The two cherry trees that had edible fruit on them had people crowding around them. The rest of the cherry trees had rotten moldy fruit and the birds had eaten parts of the fruits. It was gross and I would imagine it was a health hazard. All the rain lately causes berries to get moldy easily and this was also the case with the raspberries. They should not have been letting people into those orchards but I get the feeling they are quite greedy. There are signs everywhere forbidding you to taste what you pick. They don't even give you bags for your berry basket because they don't want you to have any more than exactly what you buy. Do you understand how much food waste happens in these orchards? God forbid someone have an extra bite of fruit. All in all we spend $30 on berries. And this would be fine because because it's also about the experience. Unfortunately it was a horrible experience. read more

Lovely location and farm! We stopped by for some apple cider donuts and ended up checking out everything else they had to offer (except the apple picking). The staff was very friendly and they had tons of fall tears to offer. However, our only disappointment was that they only had regular apple cider donuts without the cinnamon sugar coating. I personally prefer the sugar coating. But if you like the plain donuts, you'll like these just fine. Other than that, I highly recommend! read more

My lack of enthusiasm may be in part to the later period of the season we went, but most of the apples were picked already except those very high in the trees. There were trees with a couple of apples still, but none the staff provided these instructions so there was a lot of aimless wandering and searching on an unnaturally hot fall day. The place is definitely popular, so the line at the farm stand proved quite unmanageable. The animals consisted of some hens and sheep. The playground was some old toys, similar to those that are sometimes left on neighborhood playgrounds for all to enjoy. I love this type of thing, but I don't love it when it comes with a price tag. I have gone to other places a bit further north and will go back to those in the future. This day was pretty much a bust. read more

Stopped by the farm store for some apple cider donuts and left with a ton of fresh local veggies and fruit. Staff was very helpful and friendly. And donuts did not disappoint! read more

This spot is not dog friendly anymore and we weren't told until after we purchased our bags

APPLES, many of them, ripe for the picking. I have never seen this many apples in my life. The orchards I have visited in the past pale in comparison to this one. They have some apple trees at this place that are "Giving Tree" in size. Prices are fair, you can get a half peck for $7 (about 15 apples), a peck for $12 (about 30 apples) , or a half bushel for $22 (a lot of fucking apples). I also had my first cider doughnut here which was amazing. The smell outside of the store was so intoxicating it would have been impossible for me to not succumb. This was the best friggin' doughnut I have ever had, so cinnamony and still hot. read more

I've been going apple picking here with my family for the last two years. The main reason we started going in the first place is because it is only 10 minutes away from our home on the north shore. Most of the good orchards are out west and in the boonies, so we were excited that we found one so close to us! With a baby in tow, you really want to cut down your travel time, and make sure you can make a quick escape home if everything starts to go downhill with your fussy baby. This isn't the best farm I've ever been to, but it served our purpose well - apple picking and apple cider donuts. The orchards are ample, parking is plentiful and free, and depending on when you go, there is a good variety of apples to pick from (check their website beforehand to see what is in season). The price keeps on jumping and it is higher than even at a supermarket or a Trader Joe's. But then again, you're paying for the experience more than the apples (and they need to recoup some of the losses due to all the apples on the ground!). The farm store is excellent - I wait in line to get the apple cider donuts as they are freshly made, and it is so worth it. You know the donuts are good when the paper bag they came in is already seeped in oil by the time you get to the checkout line. They also have a great monkey bread, and these delicious miniature Asian pears that I always pick up (I can't find them anywhere else!). The pumpkin patch is eh... it's quite small. The animals there are also a sad little sight. But, this place is home to an incredibly evil, sadistic emu, so it's always fun to watch kids try to feed it only to have him/her scare the crap out of them. We'll definitely be coming here for years to come! read more

I was a bit underwhelmed by the farm as a whole. Good points: -Iced coffee was $2 and good, doughnuts were $5 for 6 and pretty good too. -Raspberries were plentiful, delicious and easy to access. Close to the store and mowed between rows. -They have animals to look at. -People were very helpful and friendly. No so pleased conclusions: -Animals were in pens that had many different places for kids to snag their clothes or hurt themselves on the loose wire. There was actually a large gap that my child was able to easily fit into to walk into the emu, llama and sheep pen. -Produce in the store was not fresh and really pricey. -Raspberries were $4.75 a 1/2 quart. I'll keep checking out other places, since I wasn't as pleased with the farm as I expected to be! It seemed a little run down - lots of weeds and old, wilted veggies. We had a really nice day, though! read more

Let me start by saying I'm not entirely sure what separates a "good" from a "great" apple orchard-- this past week I went apple-picking for the first time in my young life this past week. But Brooksby seemed to have all of the things you'd want: good size, plentiful parking, good location and a decent variety of apples. The store features tasty cider, cider apples and all-manner of overpriced fall and farm goods. They also have a pumpkin patch, hay rides and host kids' parties. In short, it seemed like a good-old-fashioned spot for some classic fall New England family fun. I'm not sure what prices are good or bad-- a half bushel was $22, while a quarter was $15-- but the Brooksby prices seemed a little step to us. They also take a deposit if you want one of the "cool" apple pickers. I'm not sure I enjoy apple picking--I don't like apples, and I prefer to have others pick my food for me--but if I did, I think I'd be back to Brooksby Farm. read more

This farm has everything! Great pick your own apples at great prices ($7 for a half peck, $12 for a peck, and $23 for 2 pecks) Lots of parking. Farm animals for the kids to see and play with. Downside is that sometimes the line for the hot cider donuts is very very long, but trust me, it is worth the wait. When they first come out of the oven it's like Christmas in your mouth. Totally worth it all! Their farmstand has so much else to offer as well including lots of locally made jams, jellies and marinades as well as some fresh vegetables. The bathrooms are gnarly there though, so if you can, relieve yourself before you get there! Brooksby Farms gets a big 2 thumbs up from me, and I will return next year for more apple picking! read more

My experience of Brooksby is limited to only a wedding, with the ceremony behind a small building and the reception at the barn across the street. There was no sign for the wedding. We were running a little late and missed the wedding shuttle bus so our driver (a random, really friendly young woman who overheard us trying to figure out how to get a cab to the farm) did not know where to stop and neither did we. We drove right by the house and the bard and all the way to farm store and had to turn back around. So a big sign would have helped. As we walked to back of the house where the reception was being held, one of the girl that was with us wiped out as her heels got caught in the gravel stone walkway (eh, maybe she was drunk). The area for the reception was nice since it was framed by tall stalks/plants. After the short reception, we headed to the barn. There is nothing particularly fancy about it. There were only a few bathrooms, but they were clean. The entrance to the larger bathrooms is right next to the bar so one had to fight past the line of people waiting for drinks to get in. The bar area is small and placed right in the middle where the main hall, entrance hall, and bathroom converge, creating a cluster of people in the worst possible space. The bartenders were quick and relatively friendly. I am not too sure how MA open bar laws work - I don't think they are legal so there has to actually be a count kept of all the drinks served. One of the employees was ringing up every single drink, which is kind of funny seeing her doing it so quickly. It was hot in there, especially with so many people. Opening the barn doors only did so much and staff placed fans all around, but I still ended up soaked in sweat at the end of the night. The dinner was surprisingly good! It's a decent place for a wedding or other large event. I suspect the farm events are more fun, especially since the farm is sprawling. read more

Beyond disappointed for the response to weddings during the pandemic. My cousin had her wedding booked for this September and due to covid they asked if they could re-book to 2021 and the venue said they could but would have to start the payments over again, mind you they were basically half way paid for the wedding they were supposed to have this year at the same venue, same time of the year. We understand everyone has been affected by this pandemic, but this was their ideal wedding and to say how the venue handled the situation was far from ideal is an understatement. If you do book here i hope you have a fairytale ending, just hope some world wide pandemic and penny pinchers don't get in your way. read more

Apple orchard was confusing, there were only 3 signs for all of the orchard. Grass and weeds were very overgrown. Didn't seem well maintained at all. Ive been to way better farms. read more

I would give this zero stars if I could. I went to a wedding at smith farm they accused me of pouring my own alcohol into a glass of ice. I had gotten ice at the bar because they did not deliver ice water. I was getting lip stick not pouring alcohol. So rude. Will never consider an event here it was so offensive. read more

Scenic and easy to get to farm that is somehow incredibly spacious whilst being smack in the middle of Peabody. The grounds are gorgeous, the farm/country store is a bit rinky dink when compared to the Russell Orchards of the North Shore- but the obligatory farm animals and cider donuts did the trick for the wee lads, and of course the wagon ride out to the fields. Gorgeous rolling hill vistas over the fruit orchards, unfortunately our trip was a bit early in the year for primo apples. Not mind blowing, but I'd surely come back read more

Smolak Farms is my usual go-to for pick-your-own, but since I was unable to get them on the phone to verify they had fruit at the beginning of October, I opted for Brooksby. I had been warned by a friend who'd gone in September that the apples near the ground were picked-clean, and she was absolutely right. The only way to get apples was to get one of those apple-picking grabber things (no idea where folks got them!) or climb the trees, which some in my party opted for. Standing beneath a tree while my friend tosses apples down to/at me is not my idea of apple-picking, but might work for some folks. We found some young, trellised "trees" toward the edge of the orchard in many varieties with lots of great fruit. I didn't feel great about picking these, kinda like cheating but the fruit was delicious. They have some amazing green-hued version of Golden Delicious that's really sweet and wonderful. The apples were inexpensive as well, which I appreciated. Brooksby offers a free hay ride to/from the fruit trees, which was cool, as many orchards charge extra for hay rides. I have to say I was amused watching other passengers dodge the tree branches slapping against the tractor as we passed. Lol. There was a MASSIVE line in the farm stand store. Massive. But they have the standards, like cider doughnuts (with no cinnamon sugar, boo!), apple cider, pies, etc. They also had some unusual finds, like pumpkin fudge and maple candy, as well as a huge selection of gourds. The prices were high though, so I stuck to the cider and doughnuts. Even without the cinnamon sugar, the doughnuts were pretty delectable. They had pigs, sheep, roosters and hens, emus and llamas, but they were fenced-off so you couldn't really pet them. The farm is large and scenic though, some nice little walks if you're so-inclined. I think I'll return to Smolak from now on, but Brooksby was A-OK for a day. read more

See all

Best part are the animals and the tractor ride. Not a lot of apples , not a lot of sorts and very pricy. Honestly we had a good time but not because the farm was awesome but because it was a family day. I don't think I would ever be back there again. I have been to other farms that at much better selection of apples. It felt like going to a store with 80% of shelf's cleared. read more

Go elsewhere. A truly frustrating, overpriced, experience. Picking apples would have been fun, had they had the number of trees needed to have any decent apples left for the hordes of pickers there on this Sunday afternoon. The store, forget it! A mob scene. Crazy making. A terrible experience. read more

The orchard they had us picking in had barely any apples on the trees. The ones that did were rotten most needed a apple picking tool to reach which they were out of..rather drive and hour north, where the trees were filled with apples.... There rules of a small bag allows two people in, we came with three adult and were forced to buy the bigger bag and only fill half way as we don't need all those Apples. Worst experience of apple picking that we have had. We will not be back. read more

Brooksby Farm - One of many empty trees - Pick Your Own Farms Near Me - Peabody, Massachusetts

