Indiana is a beautiful sight full of rolling hills, rich farmland, and, of course, A LOT of corn fields!

Here are some of our favorite u-pick farms in Southern Indiana:

Bryant’s Blueberries 

Located across the river and about a half hour drive from downtown Louisville in Southern Indiana lies Bryant’s Blueberries. A family owned and operated farm, this local gem specializes in one thing and one thing only: blueberries!

Let’s Go Louisville founder Lia has been visiting Bryant’s for as long as she can remember. Her grandmother used to drive her up early in the morning on warm June days with a trunk full of carefully weighed and labelled buckets. She had impeccable u-pick strategy and would clean a bush with the efficiency of a machine.

These tiny blue morsels are available to be picked for you and only by you, as u-pick is the name of the game at Bryant’s. Pre-picked berries and blueberry bushes are not sold on site, and you’ll need to bring your own buckets to collect your blue bounty. Your blueberry collection container is up to you: popular choices you’ll see include empty plastic milk jugs with the top cut out, buckets lined with plastic bags, and a wide variety of takeout containers – get creative! We do suggest pre-weighing and labelling your containers so you aren’t charged for anything that isn’t a delicious, juicy blueberry.

Despite only offering blueberries, you’ll be sure to find that the farm is anything but slim pickings. The rolling fields comprising Bryant’s blueberries are home to over eight varieties of blueberries, each ripening at different speeds. The sweet, non-acidic Duke blueberry ripens at the start of the season, and the Late Blue and Coville varieties, which take on more of a tart quality, wrap up the season.

Whatever your blueberry preference may be, Bryant’s is sure to provide not only a positive picking experience, but an absolutely killer blueberry. Use your bounty to test out some of the mouth-watering recipes listed on their website, like blueberry cream pie, blueberry muffins, or blueberry coffee cake!

The best way to find out about the season’s beginning, progress, and end is through the Bryant’s Blueberries website or email list. During the summer season, Bryant’s is always closed on Sunday.

Huber’s Orchard & Winery

The winding roads leading up to Huber’s Orchard at the top of a hill in Starlight, Indiana is a peaceful, stunning journey unto itself over the 35-minute drive from Louisville. Over the years, the Huber family has grown far beyond their u-pick orchard to include 2 restaurants, a winery, and a distillery, making it a fun place to visit any time of year. 

Their u-pick schedule begins around mid-May with strawberries and continues on to December with u-cut Christmas trees. With dozens of picking options in between like the classic berry selections (think raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries) throughout the summer and a vast variety of veggies like peppers, zucchini, squash, potatoes, and tomatoes that define our summer eating palette, the possibilities for fresh, home cooked meals and treats are endless. 

Among all the fruits and veggie patches, there is also a thriving vineyard that supplies the goods for Huber’s Winery. In mid-August, you can even pick your own selection of Concord grapes! Growing varieties like Chardonnay, Malbec, and Pinot Gris, you have to do a tasting before you leave. All the wines can be purchased in the building across from the country store. 

The Starlight Distillery is the newest venture of the Huber’s brand, distilling brandy, whiskey, rum, gin, and vodka. Tours and tastings can be booked on their website. There’s so much to choose from, but a classic is the Blackberry Whiskey, a blend of bourbon and aged light whiskey incorporated with sun-ripened blackberries. What could possibly scream summer more than that?

Huber’s is constantly hosting events, so make sure you check out their calendar and check their hours (which vary by season and location) when planning your trek over the river! 

Lightning Bug Valley

Adorably named Lightning Bug Valley, located about an hour north of Louisville in Deputy, Indiana (near Scottsburg) is a pollinator haven full of stunning flowers ready to be picked and arranged into a fragrant bouquet.

The u-pick season starts in the spring with daffodils and tulips. In the summer, pick your blooms from the brightly colored wildflower field full of native wild bergamot, milkweed, cone flowers, sun flowers and asters. Add cheerful zinnias, dramatic gladiolas and dahlias, fragrant lavender, and more to create the perfect bouquet. The flower fields are also available for photographers and special occasion photoshoots!

