Los Angeles is best known as the home of movies, paparazzi, high-quality retail, and entertaining nightlife. However, most people fail to realize that Los Angeles is actually a great place to pick fruit too.
Thanks to the city’s Mediterranean-like climate, an abundance of fruit grows all year round. As a result, there is a huge range of different farms based in and around the city that grow produce all year round.
This includes apples, strawberries, pumpkins, blackberries, melon, and seasonal vegetables. Luckily for us, a lot of these farms offer pick-your-own experiences.
Pick-your-own experiences give you the chance to enjoy the great outdoors, pick fruit and vegetables, and have fun with your family.
If that sounds good to you, you’ve come to the right place! In this article, we’re going to show you the 12 best fruit-picking farms in and near L.A. If you want a fun experience, keep reading!
Why Should You Visit A Fruit Picking Farm In Los Angeles?
Let’s first look at why you should visit a fruit-picking farm in L.A. The answer to this question is very easy. In fact, the real question should be why wouldn’t you visit a fruit-picking farm in Los Angeles?
Not only does this give people the guarantee that the fruit and vegetables they pick are 100% fresh, but it also lets you pick the best of the bunch.
On top of that, it’s widely accepted that fruit picked from fruit farms is of better quality than what we buy in-store.
This is mostly down to its freshness. Visiting a fruit-picking farm isn’t just about the fruit and vegetables either.
Fruit-picking farms also offer plenty of entertainment for the whole family. This can include themed events, parties, funfairs, and live music.
Finally, fruit-picking farms also offer an escape from the city as they are usually found in lush natural landscapes with epic views.
What Fruits And Vegetables Can You Pick In Los Angeles?
So, what types of fruits and vegetables can you expect to pick in Los Angeles?
In truth, this can vary massively from farm to farm, so we will look at what each farm offers in more detail, however, there are certain fruits and vegetables we can expect to find.
We’ve listed the most common fruits and vegetables that can be picked in Los Angeles below!
Strawberries
Apples
Pears
Blackberries
Apricots
Grapes
Oranges
Broccoli
Brussel sprouts
Carrots
Corn
Green Beans
Melons
Potatoes
Peaches
Pumpkins
Tomatoes
The 12 Best Fruit Picking Farms In Los Angeles
Now you know more about the Los Angeles fruit-picking scene, it’s time to start looking at the best fruit farms the city has to offer.
We’re going to show you 12 farms in and around Los Angeles that offer some form of fruit picking.
No matter what experience you’re looking for, you’ll find what you’re after here. Let’s start with Underwood Family Farms.
Address: 3370 Sunset Valley Rd, Moorpark, CA 93021
Underwood Family Farms is easily one of the best fruit-picking farms in Los Angeles.
If you live in California, you may already know about this farm as it is known for producing some of the freshest and best locally grown fruit in the whole of the state.
This farm has two locations, one in Moorpark and one in Somis. Both have farm centers that offer fruit-picking opportunities throughout the year. The farm also runs a Farmer’s Market in Ventura and L.A.
Underwood Family Farms offers birthday parties, pick-your-own produce, school tours, gift baskets, and various seasonal events. The fruits and vegetables you can pick will change throughout the year.
Some popular fruits and vegetables you can pick include strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and pumpkins.
If you’re not too fussed about entertainment and events, you could visit the Tapia Brothers in Encino.
This is a no-nonsense fruit and vegetable market that gives you the chance to pick fresh and seasonal fruits and vegetables.
This is a great place to visit if you simply want to pick your own fruit and vegetables quickly. The Tapia Brothers is a food service company that has numerous locations across America.
However, in Los Angeles, the company runs an open-air fruit and vegetable market.
At this market, you can choose and pick a huge range of fresh fruits and vegetables. This includes cherries, oranges, grapefruit, cauliflower, eggplant, and so much more.
Address: Ortega Hwy, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
South Coast Farms was founded in 1996 by Farmer George. Ever since the farm has been dedicated to growing the freshest and most organic fruit and vegetables possible.
The farm delivers its fruit and vegetables all over the city.
However, one of the farm’s most popular things is its fruit-picking opportunities. Operating in two Orange County locations, visitors can choose from a wide range of seasonal fruits and vegetables (Also check out Farmers Markets In Orange County).
If you’re planning a fruit-picking trip for your family but you’re more focused on enjoying the great outdoors, we recommend visiting Orcutt Ranch.
Orcutt Ranch is a large park that offers guests the chance to explore multiple gardens, cliff views, and lush greenery.
This is a great place to enjoy some fresh air, walk with your family, and take part in seasonal events.
Every year, this center also runs a fruit-picking event. During this event, guests can explore the orchards, picking oranges and grapefruit as they go.
This may not be the best fruit-picking farm for fruit versatility, but it’s certainly one of the best for entertainment.