I've come to Brooksby Farm in the past for apple picking, and I had a pretty good time! The bags for which you pay were reasonable, and the variety of apples they have were extensive. The problem, however, was that trying to find good, ripe apples among this selection was hard to do. My roommate and I spent a few hours here wandering the orchards, but the pickings were scarce. I was fairly disappointed, to say the very least, that we didn't have much from which to choose. It could've been Mother Nature's fault (with a hint of global warming), but one may never know. My favorite part about apple picking, in all reality, is the anticipation of apple cider donuts. I LOVE APPLE CIDER DONUTS! Brooksby Farm, unfortunately, didn't have the best I've ever had. Womp. I would probably come back here, but I would be going with lower expectations than my previous visit. read more

The bf & I have always been loyal to Cider Hill in Amesbury so I have to compare, just a little. Unfortunately today we were strapped for time so we chose a more local farm to go apple picking in, Brooksby Farm. We went on a Monday around 12pm. We thought it'd be quiet, but no, there were school buses in the parking lot and screaming children running rampant (sigh) we walked inside and waited in line to get our bag. The farm was nice. We walked a while to get away from the crowds and realized the farm is much bigger than it appears from the parking lot. It was actually quite peaceful out there. After picking, we walked back and grabbed a cider donut and some cider as well. The donut had nothing on Cider Hill's donuts, sorry. there's just no competition. We walked out of the store to find my favorite part of the farm, the animals! The pigs stole my heart, just laying in the mud enjoying life. This was a nice farm for a quick afternoon visit but if you're looking for a day trip - the drive to Amesbury is worth it IMO. read more

See all

We visited the second week of September on a weekday morning. It was the perfect time to stop by; we strolled around the farm and fed the animals with very few others around. We visited the store and enjoyed a donut! Beautiful place to visit only 15 minutes from where we were staying near Boston. read more

Brooksby's is a great place for an afternoon out with the kids - an oasis of farmland in the heart of the suburbs. When you park on the road and get out of the car it's almost as if you're transported to another place entirely. Somehow it doesn't seem like suburban Massachusetts anymore and it feels like you're in an earlier, simpler time. You can pick apples or other fruits, then you can wander around the farm looking at the animals. There's a little farmstand style grocery store with jams, marmalades, maple syrup candy and some produce from the farm. All-in-all, it's a great day-trip for the whole family. read more

I love coming here in the fall for apple picking, apple cider, and apple cider doughnuts! The line is always long for cider and doughnuts, but that's because they're amazing! They also have a great selection of treats for your pups! I look forward to coming here every year! read more

Done with Brooksby, the bag prices have gone through the roof, and when we started picking the apples they're were poor and rotted. Not to mention you had to climb the trees for any decent apples and the country store prices were jest as insane as the bags. read more

I'll preface this review by saying that I KNOW it was a drought year and overall apple picking will have slimmer options. That being said, Brooksby Farm did a pretty poor job with customer service this year given the worse crop. It's a shame I had such a bad time because last year's picking here was such a pleasant experience. My boyfriend and I drove up to the lot where we were waved quickly into a long line of cars with no friendly hi from the attendant or description of where we were going. The orchard seemed mobbed much to our surprise because last year (mid-October visit) we were with maybe 10-15 other pickers. We were funneled into a line that said exit and I was worried they were turning us away if the lot was full, even though we had seen cars behind us waved into the orchard lot. Turns out, we were shuttled into the store parking area where we did find a spot with little wait, but a simple sentence from the attendant would have made us less concerned! Driving by, we saw quite the line for the small stand to purchase a bag for picking. We get out of the car to see a HUGE line for the apple cider doughnuts. I was surprised given the total lack of crowds last year, but still willing to wait for the doughnuts. My one positive comment about the service of the day was that the farm store operated one door for the doughnut line and allowed customers who were just purchasing other store items in without waiting in the line. We decided to divide and conquer and my boyfriend waited for the apple picking bag while I got doughnuts. He beat me by 15 minutes maybe out of about an hour total wait. Because we had such a pleasant experience last year he decided to upgrade to the 1/2 bushel bag. Never did anyone mention during the sale that apples were slim. Our spirits boosted by the delicious doughnuts despite the very frustrating lines, we went out to the orchard to pick. Much to our surprise, the area we went last year via the hayride truck at the far end of the orchard was totally closed off. We talked to one surly worker who told us the area right next to the stand to purchase bags and "across the street" was open only. The grove next to the farmstand was quite literally empty of apples. The grove across the line of cars was only Cortland and Empire and was pretty slim as well! Many of the apples were rotten or had insects, and the "good" ones were even often scarred. Most of the available apples were quite high and were only reachable by adults, and even then the extended picking arms were needed. Only by accident, and once our bag was nearly full, did we happen to notice people picking across the paved street. I'm not sure if the area was just opened but NO ONE, not the parking attendants, not the people who sold the bag, not the store workers, had mentioned to us that part of the orchard was open. It wasn't a huge grove, but the apples were larger and the trees had clearly not been picked much yet. It would have been great for short kids with short arms to actually be able to pick. We would have loved to have picked in that portion before our bag was all full. There were also Macs in that area which we hadn't gotten any of up to that point. Brooksby could have saved my opinion of them with easy changes. 1) Friendlier service that better communicated the parking and crowd situation. 2) HONEST AND UPFRONT communication about the varieties that were open for picking and the state of the trees. We probably would have purchased a smaller bag. 3) Updated information on the website so we could have avoided this mess entirely. read more

Did not enjoy my trip to Brooksby Farm this weekend. The staff at the farm were rude and unwelcoming. I quickly realized, though, that you kind of have to be rude when all your patrons are rude. The farm was full of people who didn't seem to quite "get" farming or how to be respectful in a farm. We experienced lots of people smoking on the farm... even on the hay ride full of children. There were children climbing on the trees, even way up to the top, and basically kids running rampant without much parental supervision. It was generally just loud and chaotic. I don't expect that these farms be all quiet and serene. But some amount of peacefulness is nice. The apples we picked were fine, though. So no complaints there. read more

Waited in line to park for over 20 minutes. The parking lot attendant waved us to go in a direction where there was no parking even though we could see plenty of spots in the other direction. He was pretty much just waving his hands in all directions. The line to pick apples was so huge and we waited to park for so long that I decided to get out (husband was still driving) and walk to the store to get a bag of apples. To my dismay the line to get into the store was huge also. Empty handed and annoyed, I was able to walk back to the car because my husband was still waiting in traffic 10 minutes later. Not the Brooksby that we remember from years ago. We won't be back anytime soon. read more

Went to Brooksby this morning with my gf and had a nice time. Empire apples taste great and were reasonably priced. We had a great time walking through the orchard picking apples. Cider Donuts were ok.... nothing special. Apple Cider was great (I bought a half gallon) but when I asked for a cup it was a big deal and they would not give me a styrofoam cup that they use for the hot cider. I asked why? I was then told that "they are too expensive", but that i can surely have a plastic cup. I thought that was very strange. I was then handed the smallest plastic cup I have ever scene. It was about the size of a shot glass and it reminded me of a baby cup. I guess I should have offered the person a quarter so I could have a big boys cup. Oh well... great place to go but be sure not to ask for a big cup because you'll surely not get one. read more

Poor service, staff had nasty attitudes, apples were rotted, did not feel safe on the hay ride, food tasted like it was outdated from the store they have. Definitely won't be returning, horrible experience this year at Brooksby, last year was much better and the staff was a lot more professional. read more

Decided to stop here today and I'm glad I did. Got to feed the animals and picked up some goodies. The cider donuts are to die for and purchased a pot pie and other pastries. Cute place I will be back. read more

