Homestead Farms is the kind of place that reminds you why a little fresh air and wide-open acreage…read morecan work wonders. The property goes on and on--plenty of room for kids to run, adults to exhale, and everyone to claim their perfect apple-picking spot without bumping elbows. The apple selection is top-tier: crisp, plentiful, and varied enough to make you rethink your recipes. Whether you're team Honeycrisp, Stayman, Fuji, or "I just want the prettiest one," they've got you covered. It's an excellent family outing--easy parking, nice country store organized staff, scenic views, and cute working farm charm. A Maryland must worth returning to every fall.

My boyfriend and I went on a blackberry picking date here, and we had a blast! We loved that there…read morewas NO line. It was $4 for admission, $1 for a picking bucket, and you pay per pound for your produce. Unfortunately in July, they didn't have any more peaches, but still had plenty of blackberries. To be honest, the blackberries were very sour, but I made them into a pie so it was delicious in pie form! We walked around and saw the animals on the farm, and wandered around the market where they had a ton of seasonal produce available for sale.

The best around in this area. The taste of the produce is definitely noticeably different from…read moreregular supermarket produce. You can really feel and taste the difference. I stopped by more often this year and I definitely like coming here. The only downside is the parking on the busy Saturdays. It can get a bit hectic since they are in the corner and there are two entrances and exits and people coming in and out at the same time. There is no normal pattern and it really shows. Weekdays do not have the pies which I heard was amazing. The one produce I keep coming here for is the white peaches but it feels like I only have like a 3 week window every year to get them.

We got our yellow peaches today and came prepared with water so we could clean them and eat them…read moreafter purchase. So yum! We also got some fresh veggies and a huge watermelon. Trying to convince our neighbors to have some as the fridge is now packed. Great day and got home before the afternoon thunderstorms.

Oh what an experience. I had a great time at Doc Waters Cidery and Orchard. It was my first time…read morepicking apples...I wish I would've done it sooner. They had a great selection of apples which were very reachable due to the apple catchers they provided. The apples were in great condition and delicious. The orchard was very organized and had multiple rows for each type of apples. The orchard offered Pink Lady, Fuji, Joy, Shizuika, Galrina, Wine Crispy, Enterprise, Granny Smith and Florina Querina apples. The offered 3 different sizes of bags for apple picking that ranged from small to large. They also had cider which was delicious. They also offered cider cocktails which were very flavorful. The orchard was a short distance from Gaithersburg, and it was right next to Butlers Orchard. They had typical grass/dirt parking. The orchard employees were very friendly and helpful. They were very knowledgeable about the apples and cider. The ambiance was great as the grounds were full of colorful trees and leaves. It was great fall day. I cannot wait to visit again next year. If you are local or visiting the area I 100% recommend visiting The Orchard at Doc Waters Cidery.

If they run out of Donuts just go across the street to the cider place they have…read more The apple cider was tasty. Fresh apples very good picking selection. Lots of rows to go in.

Such a treat. I love coming to Larriland each year to grab fresh fruit. I typically come for…read morepeaches but was so upset when I planned to go and decided to check online and the season had ended. It was just open on Monday and then closed by Friday. I was so sad. I still decided to go and buy some from the farm stand and to see if they at least still had some of my favorite products. They did I was happy to grab some up. They have Taharka Bros ice cream and some flavors I had never tried before so I grabbed a couple, don't judge. Not stating if they made it home or not but why would anyone let perfectly good ice cream go to waste on a hot ride home. Come on now, make it make sense lol. If I'm back in the area during harvest time, I'll definitely go back to grab up some fresh produce.

I went to Larriland Farm with a few friends this past Saturday afternoon for blackberry and peach…read morepicking, which are two of my favorite fruits. I've also never picked either fruit before, so I was very excited. The farm is huge, with many different sites. We stopped by the farm market first to look at various produce. There were so many fresh fruits and vegetables (if you are lazy and don't want to pick any, you can buy it here). We were very enticed by the strawberry milk (which sadly, I didn't end up buying). I did buy a bag of dry ingredients to make corn chowder for 14.99, which I enjoyed four meals of! First, we went to pick blackberries. I got one of the cartons for 9.99 (there's also a smaller one for 6.99) because I got greedy and wanted lots of blackberries. Unfortunately, it took me at least an hour to fill up my carton with the blackberries that looked ripe since most of the ones we saw looked more like raspberries (bright red, incredibly tart, and most definitely not ready to be picked). Very occasionally, I'd find a really fat and juicy blackberry, which immediately got plucked off the tree and straight into my carton. I tried some of them after picking and a lot of them were pretty sour even though they were ripe. I was quite sad that I labored in vain. Overall, it was a very hot day and with the scarce amount of ripe blackberries, I should have just bought them at the farm market. Finally, one of my friends and I went to pick peaches while the rest of them went to stare at sunflowers. We were done in less than 15 minutes since we picked ~30 for the 19.99 box (the cheapest option). The peaches were great, 2-3 days after picking. I've been enjoying them with other friends so far. If there's anything I'd recommend picking from Larriland, it's the peaches. Fun time at the farm, the prices are a bit steep for picking, and I'm still kind of sad about the lack of sweet blackberries.

