Heading to a local farm to pick your own produce and flowers is a wonderful way to get outside and enjoy nature’s bounty. 

In Lake, Sumter and Marion Counties, you’ll find a slew of u-pick farms offering a variety of crops all year. These include blueberries, strawberries, tangerines, peaches, pumpkins, vegetables, sunflowers, zinnias and more. In addition to picking up your favorite fruits and veggies, you can enjoy a wealth of farm activities, such as hayrides, corn mazes, lawn games, jumping pillows, carnival games and other fun things.

U-pick farms not only provide the opportunity to get delicious, farm-grown food but also offer opportunities — especially for children — to learn where our food comes from and who cultivates the crops.

“I think it’s just a good way for the kids to have some outdoor exploration and learn about where their food comes from,” says Haley Scott, retail manager at Great Scott Farms in Mount Dora. “Sometimes these kids think it comes from the grocery store… People just want to get outside, get hands-on, and grow their own food. So it’s a step in that direction when they come out and pick their own.”

Clermont resident Jim Briggs has visited many u-pick farms over the years, including Blueberry Hill, an organic family-owned 105-acre farm located at 5000 Berry Groves Road in Clermont, near his home. Blueberry Hill specializes in growing organic blueberries and sunflowers, among other crops.

Jim says he enjoys u-pick farms, especially for blueberries, but notes that prices for the sweet blue fruit have gone up over the years. He says higher prices at u-picks, however, may still be worth it since freshness is what matters most.

He adds that most u-picks also allow commercial picking, so it’s good to check the scheduling with specific farms, because it may be sparse picking for u-pickers at times.

“A well-run farm is a pleasure to visit, and you know the product is very fresh and grown safely, even if the cost is slightly higher than at the box store,” Jim says. “If the farmer knows how to satisfy the customer, picking is enjoyable.”

He usually picks a good amount of blueberries each time. 

“I used to pick four or five pounds,” Jim says. “I would clean them and put them in the deep freeze then have a handful every morning on my cereal. They are very good for your health.”

Caraline Jones, marketing manager for Cherrylake, a farm in Groveland, says u-picks offer ways to explore local farming roots.  

David Hill agreed. He and his wife, Lisa, own Southern Hill Farms in Clermont. 

“I go around and give people (tractor) rides and I talk to them. You know, they love to meet the owner and the farmer, and they like to get to know about the food, who’s growing it, how It grows and stuff. It’s nice,” he says. 

Hill clearly enjoys interacting with u-pickers, but he depends on commercial picking. Fruit would go to waste if Southern Hill Farms only catered to individuals. 

“You can’t u-pick 40 acres of blueberries, that’s just too many. You wouldn’t be able to pick them fast enough as they ripen throughout the season; they’d just go bad,” he says.

Picking your own fruit ensures freshness, but there’s an added benefit to visiting local u-pick farms: the opportunity to learn about the county’s farming history and the people behind it. 

“One thing we like to say is that, on the farm, the days are simple but never without purpose,” Caraline says. “It’s a place to connect, to play, to refresh and inspire each other, to grow as a community, to connect with the land and to learn from it, as well as just the exposure to agriculture. It’s the second-largest industry in our state. And Florida is known for citrus. [We are] able to give children and adults the opportunity to get more connected with where their food comes from and to be able to pick the citrus themselves. It’s a great way to connect with nature to learn from it and be refreshed and inspired.”

U-pick farms offer something for everyone year-round, but most farms are open on a seasonal basis. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service’s (fdacs.gov) suggests keeping in mind that weather conditions and customer demand can determine the supply of fruits, vegetables and flowers. Before visiting a farm, call them directly to confirm availability, as well as days and hours of operation.

In Florida, for the most part, strawberry season runs from February to March, and blueberry and peach seasons start in late March and can last through May, if you’re lucky.

Sunflowers and zinnias can be picked during the spring and fall seasons, and sweet corn from about June to October.

Also, don’t forget to dress comfortably for your trip to the farm. Bring a hat, sunscreen and insect repellent, and wear sturdy shoes to protect your feet. Remember to bring your own containers for picking in case the farm does not provide them.

Here’s a closer look at several Lake County u-pick farms you may want to visit, as well as a list of farms throughout Lake, Sumter and Marion counties. Enjoy!

Southern Hill Farms 

CLERMONT / SOUTHERNHILLFARMS.COM 

Southern Hill Farms was born when David and Lisa Hill began growing ornamental trees in Clermont, a new endeavor in the legacy of a family with a proud history of farming. 

The couple expanded their crops to include blueberries in 2010. Four years later, the family decided to share the fruits of their labor with their community. Today, visitors can stop by the farm year-round to pick what’s in season — sunflowers, blueberries, strawberries, peaches, kale, broccolini and cucumbers. 

After picking your food, the whole family can take in the many farm activities. The kids will love the rides and games in the Kid Zone, which includes a carousel, bounce houses, giant fun slide and more. You also can kick back in a rocking chair with a glass of blueberry lemonade, shop the market for more goodies or listen to live music. 

“I have customers telling me it’s great that they have different times of the year where they can come out and pick something,” David says.

