Strawberry Picking In North Carolina, 24 Farms To Go Picking

Are you looking to go strawberry picking in North Carolina? This family fun adventure is something we take our kids to every spring here in North Carolina.

This kid-friendly activity is a great way to meet local farmers and get lots of the freshest possible strawberries. Whether you freeze, preserve, or can your berries, you can use them to make a wide variety of tasty treats.

North Carolina offers a large selection of strawberry picking opportunities. The state is home to hundreds of farms offering pick-your-own or pre-picked berries. Take advantage of the season by visiting one or more of these great farms.

Two of the standout farms on our list are Carrigan Farms and Lewis Nursery and Farms.

Carrigan Farms offers a variety of lifeguard-monitored swimming activities, perfect after a hot day of berry picking.

Lewis Nursery and Farms offers strawberry picking in the winter as well as the spring.

Below we list some of the best strawberry picking farms in North Carolina along with their address, contact details, their website and any social media profiles they may have. Many u-pick farms keep their Facebook page up to date with their current open and close times.

Before going to any of these strawberry picking farms, be sure to contact the farm to make sure they are currently open. Strawberry picking season in North Carolina usually starts in April and ends around June. This season start and end dates will vary with each year but you can expect to be picking strawberries around these months.

Read on for our list of some of the best strawberry picking farms in North Carolina.

Find The Best Strawberry Picking Farms In North Carolina

Barry’s Strawberry Farm

Customers of Barry’s Strawberry farm leave rave reviews saying the berries are the sweetest, tastiest, and most flavorful you can imagine. 

Barry’s Strawberry Farm is open Monday through Saturday from 8 am to 7 pm and Sunday from 1 pm to 7 pm. If you don’t want to harvest your berries yourself, they can do it for you! With no bruises, stains, or stems, they are delicious and perfect every time. Just reach out to them and tell them your desired pick-up time, and you’re good to go.

  • Address: 4047 Cox Mill Road Sanford NC 27332
  • Phone: (919) 258-3606
  • Social Media: Facebook

Bernie’s Berries

Bernie’s Berries is part of the Kenan Farm, which has been family owned and operated for nearly 60 years. Previously a tobacco farm, the Kenans grew their first strawberry crop in 1983. They enjoyed such success in the following years that they transitioned into a strawberry farm in 2004.

Get a taste of the country and enjoy a breezy ride on a berry cart to and from your picking row, or drive up and buy berries conveniently off the table. They also have fresh produce, including blueberries, peaches, summer squash, tomatoes, leaf lettuce, beets, collards, and more.

Bernie’s Berries offers u-pick, we-pick, and pre-pick options. Just call ahead with your preference!

Buckwheat Farm

If you’re looking for a fun and educational field trip that your kids will love, look no further than the Buckwheat Farm. They offer field trips for groups of all ages, including preschools, daycares, senior organizations, businesses, and clubs. They’ll work with you to plan an experience that fits your needs and interests.

Visit in the spring for strawberry picking or in the fall for honey, beehives, and a pumpkin maze for kids. They also have horses, goats, and peacocks for you to see and shaded picnic tables for lunch or snack time.

Carrigan Farms

A 5th generation family-owned farm for over 100 years, Carrigan Farms offers more than just strawberry picking: they also have pumpkin picking, apple picking, and sunflower fields. This farm is a popular venue for weddings, Christmas parties, or company picnics. Visit in October to explore their 275-acre Haunted Trail!

Fancy a swim after picking your berries? Jump in the quarry to cool off or sign up for an aquatics class! Certified lifeguards are on duty, and life jackets are available for kids. If you love swimming as much as berry picking, Carrigan Farms is the best choice for you.

Country Road Strawberries

Country Road Strawberries is dedicated to ensuring its customers get the freshest, highest-quality berries around. Their plants and rows are replaced yearly to make sure the berries are as large and juicy as possible.

Family-owned and operated, County Road Strawberries serves customers at their patch Monday-Saturday from 8 am to 6 pm. Their berries are picked fresh at three intervals throughout the day, typically in the morning while the berries are cool, before lunch, and in the afternoon.

