Pick Your Own Produce!

As the hot, humid days of August have arrived, it's helpful to remember that with 100+ degree heat indices come the fresh fruits of summer. Here's a list of organic pick-your-own farms. Healthy, happy eating!

• www.pickyourown.org lists Pick-Your-Own locations in Northern Virginia.
• Virginia Apples lists orchard locations in Frederick County, VA (Winchester/Middletown areas)
• Potomac Vegetable Farms.9627 Leesburg Pike, four miles west of Tysons Corner 703-759-2119; mhnewcomb@aol.com Directions: On Route 7, 4 miles west of Tysons Corner (roadside stand). Open: 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Tuesday-Sunday (closed Mondays), July-September; 10 a.m.-dark in October. All crops grown following organic practices (no herbicides or pesticides, composting, taking care of the soil in a sustainable way). Vegetable and flower seedlings available in spring. Canning quantities available August-October. Bring take home containers. Call ahead. Cider pressed on fall weekends. School tours by appointment. Also sell at Homegrown Farmers Markets. Fresh-picked and limited pick-your-own blackberries, eggs, and cut flowers. Fresh-picked sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, green beans, summer and winter squash, carrots, onions, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, celery, assorted bunched greens and lettuce, cut flowers.
• Willow Oaks Berry Farm 2521 Midland Road, Midland, VA 540.788.1086 Pick your own blueberries, blackberries, raspberries. Farm follows organic methods.
• Patowmack Farm - ORGANIC 42461 Lovettsville Rd., Lovettsville. 540-822-9017; patowmackfarm@megapipe.netOpen: 12 noon-5 p.m., May through October. An organic farm offering a magnificent view of the Potomac River. The on-farm market features fresh produce, eggs, a variety of organic products such as pasta, honey, chocolates, and much more. Come enjoy the farm and do your weekly grocery shopping.
• Butterfly Bend - Tankerville Road, Lovettsville, VA 540.822.5060 Butterfly Bend is a certified organic pick-your-own strawberry farm in Lovettsville, VA. Take a hay ride tour of the 14-acre farm (weekend and tour dates), visit resident cows, chickens and goats and learn how important bees, birds and butterflies are to an organic farm. Also feature honey from their own apiary, elephant garlic, seasonal produce from raised-bed garden, fresh eggs and hand-made crafts. Picnic benches and shade. Open for farm tour and by appointment. Call (540) 822-5060 or send an email to info@butterflybend.com.
• Hashway Gardens - ORGANIC 137 Garden Road, Berryville, VA 22611. Phone: 540-955-3204. Email us at: meahash@visuallink.com. Pick your own strawberries. NOTE: Frost killed the 2007 crop - come see us in 2008! Washington Post's List from 2003

And, from the Washington Post's Round-Up:

Maryland

Anne Arundel County

MOUNT AIRY U-PICK -- Strawberries. 832 Mount Airy Rd., Davidsonville. 410-798-1862 or 410-798-0838.

Baltimore County

HUBER'S FARM -- Strawberries, blackberries, red raspberries, vegetables. 12208 Old Philadelphia Rd., Bradshaw. 410-679-1941 or 410-679-1948.

WEBER'S CIDER MILL FARM -- Apples. 2526 Proctor Lane, Parkville. 410-668-4488.

Calvert County

SEIDEL FARM -- Thornless blackberries, grapes. 2790 Plum Point Rd., Huntington. (Route 263). 410-535-2128.

Carroll County

BAUGHER'S ORCHARD -- Strawberries, sweet and sour cherries, black raspberries. 1236 Baugher Rd., about three miles west of Westminster on Route 140. 410-857-0111 or 410-848-5541.

Charles County

HYDROMONT BERRY FARM -- Strawberries. 8020 Hawthorne Rd, La Plata. 301-932-0872.

Frederick County

CATOCTIN MOUNTAIN ORCHARD -- Black raspberries, blueberries, sweet and sour cherries. 15036 N. Franklinville Rd., on U.S. 15, a half-mile north of Thurmont. 301-271-2737.

GLADE-LINK FARMS -- Strawberries, blueberries, red raspberries, vegetables. Route 194, New Midway. 301-898-7131.

MAYNES FARM -- Strawberries, blackberries. 3420 Buckeystown Pike, Buckeystown. 301-662-4320.

PRYOR'S ORCHARD -- Blueberries, sweet and sour cherries. 13841-B Pryor Rd., Thurmont. 301-271-2693.

Harford County

LOHR'S ORCHARD -- Strawberries, sour cherries, apples. 3212 Snake Lane, Churchville. 410-836-2783.

SHAW ORCHARDS -- Strawberries. 3121 Norrisville Rd., White Hall. 410-692-2429.