David’s noticed that people love picking the most when the Florida heat is not so brutal.

You’ll find a full calendar of events on the farm website to help you plan your visit.

Long & Scott Farms / Great Scott Farms

MOUNT DORA / VISITGREATSCOTT.COM

Great Scott Farms quickly became an agritourism and u-pick destination after opening in 2023 but its roots were long established before then. It’s actually the public side of Long & Scott Farms, a commercial and wholesale farm founded in 1963 by Frank Scott Jr. and Billy Long. Main crops included Zellwood sweet corn and Kirby pickling cucumbers, but expanded to incorporate kale, cabbage and even turf grass. 

In 2003, Frank’s daughter, Rebecca, and daughter-in-law, Cindy, opened Scott’s Maze Adventures, an educational seven-acre corn maze, and Scott’s Country Market to break into agritourism. 

“A lot of people didn’t know we were still here, so we decided to open up to the public to bring people out to teach them about agriculture and let people know that we were still here,” Haley says. 

Great Scott Farms was a small retail market before becoming one of the first farms in Florida to break into agritourism.

“It wasn’t very much,” Haley says. “It was mainly like the corn maze. And every year we’ve added a new attraction to the adventure area.”

Great Scott Farms now offers u-pick for strawberries in the winter and sunflowers and zinnias in the fall. In addition to u-pick activities, visitors also can shop the market for produce grown at Long & Scott Farms. 

The kids will love spending time at the playground area, which includes a giant wooden playground, a jumping pillow, superslide and more. 

In the fall, Great Scott Farms holds a fall festival that features the corn maze, hayrides and pumpkin patch in addition to the playground and market.

Great Scott Farms also hosts special events through the year, such as Wine Your Way Out, held in the sunflower field each spring.

“We do a spring festival with the sunflowers where we have vendors and food,” Haley says. “We also partner with local wineries. So they go through the sunflowers, find local wineries and do a tasting. That’s an exciting event for us.”

Learn more information on hours, activities, pricing and events on the Great Scott Farms website and Facebook page.

Sunsational Farms

UMATILLA / SUNSATIONALFARMS.COM

Sunsational Farms began in the 1970s when Nick and Sharon Faryna started a business to manage and maintain citrus groves for local citrus growers. 

In 2001, they opened a packing house, Sunsational Citrus, to handle the area’s citrus crops.

In 2019, the company’s commercial operations were forced to close due to the impact of citrus greening. 

But the Farynas would not be stalled for long. They opened Sunsational Farms and enlisted friends Bill and Dru Baker to grow the business. 

Today, visitors can shop the farm store for fresh produce, fresh-squeezed orange juice, soft-serve ice cream and other tasty treats. The farm offers u-pick for mini pumpkins and Christmas trees in the fall and winter. Sunsational Farms also hosts numerous events throughout the year that feature food trucks, vendors, games and more. The Facebook page is the best place to find out what’s coming up so you don’t miss out on the fun.  

Cherrylake

GROVELAND / FARMDAYS.COM

Founded in 1979, Cherrylake was the dream of Michel and Veronique Sallin, who moved from France to Florida, where they hoped to build a sustainable agricultural business. 

“Michel grew up on an apple farm in Normandy, France,” says Caraline Jones, marketing manager for Cherrylake. “He and his wife, Veronique, came to America and wanted to get into agriculture. They found a love and a passion for Florida grapefruit, and that’s when they started the company here.”

Most of Cherrylake’s citrus growth was destroyed by freezes in the early 1980s, so most of their operation was moved to South Florida. While some citrus growth remained at the Groveland farm, the family turned its attention to ornamental tree production. Today, the Sallins’ children, Melanie Ressler, Timothee Sallin and Chloe Gentry lead the organization.

Cherrylake now welcomes the public to experience the farm through u-pick for tangerines in November and farm races and dark skies parties in February and March. The farm races that started in 2017 invite participants to race among the trees for a 5k, 10k or duathlon. 

“That was one of our first explorations into agritourism,” Caraline says. “For us, it’s an opportunity to be able to welcome the local community to our farm and to share it because we are a wholesale-only company. We thought we would love to be able to share the farm with the community. We got a lot of requests for people who want to experience it. And that’s when we started to get more involved in agritourism. Agritourism itself has flourished over the years, and it’s a great opportunity for us to be able to jump in on that trend.”

In 2023, Cherrylake hosted its first dark skies party, with stargazing, food trucks, yard games and more. More than 500 people turned out, and an annual event was born. 

During Farm Days events, visitors also can walk through Cherrylake’s native pollinator garden. 

“It’s a cool place for both kids and adults to discover and connect with nature and see the butterflies flutter, see the flowers and just learn more about what a sustainable native landscape looks like in the State of Florida,” Caraline says. “It’s beautiful. One thing that’s really beautiful about it is every season is different, so it’s truly a year-round garden. In the fall when we have the u-pick, a lot of our grasses are in full bloom and it’s really a pretty magical time to see it.”

Check the website (above) for current information to find out when Cherrylake is open for u-pick and events.  

U-pick farms by county: