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Best Fruit Picking with Kids in San Diego
September 19, 2023

There’s nothing better than picking your own fruit straight from the local U-pick farms in San Diego, having some sweet, juicy family outing with the kids, and enjoying the fresh countryside air outdoors!

Southern California has the perfect year-round weather for growing fruits. These local farms are waiting for everyone to visit, whether apples, strawberries, blueberries, citrus, figs, pluots, oranges, or more. That’s why one of the best things to do for a family outing is to spend a day at U-Pick local farms in San Diego to pick your own fruit. When the weather starts warming up in the spring or cooling down in autumn, it’s time to embrace the joys of fruit picking in San Diego with kids!

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Fruit picking in San Diego has become a traditional family outing throughout the season — and kids enjoyed it. There are so many U-Pick local farms in San Diego that offer a variety of fruits that you can start picking in late spring through summer and the apple season in the fall. Kids will delight in searching for the ripe fruits in the fields, have fun in the tractor-pulled hayrides, visit the petting zoo, stroll through the sunflower maze, and many more fun activities!

If you are looking for U-pick farms in San Diego to go for some sweet adventure with the whole family, we’ve got you covered. Below, we have compiled all the incredible places we could find in this ultimate fruit-picking list. From orchards with bunches of variety to ones with certified organic crops, they indeed are the best places for family bonding while plucking your fruits. So, grab the kids and head to one of the best local farms in San Diego for an epic trip to pick your own fruits!

Fruit picking with kids in San Diego at local U-Pick farms - Good Farms

Best Fruit Picking with Kids in San Diego

Good Farms

9940 Marconi Dr., San Diego, CA 92154
Phone Number: (619) 661-6004

As the name suggests, this farm operates in good faith and with social responsibilities. People from local communities join their CSA program to participate in organic farming. The market stand of the farm offers fresh harvests daily. Together, they can improve lives from farm to table by cultivating real, positive change in how our food is grown, harvested, and consumed.

Good Farms is on a mission to improve lives from farm to table. A portion of your purchase makes a difference by cultivating positive change. They grow some fantastic fruits and vegetables, but it’s about more than that. It’s about nourishing our bodies and delighting our souls. It’s about creating a symphony of flavors. It’s about bringing together family and friends to celebrate life.

Pixca Farm

2100 Hollister St., San Diego, CA 92154
Phone Number: (760) 741-8471

A day spent in Pixca Farm is considered refreshing and overwhelming. The fresh fruits, veggies, and beautiful flowers make a perfect picturesque valley in South Bay. People can join their CSA programs to join the agriculture process to learn about it and grow their veggies and flowers. Their produce CSA has been designed so veggies reach the residents’ homes, directly connecting the farm to the kitchen table.

Pixca Farm is a POC worker cooperative farm in San Diego that advances food sovereignty. They implement diversified, ecological farming in service of the Sout Bay community. Year-round, they are growing a fresh selection of seasonal vegetables to include in their CSA bags. Every week will be different, but the significant changes will come as the season changes.

Be Wise Ranch

20505 San Pasqual Rd., Escondido, CA 92025
Phone Number: (760) 746-6006  

Be Wise Ranch is a “certified organic farm growing organic produce since 1977 in the Santa Fe Valley, just eight miles east of San Diego. Be Wise Ranch’sRanch’s organic vegetables and fruits are known nationally for their delicious flavor and fresh, sun-ripened quality. They have a produce delivery service delivered to pick-up points throughout San Diego County.

They offer a wide selection of CCOF-certified organic fruit and vegetables for wholesale distribution throughout the country, including vine-ripe heirloom tomatoes, strawberries, squash, and greens. Situated in a coastal zone about eight miles from the ocean, Be Wise Ranch’s unique microclimate allows it to grow year-round and to specialize in early and late-season vegetables.

Chino Farm

6123 Calzada Del Bosque, Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067
Phone Number: (858) 756-3184

The Chino family has been farming near San Diego for almost a century. Today’s Chino Farm is run by Tom Chino, alongside his brothers Frank (Koo) and Fred (Fumio) and his sister Kay (Kazumi). The farm is famous for its sweet corn, strawberries, and tomatoes, but it also grows hundreds of varieties of other vegetables and fruits each year.

Alice Waters of Berkeley’s Berkeley’sBerkeley’s Chez Panisse was the first renowned chef to recognize and publicize the high quality of Chino Farm produce. Other chefs followed her, putting the farm on the culinary map nationwide. For all its importance to the American culinary scene, Chino Farm has also retained its connection with Japan, where the farm is well known.

Carlsbad Strawberry Company

1050 Cannon Rd., Carlsbad, CA 92008
Phone Number: (760) 603-9608

Carlsbad Strawberry Company has been growing Strawberries for four generations, and the experience shows. Their strawberries are the tastiest around, grown with love and passion. They have been in Carlsbad since the 1950s, growing with the city and even seeing Interstate 5 come into being. Dedicating themselves to giving back to the community, they work with local schools, churches, non-profits, and more.

If you want to visit a strawberry farm, and try some delicious strawberries, you must see Carlsbad Strawberry – you won’t be disappointed. Their fields are great for family outings, dates, field trips, team bonding, and more. Since March, they have donated over 150,000 lbs of produce to families across North County San Diego. They feed about 750 families per week with fresh produce!