Howard County

LARRILAND FARM -- Strawberries, blackberries, black and red raspberries, peaches, sour cherries, blueberries, apples, vegetables. 2415 Woodbine Rd. (Route 94), three miles south of I-70 Exit 73, near Lisbon. 301-854-6110 or 410-442-2605.

Montgomery County

BUTLER'S ORCHARD -- Strawberries, blueberries, cherries, blackberries, red raspberries. 22200 Davis Mill Rd., Germantown. 301-972-3299.

HOMESTEAD FARM -- Strawberries, blackberries, peaches, apples. 15600 Sugarland Rd., Poolesville. 301-977-3761.

ROCK HILL ORCHARD -- Strawberries, sour cherries, blackberries, red raspberries, apples. 28600 Ridge Rd., Mount Airy. 301-831-7427.

Prince George's County

CHERRY HILL FARM -- Strawberries, blackberries. 12300 Gallahan Rd., Clinton. 301-292-1928 or 301-292-4642.

JOHNSON'S BERRY FARM -- Black and red raspberries, blueberries, blackberries. 17000 Swanson Rd., Upper Marlboro. 301-627-8316.

MILLER FARMS -- Strawberries. 10140 Piscataway Rd., Clinton. 301-297-9370.

SHLAGEL FARMS -- Strawberries. 12850 Shlagel Rd., Waldorf. 301-843-9617.

St. Mary's County

FREE SPIRIT FARM -- Blueberries, asparagus. 38613 Chaptico Rd., Mechanicsville. 301-884-2401 or 301-888-2429.

Virginia

Caroline County

MOUNT OLYMPUS FARM -- Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries. On U.S. 1 one mile north of I-95 Exit 104, in Carmel Church. 804-448-0395.

Fairfax County

POTOMAC VEGETABLE FARMS -- Blackberries. 9627 Leesburg Pike, Vienna. 703-759-2119.

Fauquier County

HARTLAND ORCHARD -- Sweet and sour cherries, peaches, apples. Near Markham: From I-66 Exit 18, north on Leeds Manor Road (Route 688), west on Belle Meade Road (F-284), follow signs a half-mile to Hartland Lane. 540-364-2316.

LINDEN VINEYARDS -- Blueberries, apples. In Linden: From I-66 Exit 13, east on Route 55 1 1/2 miles, south on Route 638 two miles to signs. 540-364-1997.

WILLOW OAKS BERRY FARM -- Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries. Midland Road (Route 610) and Bristersburg Road, Somerville. (Route 616). 540-788-1086.

WILLIAMS PEACH MANOR ORCHARD -- Peaches, nectarines. 13095 Marsh Rd, Bealeton. 540-439-3035.

Loudoun County

CROOKED RUN ORCHARD -- Sour cherries, red raspberries, blackberries, peaches, apples. 37883 E. Main St., Purcelville. 540-338-6642.

GREAT COUNTRY FARMS -- Strawberries, black and red raspberries, blackberries, vegetables.18780 Foggy Bottom Rd., Bluemont. 540-554-2073.

Orange County

DOUBLE B FARMS -- Strawberries, thornless blackberries. In Rhoadesville: From Fredericksburg, Route 3 west 11 miles to Route 20, south nine miles to signs on left. 540-854-4277.

Rappahannock County

HIGH PLACES ORCHARDS -- Raspberries, peaches, plums, nectarines, apples. 121 Winesap Lane, Flint Hill. 540-635-5537.

MUSKRAT HAVEN -- Strawberries, blueberries, thornless blackberries, red raspberries, peaches, nectarines, apples. On Route 211, 15 miles west of Warrenton. 540-937-5892 or 540-937-5191.

Shenandoah County

BLUE RIDGE BERRY FARM -- Blueberries. Near Toms Brook: From I-81 at Toms Brook exit, east on Route 651 to Route 11, south to Toms Brook, west at Brook Creek Road (Route 653), left at Harrisville Road (Route 655), 1.8 miles to farm on left. 540-436-9194.

SWOVER CREEK FARM -- Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, vegetables. From I-81 at Woodstock exit, west nine miles on Route 42 to Swover Creek Road, left one mile to farm on right. 540-984-8973.

Spotsylvania County

BELVEDERE PLANTATION -- Strawberries. On Route 17 seven miles southeast of Fredericksburg. 540-371-8494.

Westmoreland County

WESTMORELAND BERRY FARM -- Strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, black, red and purple raspberries, apples. In Oak Grove: From Fredericksburg, east on Route 3, seven miles past U.S. 301 to Claymont Road (Route 634), turn right and follow signs. 800-997-2377 or 804-224-9171.

West Virginia

Jefferson County

RIDGEFIELD ORCHARD -- Apples. Near Harpers Ferry on Kidwiler Road off Route 230. 304-876-3647.