Pensacola-area U-Pick fruit farms: Blueberries, peaches and grapes galore this summer (2024)

Editor's Note: This story has been updated to correctly identify the county Hillcrest Farm is located in.

School is out in Escambia and Santa Rosa County public schools, and there’s nothing that screams summer like U-Pick fruit picking on the farm.

It's a child’s shriek of joy while discovering a cluster of perfectly ripe blueberries off the bush that keeps many of the farm operator's spirits high, even in the hottest summer months. While the clock is ticking for places to score fresh fruit from the farm, there are still plenty of places within an hour's drive of Pensacola where the harvest is bountiful.

Peaches are on their tail-end, while blueberries have several more weeks to go. Hot on their tail will be grapes, which farmers will open up U-Pick for in August.

If you don’t feel like picking and would rather skip to purchasing, we also have a few Pensacola area farmers markets at the bottom of this list where you can find a wide variety of regional produce to satisfy that farm-to-table feel.

Where to find U-Pick fruit farms in the Pensacola area this summer

The Peach Farm

7003 Pine Forest Road, McDavid

If you’re looking for sweet, farm fresh peaches, the clock is ticking, as The Peach Farm will likely be wrapping up June 16. If you take the drive out into the countryside, look for the handwritten posterboard directing you out to the farm.

The Peach Farm has a bounty of peaches spanning 10 acres and about 22 rows of ripe, juicy peaches. Peach Farm employee Kim Clarke has witnessed the hard work invested into what is now a serene orchard, since her brother planted about 2,000 trees by hand about seven years ago. But even though the orchard is tiring to maintain it, like the pruning process that begins in March, it’s all worth it in when she watches visitors leave their worries at the front gate. This year’s harvest was particularly plentiful.

“We have been blessed. We don’t have an irrigation system, we have depended on the good Lord above for water,” Clarke said.

While the peaches are still packed on the trees, Clarke said the season will likely only run through the weekend of June 16, since the number of pickers is starting to slow down. Clarke is encouraging pickers to come out and get the peaches while they’re plump. She said her customers return with stories of making peach butters, habanero salsas, jams and cobblers. Some of the best ways to tell if a peach is perfect for picking is the size (nice and large), the texture (give it a squeeze,) the color (redder than orange) and the smell.

“I know this sounds crazy, but the smell,” Clarke said. “If it smells like a peach, it’s a peach.”

The Peach Farm is open from 2-6 p.m. on Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 2-6 p.m. on Sunday.

More updates and information can be found on The Peach Farm Facebook page.

Blue Basket Farms

8655 Highway 89, Milton

Milton’s family-friendly U-Pick farm, Blue Basket Farms, will have blueberries for picking for another three weeks. The event page on the farm’s website provides insight on discounts and specials for the farm's remaining weeks.

Starting June 7, U-Pick prices drop to $3 per pound. Blue Basket accepts cash, check and card. While you’re there, you can also pick fresh sunflowers, which will be in bloom throughout the month of June. They will also have fresh honey available for $11 for a small container and $18 for a quart.

Blue Basket Farms is open (weather permitting) 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, 7 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday through Saturday and closed on every other Sunday in June. The farm will be open from 3-7 p.m. on June 16 and 30. More updates and information can be found on the Blue Basket Farms Facebook page.

TouchaBlue Berry Farm

7100 Molino Road

TouchaBlue Berry Farm has about three more weeks left of their blueberry picking season, with muscadine grapes available for picking in August and September.

Blueberries are $3 per pound or $6 for a pre-picked container. While you’re there, TouchaBlue is offering corn for $1 an ear or 6 for $5, tomatoes for $1.50 per pound and watermelons for $10.

The farm is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. The farm can be reached at 850-587-5072. More updates and information can be found on the TouchaBlue Berry Farm Facebook page.

4876 White Ash Road

The faded blueberry sign off Highway 97 will lead you to Leon Godwin’s family farm at 4876 White Ash Road. You’re greeted by a sign that beckons you to honk for service, where Godwin will surface, offering you your choice of potatoes, farm fresh eggs or a bucket to pick his acre-long patch of blueberries for only $1.75 per pound.

