I don’t know about you, but strawberry picking has been a family tradition of mine for as long as I can remember, and it’s something I still look forward to every year, even as an adult.
Houston has many more strawberry picking farms than you probably know about, and I like to say I have tried nearly all of them on our yearly strawberry picking adventures.
So I have put this guide together for you to decide which one you will head to with your family and friends to enjoy a day of strawberry picking. Don’t forget, though, that strawberry picking is very seasonal. So if you’re planning on having a go, make sure you visit at the right time of year, usually between March and April.
Where to Find The 5 Best Strawberry Picking Experiences in And Around Houston – My Top Picks
I have been digging around (quite literally) into all the attractions of every strawberry picking farm in Houston worth visiting.
I have looked at not only the strawberry picking side of things but also what else they offer regarding cafes, other fruits available for picking, opening times, and any further details you might want to know about before your trip.
Some of the locations in my guide may be just outside of Houston city, but not too far away for a family day out. Also, many opening times may differ throughout the year due to the season and crop availability, so it is always best to check before you visit to avoid disappointment.
So in no particular order, here are my top picks for the best strawberry picking farms in and around Houston.
1. The Jollisant Farm
| Location | 11351 County Road 203, Plantersville, TX 77363 |
| Website | www.jollisantfarm.com |
| Other Attractions | Fishing, fruit picking, field trips, gift shop, beehives, farm shop |
| Opening Times | 9:00 am - 4:30 pm |
Just a 50-minute drive from Houston, this farm was first established in 1955, and when it first opened, it was nothing more than a dairy farm, which unfortunately was forced to close in the 70s. While the dairy side of the farm was closed, they decided to start selling a small number of their crops, which were still thriving, and by 2008 they were selling to the public.
In 2012, they introduced their “Pick Your Own” attraction, which immediately took off and remains popular today.
As well as fruit picking, they have now started selling other produce in their farm shops, such as fresh eggs, homemade pickles, jams, and jellies. They also have some impressive beehives where you can witness the bees making honey. The honey they produce is also available to buy from the shop.
You aren’t restricted to what you can pick here, so as well as the strawberries, depending on the time of year, they also have carrots, spinach, okra, cauliflower, potatoes, and fresh herbs, turnips, and loads more.
Also Read:- 10 Best Farmers Markets in Houston, TX
2. Froberg’s Farm
| Location | 3601 W Highway 6, Alvin, TX 77511 |
| Website | www.frobergsfarm.com |
| Other Attractions | Smokehouse, festivals, bakery, Christmas trees |
| Opening Times | Daily 8:00 am - 8:00 pm |
A 30-minute journey from Houston, Froberg’s is a great strawberry picking farm with an excellent history. While getting ready for war, the Frobergs decided to start offering “Pick Your Own” to the public; this was down to a lot of the men being drafted for war.
The owners, Fred and Katie, had four children who helped their father on the farm. When their son Alfred joined the army and left for Korea, the family struggled to keep the farm going. However, all was restored when Alfred returned and got married. He and his new wife took over the running of the farm, and it has blossomed ever since and remained a family-run business.
You can pick fresh strawberries here between January and May, but make sure you check crop availability before you visit.
As well as strawberry picking, there are loads of other attractions available, such as duck racing, shooting, mining, paintballing, and a children’s playground.
The strawberry picking itself is excellent value; you pay just $1.50 to rent your bucket, and then the berries cost $3.25 a pound.
Plus, there is a bakery on-site, where you can purchase homemade pies such as pumpkin, apple, lemon cream, pecan, cherry, blueberry, coconut cream, and much more. In fact, they have 35 different pie flavors to choose from.
As well as the bakery, they also have a smokehouse, where you will find products such as home-cured meats, sausages, cheeses, and deer processing.
3. Fruits’ N’ Such Orchard
| Location | 6309 Avenue Dickinson, TX 77539-3093 |
| Website | Unknown |
| Other Attractions | Blackberry picking, apple and citrus picking, vegetable picking |
| Opening Times | Times vary. Check before your visit. |
Bringing things back to basics, this is the kind of strawberry picking farm that will remind you of your childhood. Earlier, they had other attractions such as festivals, games, and restaurants on-site.
Fruits’ N’ Orchard is a privately owned farm on the owner’s private land. Here, you can collect fresh strawberries and many other produce like peaches, oranges, lemons, blackberries, and almost every vegetable you can think of.
I would recommend going when the “pluots” are in season, these are a plum and apricot hybrid, and they are incredibly delicious.
This is an excellent farm if you want a good old-fashioned strawberry picking experience, just don’t expect any heirs and graces or fancy attractions. It is what it is, and there are some strict rules that the owner has in place which you must adhere to.
These include paying before you eat and limited sampling; however, they won’t like it if you leave unwanted fruit on the ground. But this should not put you off, especially if you want to reminisce about your childhood strawberry-picking days.
It is also only a 30-minute drive away from the Houston center.
4. Atkinson Farms
| Location | 3217 Spring Cypress Road, Spring, TX 77388 |
| Website | www.atkinsonfarm.com |
| Other Attractions | # |
| Opening Times | Monday - Saturday: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, Sunday 10:00 am - 2:00 pm (March - October) |
This 4th generation family-run farm, run by husband and wife team Mike and Thersa Atkinson, is only a 30-minute drive away from Houston. It is worth the drive if you’re looking for a day out with the family.
The farm has been in business since the early 1950s, when they also had a family-owned grocery store in North Houston.
When they first started growing their own crops, they focused mainly on tomato plants, bell peppers, eggplants, green onions, and radish. During the 70s, they started growing leafy greens such as collard and mustard greens before expanding in the early 80s when they began supplying their produce to local grocery stores.
Today, they have over 100 acres of vegetables available for picking.
The strawberries can be picked from December to May every day, and picking times vary depending on crop availability.
5. The Blessington Farms
| Location | 510 Chisolm Trail, Simonton, TX 77485 |
| Website | www.blessingtonfarms.com |
| Other Attractions | Pumpkin patches, hayrides, harvest festivals, gem mining, tug-o-war |
| Opening Times | Varied depending on the season |
Possibly one of my favorite places to go strawberry picking is Blessington Farm. This farm is just 45 minutes from Houston and has something for the whole family to enjoy for the entire day.
There is so much going on at this farm that you may not even fit everything into a single day and want to go back to experience the bits you missed. It is a true Texan adventure and a must-visit.
The strawberry picking times vary depending on crop availability. Still, it is usually open from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, and depending on the time of year, you can also pick yourself blueberries, blackberries, and pumpkins later in the year.
As well as the produce picking, you can keep the children entertained with many activities, such as a rope maze, trolley swing, gem mining, hay palace, tire bounce, fossil digging, and the hay rides are great fun for the whole family.
There is also a chance for the little ones to get up close and personal with smaller farm animals, such as chickens, goats, lambs, and farm dogs. They even have a recent addition of a reptile farm, which was probably my favorite part, where you can learn about all kinds of critters.
There is also an aviary, where you can interact with parrots and other exotic pets.
Summary
So hopefully, if you were considering a day out at a strawberry picking farm in Houston, this guide has shown you that there are many great places to choose from.
If you think this guide has been beneficial to you, then you should have a look at some other great places for days out in Houston, such as 6 Amazing Waterfalls In Houston and 7 Best Ninja Warrior Gyms For Kids And Adults in Houston, TX.