As you stroll the fields, keep an eye out for fluttering butterflies, including swallowtails and monarchs. The farm is a certified monarch garden, and butterfly tours are available seasonally. The whimsical farm is also home to a rustic sculpture garden full of fairy favorites like snails, mushrooms and a giant gnome (his name is Gnomey and he guards the farm).

And of course, after dark, you’ll be able to meet the glittering fireflies who call this haven home on an evening lightning bug tour. Born from a magical summer evening at a child’s birthday party, it was the idea of hosting lightning bug tours that created the idea for Lightning Bug Valley. The evening tours are limited and you’ll need to pay 35 dollars in advance for a parking spot, which can include up to 6 guests (so cram that minivan full!). Included with your admission is a nature talk, water coloring in the field, photo opportunities and a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with hundreds of thousands of fireflies. (Has anyone else been dreaming about a place like this since they were kids, or just me??)

U-pick flower picking is open on Saturdays from 9-1. Most bouquets range from $12-25. Bring your own scissors or garden clippers, flower-holding container (feel free to get creative). Contact the farm to schedule an evening tour.

Knobstone Flower Farm

There’s nothing like frolicking through a field of flowers, and at Knobstone Flower Farm in Scottsburg, Indiana (about 45 minutes north of Louisville) you’ll be doing plenty of flower frolicking (and picking). In addition to taking in the stunning scenery (yes, they’re available for photoshoots) you can pick and arrange your own flower bouquets.

The organically grown flower fields are full of cosmos, zinnias, celosia, wildflowers, and other stunning perennials. Take a nature walk around the lake and stroll through the sunflower field to collect a few tall, sunny blooms. And bring home a packet of flower seeds so you can create some pollinator-friendly magic in your own backyard!

The most fun part of flower picking is arranging the perfect bouquet, and the experts at Knobstone are happy to help! Greenery to add to your bouquet is provided at no extra charge. You can bring your own vase/container or purchase one on site, and most bouquets will cost about $12-35 depending on their size.

Knobstone Flower Farm is open from July – October on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 PM to 5 PM. Admission costs $5 and must be booked in advance on Eventbrite.

Berry Best Farm 

We saved the berry best for last on this list- Berry Best Farm located in Clark County, Indiana! Located about 40 minutes north of Louisville, this family owned and operated farm has been turning out some of the berry best fruits and veggies on the other side of the river since 1975. 

A local landmark, Berry Best Farm is known for its sweet strawberries, delicious sweet corn, and juicy tomatoes. The growing season starts with amazing asparagus in April, expands to an extensive selection of tasty fruits and veggies throughout the summer, and wraps up with pumpkins and mums in October. 

Pick your own berry fresh strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. If you are not a berry big fan of fruits, you can also pick your own snap peas, snow peas, and green beans! Check out their in-season list to find out when to pick the produce of your liking. Be sure to bring your own bucket to transport your fruits and veggies back home!

With 25 acres comprising the farm, it should come as no surprise that Berry Best offers way more than amazing berries. At their produce stand, you’ll find everything from bell peppers, to cauliflower, to grapes, to herb plants, to sweet potatoes!

Come experience the bounty of the berries for yourself Monday through Saturday from 9am to 6pm or Sunday from 1pm to 5pm.

Do you have a favorite thing to pick each year (for us, it’s blueberries)? Where is your favorite u-pick farm in Kentucky? Drop us a comment below!

Before you go, be sure to check out these other posts:

• Louisville in Summer: The 25 Coolest Things To Do
• 35 Epic Pumpkin Patches in Kentucky to Visit This Fall
• The 15 Best Apple Orchards in Kentucky (& Southern Indiana)

FOLLOW US

• TikTok

FOLLOW US

• TikTok

Psst: Did you find this post informative? Save it for later on Pinterest!