Darnell Farms

Located along the banks of the Tuckasegee River, Darnell Farms is a family-owned 100-acre farm specializing in strawberries, pole beans, sweet corn, pumpkins, squash, and a variety of tomatoes. They offer educational field trips about farm life, proper stewardship of the land, and the history of the neighboring Cherokee Nation. 

They also offer hayrides and host special events throughout the year.  Check out their events calendar to reserve a spot for their Strawberry Jam each May. 

DJ’s Berry Patch

Going to a farm makes us feel like we’re five years old again: picking strawberries, chasing chickens, and running through the fields in search of adventure.

That’s what DJ’s Berry Patch is all about: creating an atmosphere where families can enjoy each other and create memories!

The farm offers two strawberry varieties: Sweet Charlie is a large, firm berry with a good balance of sweet and tart. Camarosa, a blood-red berry that is hard to beat in pies, shortcakes, and frozen treats.

They offer pre-picked and pick-your-own services. And don’t forget—they’re not just a strawberry farm! They also host pumpkin patch events throughout the season.

Eno River Farm

Eno River Farm is a family-oriented business focused on community well-being, unyielding integrity, and an honest work ethic. Eno River Farm is open all year long with activities for strawberry season, blueberry season, blackberry season, and mum season. They offer u-pick and pre-picked strawberries.

If you want to enjoy some of the most delicious ice cream you’ve ever had, check out their on-site ice cream parlor! They have homemade ice cream made daily with freshly picked berries.

Freedom House Farm

If you’d like your family outing to support a good cause, consider visiting Freedom House Farm. Freedom House Farm is a Christain charity organization that has been helping mothers recover from drug addiction since 2005. 

They believe that a mother’s healing journey begins with her family. They provide a safe place for mothers and their families to come together and work through the challenges of addiction. 

The money Freedom House makes from its strawberry crop is used to support its recovery program. They offer u-pick and pre-picked berries.

Garner Farms Produce

For over 30 years, Garner Farms has been providing quality products at reasonable prices. They specialize in strawberries, sweet corn, and bogue sound watermelons, but they carry a variety of other produce too. 

After you’re done in their u-pick strawberry patch, visit their on-site Garden Patch Kitchen for a selection of freshly made bread, cakes, pies, jams, jellies, and more. Come in the fall for their u-pick pumpkin patch and corn maze!

Gary Thomas Farms

Gary Thomas Farms began as a sole proprietorship in 1973. Since then, the farm has grown from a small family-run operation to a full-fledged agricultural business with seven cash crops, a produce farm, 19 greenhouses, and a six-house egg-laying hatchery. Their main crops are tobacco, hemp, wheat, corn, soybeans, sunflowers, and sweet potatoes.

The 4.5 acre produce farm usually operates from April through July of each year and offers you-pick and we-pick strawberry options.

Kildee Farm

Kildee Farms grows vegetables, corn, flowers, and, of course, strawberries! Owner Michael Beal plants more than two and a half acres of strawberries in his family’s fields each season. 

Kildee Farm does not use any chemicals because they believe natural growing practices are best for the environment and for customer health. They also prefer not to use pesticides because they kill beneficial insects and pollinators like bees—and because they can negatively affect the taste of food!

  • Address: 936 Kildee Church Rd Ramseur NC 27316
  • Phone: (919) 742-5102
  • Social Media: Facebook | Instagram

Lewis Nursery and Farms

Lewis Nursery and Farms is a third-generation family strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, and raspberry farm. Unlike the other farms on this list, Lewis Nursery and Farms uses tunnel-growing techniques to produce strawberries in the winter as well as the spring. 

They have two seasonal retail markets that offer delicious homemade ice cream, pre-picked berries, jams, honey, and baked goods. Their plant shop is filled with perennials, annuals, herbs, ferns, vegetable plants, and hanging baskets.

Visit their Castle Hayne location for u-pick strawberries, blueberries, or blackberries, depending on the season.

  • Address: 3500 NC Hwy 133 Rocky Point NC 28457
  • Phone: (910) 675-2394
  • Website: lewisfarms.com
  • Social Media: Facebook

Lineberger’s Farm

This farm has been in the Lineberger family since 1928, just before the Great Depression. They specialize in strawberries, blackberries, peaches, and pumpkins and offer pick-your-own harvests for berries, sunflowers, muscadines, and greens. Field trips and homeschool days are available to give kids hands-on lessons about farming. 