Stehly Farms Organics

Stehly Farms Organics

12630 Santa Catalina Rd., Valley Center, CA 92082
Phone Number: (760) 742-1186

At Stehly Farms Organics, they strive to bring you the freshest, most delicious produce they can grow. From blackberries to avocados and onions to oranges, they develop a large variety of items each season. Navel oranges, Valencia oranges, blood oranges, Cara Cara navel oranges, gold nugget tangerines, satsuma tangerines, bears limes, sweet limes, eureka lemons, Meyer lemons, ruby grapefruit, and cocktail grapefruit round out our citrus portfolio.

Consistently delivered the day after harvest, their spring and summer months fill their trucks and your bellies with the freshest blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries. And we can’t forget about their dragon fruit, which comes in the late summer and stretches through fall. Stehly Farms run u-pick strawberries and blackberries. In the fall, they have a pumpkin patch and a petting zoo. They also sell their organic honey.

Kenny’s Strawberry Farm

953 Rainbow Valley Blvd., Fallbrook, CA 92028

Phone Number: (888) 236-0101

Kenny’sKenny’s Strawberry Farm has been growing strawberries for over ten years. The berries love the weather at their farm in Rainbow, which tends to be more temperate and remarkable than the high desert climate in the nearby Temecula Valley. They grow a variety of strawberries known for their vibrant red color and sweet flavor. What sets their strawberries apart is their sweetness and freshness. The berries you get at their stands are picked at the peak of ripeness, making them more delicious than those in stores.

The U-Pick local farm is a fun place to bring kids and the whole family to San Diego. You can pick your own berries and experience firsthand what a real working farm looks like. The U-Pick Strawberry Farm is open seasonally. They harvest berries from late December to July every year. Their U-Pick opens sometime in February and March each year. Since the day they opened, the farm has been a safe, fun, and beautiful place to share special moments. So come down to the farm and be a part of the family!

Temecula Berry Co

39700 Cantrell Rd., Temecula, CA 92591
Phone Number: (951) 225-5552

Temecula Berry Company began as a family farm in the late 90’s90’s. Since then, the Graesser Family has planted 10 acres of southern highbush blueberries in the Temecula Valley. The Graessers are committed to providing residents with great-tasting berries, also one of the 5 Super Foods. Blueberries are incredibly high in antioxidants, have a great shelf life, and make a perfect snack for kids.  

The farm is set up for visitors to pick the berries they would like to purchase. 

You will be handed a one-time-use picking container at their welcome booth. The containers they provide are the right size for kids and adults. The area they have to choose is big. The plants near the entrance get picked the most. When it’s hot, wear a hat and put on sunscreen, especially the little ones.

Note: Closed for the 2023 season. The farm store will be open one weekend in December to purchase jam, chutney, honey, candles, etc.

South Coast Farms

33201 Ortega Hwy., San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
Phone Number: (949) 661-9381

South Coast Farms is an innovative initiative by farmer George. The local family-run farm is known for tasty, freshly picked daily strawberries, fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Strawberries and flowers are grown without pesticides or artificial fertilizers on the farmland at Tree of Life Nursery in San Juan Capistrano. Visitors can visit these magical lands for strawberry U-picks.

Fresh harvests are delivered daily to the Dana Point Farm Stand farm stands. Farmer George has started the CSA program for this farmland. People from different communities are joining this to help him build a community farming place. Bring your own basket or grab one there. Recommend wearing long pants and closed-toed shoes when walking through the fields.

Julian Farm and Orchard​

4381 Julian Hwy., Santa Ysabel, CA 92070
Phone Number: (760) 765-5494

Julian Farm and Orchard is located just an hour east of San Diego in the Wynola neighborhood of Julian. Their 25-acre sustainable farm includes sprawling apple orchards and lush agriculture, making them a truly unique destination for all visitors. The petting zoo area offers an up-close encounter with the friendly animals who call the farm their home. Their welcoming staff loves to see each guest who visits and ensures a safe and memorable experience for all.

Other experiences during the year include tractor-pulled hayrides, axe throwing, picnic areas, hammocks, and more. Their schedule includes U-Pick Daffodils during March and April, U-Pick Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, and Sunflowers during June, July, and August, and U-Pick apples and their famous Pumpkin Patch during September and October of each year. With stunning views and plenty of seasonal activities, Julian Farm and Orchard is a premier destination for those seeking an escape.

Julian Farm and Orchard​

Best Fruit Picking with Kids in San Diego

Fruit picking is a great bonding experience for families with kids in San Diego. Bringing your kids out to visit any of these local U-pick farms in San Diego is an excellent opportunity to teach them about where their food comes from while enjoying fresh fruits from the orchard. Nothing tastes better than getting out into the field and picking your own fruits. But before you go, wear a hat, comfy shoes, plenty of sunscreen, and extra bottled water!

San Diego offers a wide variety of opportunities for kids to enjoy and have fun all year round! Check out our list of kids kids resources. Are you looking for more things to do with kids around San Diego? Browse through our places to go and things to do sections. Check out our food blog posts if you’re even more curious and seek to learn more about kids’ topics, tips, and guides.

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