Blueberry Hill
Those searching for a slice of idyllic countryside harvesting should look to Blueberry Hill. This picturesque Glenmont farm provides organic u-picking of one specialty fruit: blueberries. The female-owned, 15-plus-acre farm is open daily for picking during the summer blueberry season, which usually begins in late June and lasts till the berries have all been plucked. Be prepared to bake blueberry muffins, blueberry pies and blueberry cobbler — you can fill a whole bucket with the sweet berries. Don’t forget to visit the spot’s beautiful garden, filled with black-eyed Susans, zinnias and more, before bringing home your bounty. 23038 Gessling Road, Glenmont, 740-599-5050, facebook.com/blueberryhillfamilyfarms
Moreland Fruit Farm
Take your family to a nostalgic local u-pick: Moreland Fruit Farm. This 100-acre fruit and vegetable farm offers pick-your-own strawberries in June, followed by blueberries and black raspberries. In July and August, pick blackberries and grapes. In the fall, pick apples and pumpkins, and enjoy activities such as horse-drawn wagon rides to the pumpkin patch. (Moreland uses horses to plow its fields instead of machinery.) Stop into the farm market to buy hanging baskets, jams and more, or visit the 7,000 square-foot greenhouse to take home annuals or perennials. Kids will love the opportunity to feed and pet animals, including donkeys, goats and ponies, in the farm’s barnyard. 1558 W. Moreland Road, Wooster, 330-264-8735, visitamishcountry.com
Rittman Orchards & Farm Market
Pluck fresh fruit and flowers at this second-generation-owned farm. Gather fresh strawberries (from early June to early July), blueberries (from mid-June to early August) and flowers (from mid-summer to early fall) from Rittman Orchards & Farm Market. It begins its season with asparagus in May and ends with apples, then pumpkins, in October. Rittman also offers several camps, including the annual Camp Orchard, at which kids ages 7 to 12 can learn how to plant, care for and harvest produce on the property. Shop at the on-site farm market to take home more produce — or, from December to January, order an apple box. Plus, Rittman’s sister business, Bent Ladder, offers farm-to-glass hard ciders and wine at the orchards. 13548 Mount Eaton Road, Doylestown, 330-925-4152, rittmanorchards.com