Do you want some fall fun? Visit in autumn and enjoy an old-fashioned hayride! Afterwards, enjoy a tranquil lunch at their picnic shelter.

McAdams Farm

You’ll find a rich farming tradition at McAdams Farm, where the fourth and fifth generations are still working their family’s land. They grow strawberries (u-pick or we-pick), vegetables, and flowers. They also raise sheep and cattle.

The farm stand is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons from 2 pm to 6 pm for fresh vegetables and fruits, cut flowers, Angus beef, and Katahdin lamb.

If you love taking photos, this farm is ideal for you! It has magical, flowery scenery, especially at sunset!

Pace Family Farms

Pace Family Farm is a sustainable agriculture farm that offers not just strawberries but also a range of vegetables and meats, including pork and beef. They use integrated pest management techniques to minimize their use of pesticides and are proud of their Community Supported Agriculture program.

They offer pre-picked and u-pick strawberries and will even supply buckets for your convenience, though you can bring your own bucket if you want. Just make sure it’s clean!

Want a professional portrait with a scenic background? Photography services are available by reservation, so submit your request in advance!

Page Farms of Raleigh

A 100 acre family farm with a 100 year history, the Page farm is perfect for your child’s next field trip! They offer strawberry picking in the spring, pumpkin picking in the fall, lessons about farm work, visits with farm animals, hayrides, and a picnic play area.

Admission is $12 per person, but two teachers per classroom of 20 students are admitted for free. Buses are welcome and suggested, though there is plenty of parking available.

Osage Farms

Are you looking for a place to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature? Osage Farm, sheltered in the Rabun Gap Valley in Northeast Georgia (just a few miles south of the NC border) is the place to visit! The mountains are so close you can feel their majesty right in front of your eyes. 

Their vegetable market is open every day in May through October (visit in May for strawberries!) and features family heirloom and hybrid strains you won’t find anywhere else. End your day with dinner at Tomlin’s Bar-B-Que just next door! 

  • Address: 5030 US-441 Dillard GA 30537
  • Phone: (706) 746-7262
  • Website: osagefarm.com
  • Social Media: Facebook

Patterson Farm Market & Tours

Patterson Farm has been growing fresh produce since 1919. Today, they are proud of their sustainable agriculture practices, H2A Program, and Gold Star Farm certification. They have even supplied school cafeterias across the state with fresh, locally grown strawberries and tomatoes since 1997.

Visit in season to pick your own strawberries or, if you don’t feel like going out in the sun, browse their online shop for a variety of other produce.

Porter Farms and Nursery

Porter Farms and Nursery offers organic strawberries, produce, and pumpkins—and homemade ice cream too! Their produce is picked at its peak to ensure your family tastes mouth watering fruits and vegetables how they were meant to taste. Other places give top priority to shelf life, but not Porter Farms! Their motto is “ripe here, ripe now.”

They have u-pick and pre-picked strawberry options available.

Smith’s Nursery and Farm Market

With a plant nursery, full-scale garden center, roadside produce stand, and farmer’s market, Smith’s has it all! Their educational field trips come in guided, self-guided, and even virtual varieties, with strawberry or pumpkin picking included, depending on the season. So whether you’re looking for quiet time with friends or a chance to let loose with your family, they’ve got you covered.

Stop by their ice cream and coffee shack when you need a sweet treat! They offer Maple View Dairy Ice Cream products, including milkshakes, slushies, and hot or iced coffee.

Strawberries on 903

Strawberries on 903 is a great place to visit, whether you’re looking for strawberries or something else.

Not only do they have an amazing selection of delicious strawberries, but they also have a wide range of vegetable products and farm fresh eggs – perfect for breakfast! If you’d like to bring home some flowers and plants for your loved ones, their staff will help you create a unique arrangement. You can even visit the field and cut your own flowers when in season!

Jones Strawberry Farm

Jones Strawberry Farm is happy to welcome visitors each spring! Their farm has provided their community with some of the sweetest and best-tasting strawberries around since 2008.