Address: 11993 South, Oak Glen Rd, Yucaipa, CA 92399
The next Los Angeles fruit-picking farm on our list is Stone Pantry Orchard. This is a rustic family-friendly farm that features fruit orchards and fresh vegetable picking (see also: 8 Best Fruit Picking Farms In Houston, TX)fields.
Some of the most popular fruits picked here include apples, wild blackberries, and pears.
At the right time of year, you can also pick pumpkins. Picking fruit and vegetables isn’t the only thing Stone Pantry Orchard has to offer.
This farm also runs daily events and activities. One activity you might enjoy is pressing the apples you picked into cider.
This is definitely a farm the whole family will enjoy.
Tanaka Farms is a well-known Californian farm best known for its famous strawberries. The strawberries here are sweet, rich, vibrant, and juicy. What’s not to like?
At Tanaka Farms, visitors can take part in daily strawberry-picking tours. During the tour, you’ll learn all about the farming methods used to grow strawberries and more about the farm’s history.
This makes the farm a solid option for anyone that wants to learn more about how it all works. Aside from picking strawberries, visitors are also given the opportunity to pick seasonal vegetables.
You’ll leave the tour with a pound of the most amazing strawberries.
For children, this farm also has a barnyard exhibit full of cute barnyard animals for children to play with.
The farm encourages families to venture out into the great outdoors to enjoy a fun day of strawberry picking and nature.
The farm has been operating as a strawberry-picking farm for more than 10 years so they know what they’re doing. What makes this farm so special is the varieties of strawberries they grow.
The farm offers a wide variety of strawberries, all of which are sweet, crisp, fresh, vibrant, and juicy.
Address: 6989 Elizabeth Lake Rd, Leona Valley, CA 93551
The next Los Angeles fruit-picking farm we have for you is Villa Del Sol. Villa Del Sol is a charming 25-acre cherry farm owned by the Shafer family.
The farm first opened in 1999. You can find the farm at the intersection of Godde Hill Road and Elizabeth Lake Road, approximately an hour outside the city.
The cherry-picking season here usually starts at the end of May and runs through early July. That gives you a short space of time to pick fresh cherries from the farm(see also: Best Cherry Picking Los Angeles – 5 Must-Visit Farms).
You will have to time your visit right though as the cherry trees only produce fruit once a year.
Address: 39300 Bouquet Canyon Rd Leona Valley, CA 93551
Cherry Hill Farm is a smaller cherry farm that’s better suited to families. Just 7.5 acres in size, you and your children can easily explore the farm, picking fresh cherries as you go.
The farm prides itself on growing cherries organically, so you can expect some of the best cherries you’ve ever tried.
As you would expect, that means Cherry Hill Farm’s cherries have been grown with no herbicides or pesticides. There’s not much else to say about this farm.
It simply offers an entertaining environment for families to pick cherries.
Los Rios Rancho is a popular family-run farm that specializes in heirloom apple growing and historic events. The family works hard to create a relaxed, family-friendly environment that can be enjoyed by everyone.
Throughout the year, Los Rios Rancho offers seasonal events and festivities, as well as a range of fruit-picking opportunities. You can pick apples, pumpkins, strawberries, raspberries, and more.
You can even press your own cider here or host your own event. The possibilities are truly endless.
Another family-run farm you might want to visit is Snow-Line Orchard. Found on Oak Glen Road, Snow-Line Orchard is a better farm to visit if you don’t have children.
Whilst the farm is still set up for visiting families, it has a number of attractions that better suit adults.
This includes a winery and cidery where you can make and sample wine and cider made from the fruits grown on the farm.
The perfect experience at this farm would start with a wine-tasting or cider-tasting class before you head out into the fields to pick raspberries, apples, and more.
The setting this farm sits in is lovely too. You’ll find the farm amongst a charming natural landscape, ancient oak trees, a historic cider mill, and an original packing shed.
Final Thoughts
Despite being better known for other things, Los Angeles has a popular fruit-picking scene that gives locals and tourists the chance to pick the very best locally grown fruit and vegetables.
As you can see from our list, the best fruit-picking farms in and around Los Angeles offer a huge range of different fruits and vegetables.
In this article, we showed you 12 of the best fruit-picking farms Los Angeles has to offer.
Each farm has something unique to offer, whether it be different fruits to pick, different activities, or simply a different setting.
With that in mind, it’s now down to you to decide which farm you want to visit first. If you live in Los Angeles or plan to stay there for a while, there’s no reason you couldn’t visit more than one of the farms on our list.
Hi, my name is Amelia Haslehurt and I am a food blogger. As you can guess, I am passionate about what I eat, but what is most important to me when reviewing is high quality, fresh, organic, delicious ingredients.
I wanted to create an online space where others could sample some of my favorite recipes, and share in my passion for home-grown produce.
Whether you are looking for vegan recipes, easy recipes, healthy recipes or your favorite yummy snacks to brighten your day, I can help you out here at LocallyGrownGardens.com