I wanted a caramel apple - until I saw it was FIVE DOLLARS. We thought about cider donuts, but the line was too long. Plus, there was no heavenly aroma like at other farm stands this time of the year. The products were overpriced, and there was even a cost for kids to play in one area. One of the sheep was limping, making my heart ache. The pumpkins' stems were dried out, which is surprising given it's early in the season. This place was definitely not as inviting as others we've visited. Waste of a drive. read more

Whats not to like. They have a great mix of things for every season. Its a great place to stop for a few minutes to see the animals. Its not a zoo so don't expect a ton of animals, but my two year old loves to feed the sheep and see the pigs and chicken. And if your short on cash its free! All you pay for is 50 cents if you want to feed the animals. The farm store is great and they have a lot of great sauces, salad dressings, chicken pot pies, and fresh fruit. (The Vidalia Onion and Peppercorn salad dressing is the best ever!) Fruit picking here is great for kids and they have very reasonable prices. Some places charge per person, Brooksby charges per bag which is perfect if your going picking for the experience but dont want to pay a ton of money to bring the whole family. I also get my Christmas tree here every year, they have decent prices and bigger trees than some of the random tree lots that pop up everywhere. The last two trees I have gotten were massive for under $50. They do go fast so the earlier you look the better selection they will have. Overall this is an awesome farm worth checking out if you are in the area. Not a huge or fancy place, but definitely good value. read more

Love it here. It is conveniently close to everywhere and their produce and selection of other locally crafted items is really great. So many fun memories here and more to come!! read more

Great setting/space, healthy animals, helpful employees. Yummy apples and a great selection of pumpkins. The salsas are amazing! Do NOT buy the monkey bread. It was clearly frozen and extremely stale. Had to throw it out after being warmed it was still rock hard. read more

i had a pleasant afternoon today at brooksby farm. it's located very close to the north shore mall, but it's really a world away. there are emus, pigs, sheep, and a whole bunch of hens. it's overall a very nice atmosphere. the farm stand itself is wonderful. we picked up some local corn, pickled beets, dill pickles, asian pears, peaches, granny smith apples and tomatoes. every bit has been delicious thus far. i very much look forward to visiting this little farm when it is time to pick more apples, and the seasons first pumpkins. an excellent find and an excellent day out. read more

We have gone to the other places in the area for apple picking and this is just the best. We went the last weekend of apple picking and the trees were so full of apples we couldn't believe it. For under $10 (combined) the kids got to do this little mini maze that they loved. They had an area set up for roasting smores and the hayride (which we unfortunately missed). The staff (which was mostly teenagers/college) were so courteous and helpful. And it wasn't too busy which is huge for us because we've been to the larger orchards with kids events and a maze and the crowds negate the enjoyment. Also the cider donuts were awesome! read more

I went there 2 weeks ago early in the morning with a few friends and we all loved it. They had 5 types of apples and the trees were full with apples . The orchard it's beautiful and the apples were delicious ! I would love to go back. read more

My son got married here. The venue is beautiful but the people who work there have a rudeness problem. Despite that, everyone had a good time. The bartenders were rude. We had open bar and they wouldn't serve some people. No smiles and really unhappy. The wedding coordinator Tammy was difficult with my son and daughter in law. At the end of the evening she and one of the bartenders asked my son and his wife to take out their trash. My son said I paid so much money for this venue and you can't put the trash in the dumpster? She said the dumpster is full and it's on you. So they went to look at the dumpster and it was empty which they pointed out and that is when she threatened to call the police and said f*k to them. Really? I don't know how this woman keeps her job. Big chip on her shoulder. In short, location was great. It was a beautiful setting but management really dampened the mood on such a special occasion. read more

Wow, this place is fantastic! I took my daughter here today and we really had a good time. Apple picking was a lot of fun and the cost was very reasonable, well within budget for any families to enjoy. They don't have a huge pumpkin patch but they do sell variety of pumpkin for families to pick out. we also enjoyed looking at the farm animals as well. Their donut was very yummy and our family had a great time here and will definately be going back there. i would recommend this place for any family! read more