Godwin’s harvest is plentiful with rows and rows of tall blueberry bushes to get lost in, and anticipates he still has about three weeks left in the season. If you don’t have the time to pick, you can pick up a pint for $3.25. Godwin’s favorite way to enjoy them is blended up with a half-gallon of Blue Bell ice cream.

Blueberry Lane Farm

3450 N. U.S. Highway 29, Cantonment

Blueberry Lane Farm is “loaded with berries” this year, according to Pennye Lane, owner of Blueberry Lane Farm. The blueberries are coming later than usual this year, which means more time for summertime picking. The farm’s first U-Pick of the season will be Saturday, June 8 and will run about three to four weeks.

The farm is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays or by appointment if you call ahead. Blueberries are sold by the bucket for $15 each, or you can order a pre-picked gallon bag for $30 or a $4 smaller container which can be ordered anytime by messaging, calling, or texting. They accept Apple Pay, Venmo, cash and check. While you’re there, you can also pick up a carton of fresh farm eggs. Everything is grown without using any pesticides.

For orders, contact Lane at the farm at 850-748-7352. For more updates and information, follow Blueberry Lane Farm on Facebook.

Hillcrest Farm

30497 Hixson Road, Elberta, Alabama

In nearby Baldwin County, Alabama - Hillcrest Farm has reaped a bountiful crop of blueberries this year. They should be available for picking through the first or second week of July. U-pick is available Thursday through Monday during the season, with berries available at $3.50 per pound, with pre-picked berries available as well at $5.50 per pound.

If you opt to pick your own, bring a reusable, non-disposable container to take into the field. Also, bring a small bucket or container for small children to pick into, per the Hillcrest Farm Facebook page. Buckets with plastic liners are provided for adults. The farm accepts cash or check. Once blueberry season wraps up, they will have muscadine and scuppernong grapes for picking in August.

Days and hours of operation are regularly updated on the farm's Google and Facebook page. For more updates and information, follow Hillcrest Farm on Facebook.

Where else can I find locally grown produce?

If you don’t want to be out on the land doing the picking, there are several local markets that will do the sourcing for you, ensuring you have the fresh farm-to-table produce possible.

The Farm

6404 Mobile Highway

Where can you go for fresh produce, local meats and the feel of a neighborhood market? The Farm.

This local market, located in the Bellview area, has been around since 2012. However, it was originally established in 1987 as Flora Bama Farms.

Head to the website and you’ll find a catalog of items like handpicked produce boxes, nostalgic sodas, boiled peanuts and more.

Right now, you can expect to see in-season watermelons, cucumbers, Chilton County peaches, corn, sweet onions, blueberries, red potatoes, tomatoes, Lost Boys mushrooms, jalapenos, and cabbage.

Don’t forget about their Green Bucket Sunday special, which allows you to fill up a bucket with four pounds of produce for only $6. The Farm is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday to Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Bailey's Produce and Nursery

4301 N. Davis Highway

Bailey’s Produce has served the Pensacola community for over 80 years, and it has certainly grown since its first iteration as a curbside market on Palafox Street. Today, it’s a farmers market that offers seasonal vegetables and fruits year-round and a nursery for native and exotic plants.

You can expect to find goods like yellow meat sugar babies, red sugar babies (both large and small), white corn, Chilton County Ruby Prince Peaches, white corn, fresh okra, cantaloupe and fresh beans and peas. Bailey’s is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday to Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

Wendt Farm and Nursery

5191 Chumuckla Highway, Pace

The Wendt Farm and Nursery has served the Santa Rosa County community for 35 years. It’s a seasonal market offering goods such as sweet corn pulled fresh from the farm daily, peas, butterbeans, tomatoes, cantaloupe and watermelon.

For more updates and information on what produce is available and what’s coming, follow the Wendt Farm and Nursery Facebook page. The farm is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.

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