Their berries are ready for harvest beginning late April through early June. You can purchase them by the gallon or pick your own. Jones Strawberry Farm doesn’t use herbicides or insecticides on their plants. They plant plugs each fall to maximize fruit production and naturally resist weeds and pests. Jones Strawberry Farm plants on plastic culture to help control weeds and ensure their berries are grown safely in a healthy environment.

Visit in the fall and get lost in their five acre corn maze! You can view each year’s maze design on their website.

Whitaker Farms & Greenhouses

Looking for a fun and educational activity for your students? Take them to Whitaker Farms! 

Students will learn how to grow fresh strawberries and pick the best ones to take home. They will also take a wagon ride through the farm and meet the other “kids” – fainting goats!

Their most popular tour is their Fall Pumpkin Patch Tour where students learn the life cycle of a pumpkin and select their own pumpkin from Whitaker’s patch. This tour also includes a wagon ride and ends with a petting zoo full of cute farm animals!

  • Address: 2991 Providence Church Rd Climax NC 27233
  • Phone: (336) 685-4888
  • Website: whitakerfarm.com
  • Social Media: Facebook

Do You Get Dirty Picking Strawberries?

Strawberry picking can be very messy! The berries grow low to the ground, so you’ll have to kneel in the dirt or mud to pick them. Dress for hot, sunny weather in clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty and bring a change of clothes for afterwards.

Strawberry picking is a great way to get some exercise, so expect to work up a sweat. If you’re worried about staying healthy, this is one of the best ways to get your steps in for the day.

It can get pretty gross out there in the fields, so here are some tips to help you stay clean while picking those delicious berries!

  • Don’t wear your favorite clothes! You’ll probably get them dirty. Avoid clothes that could easily stain or tear.
  • Leave a set of spare clothes and shoes in your car so that when you come back from the fields you can wash up and change before heading home or back to work. If there aren’t any bathrooms nearby, have some wet wipes on hand to clean yourself (or your little ones!) before driving home.
  • Try to pick strawberries on an overcast day when it’s not too hot outside.
  • Bring water bottles or paper cups to wash your hands between strawberry patches. This will prevent dirt from getting on other berries and ensure that you don’t transfer any bacteria from one patch to another—which could carry disease.
  • Bring bug spray! Biting insects like mosquitoes love the low areas around strawberry plants
  • Wear sunscreen! Even on cloudy days, you’ll get a lot of sun in a strawberry patch. 

When Can You Pick Strawberries in North Carolina?

North Carolina’s picking season for strawberries begins in April and ends around late May/Early June. The best picking is mid-May. Some growers, like Lewis Nursery and Farms have a second harvest in the winter, but this is unusual. Most growers let you pick strawberries yourself throughout the season.

Here are some things you should know about strawberries before you head out:

  • Strawberries are fragile; they bruise easily and don’t keep well, so take care of them when transporting them home.
  • Strawberry fields are only open seasonally for picking so be sure you call ahead before heading out there with your basket in tow!
  • Strawberries are not always red. They can also be white, green, or yellow! Check with your farm of choice to see what varieties are being grown.
  • Strawberries are best eaten or processed fresh from the plant. If you’re going to freeze, dry, or can them, do so while they’re still as fresh as possible.

Final Thoughts On Picking Strawberries In North Carolina

So there you have it! This strawberry farm list should have everything you need to find the perfect farm for your berry-picking excursion.

Whether you’re picking strawberries with your children, friends, or loved ones on a huge farm or a tiny patch, the experience is fun and relaxing. It’s not just about berry picking; it’s about spending time with your family, enjoying something you love doing together, and making memories that will last forever.

Thanks for sharing!

Photo of author

Derek Ray

Growing up our family would grow our own fruits and vegetables. I loved planting seeds and watching them grow into something we could actually eat. We lived in Washington State and had a large apple tree. If you know of Washington apple trees, you know how many apples those trees can produce. Every year we had tons of apples. Apples for apple pie, apple deserts and apple butter. Now with 5 kids, I want my kids to grow up enjoying u-pick farms and picking fresh fruits and vegetables.

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