My sister and I celebrated our birthday at Rocklands Farm Winery with a group of 20+ people, and it…read morecould not have been a better experience. We reserved a private space with a private tasting, which made the day feel extra special and perfect for a large group. For many of our guests, it was their first time visiting this location, and everyone had such a great time. One of the co-founders, Greg, personally led our tasting and was fantastic. He was knowledgeable, welcoming, and checked on us throughout the afternoon to make sure everything was going smoothly. Every staff member we interacted with was friendly, attentive, and clearly passionate about what they do. I also appreciated that some friends who don't drink were still able to enjoy themselves thanks to the non-alcoholic options. The property itself is beautiful with scenic views, plenty of space to relax, and such a peaceful atmosphere. We had amazing weather the day we visited, which made it even more memorable. If you are looking for a great place for a birthday, celebration, group outing, or just a relaxing day with friends, I highly recommend! We will definitely be back.

I had an awesome first experience at Rocklands…read more I joined a group of 15-20 on the first really nice Saturday of the spring season; it was fairly crowded but we got there right at opening to secure a large section of shaded picnic tables. There was PLENTY of seating still - lots of large and small tables scattered throughout the property. They also have seating inside the winery at a small bar. The wine itself was really nice; we had several bottles of the rose at the table. It was light, crisp, and easy to sip in the nice weather. I was impressed that they also had 2 non alcoholic wines; the non drinkers in our group were happy to have some options made just for them (which were delicious also). There is a third party pizza business that had food offerings; we had many different types of their pizza which were all good. Very smart to have a food option for folks to enjoy while we sip our wine. Overall, the property is wonderfully maintained and the wines meet all expectations. I'd recommend giving this spot a try if you're looking for a nice winery north of the beltway!

Firewood deliveries have always been seasoned hardwoods, no junk, nicely stacked, and prompt…read moredelivery.

I buy summer produce and my firewood. Very happy with their service though the produce is more…read moreexpensive

Maybe it's too early, but about 90% of what was there yesterday was canned and packaged by the same…read morecompanies I can get at Wei's or Food Lion. Il'll give it another try later in the season when they might have more local foods.

This is a nice place to stop off for produce if you are in the Thurmont area, or looking for a stop…read morealong Route 15. The drive up 550 to Sabillasville is beautiful. Scenic View looks out over a valley surrounded by mountains. It has a variety of fresh produce (including sweet corn) and local eggs, meat, cheese, and milk. They also sell candy, sauces and jellies (mostly McCutcheon's), soap, candles, plants and garden decor, and bird houses. The prices are reasonable and the staff is very friendly. They are open every day June-November, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Still great and the renovation looks great! We tried the new apple cake sundae. The ice cream is so…read morecreamy and the pairing with the fluffy apple cake was perfect! We enjoyed outside on this sunny day by the pumpkins. Also picked up tart cherry juice, apple cider, honey cinnamon butter, and a coconut pie.

Catoctin Mountain Orchard has always been a good experience the few times I have visited. In their…read moremarket they sell in season fresh produce, jarred goods, homemade baked goods, gifts, and more. Their baked goods and produce are delicious. I often purchase their baked goods in bulk because it is hard to choose just one; especially their pies. They also sell ready-to-bake, frozen pies that you can bake at home with provided instructions. The interior resembles your typical, mom and pop small town roadside farmers market. The customer service is always friendly. There is ample private parking on the premises. I'll visit again when in the area. Give this place a try.

A fantastic place for families to find delicious healthy food as well as a fun location to play and…read morelearn about orchards and farming. A shopping trip combined with an adventure. The owners couldn't be more knowledgeable, pleasant, and helpful. Their business and products are a gift to the area. Come to the large, covered market to buy fresh fruits, corn & other vegetables, as well as jars of jams, jellies, chutneys, and fresh bakery goodies. Enjoy picking your own apples or choose from several varieties in the store, picked in season as they ripen. Have a picnic while the kids play on the equipment in the play area. Choose your pumpkin. Try the delicious fresh cider and the fresh fruit slushies. It's all good. Their apple cider donuts are legendary. Lots of parking. Not far out of town. I wish my own hometown had a place like this.

We found Marker-Miller on Google during peak Apple picking season a few years back. It's a great…read moreexperience, we just went again. The orchards have several apple varieties, are well maintained and easy to navigate. The price is quite reasonable, you pay by choosing between three sizes of bags to pick the apples. They have picnic shelters and several playgrounds for kids that are free. Kids can also participate in a tractor ride in individual cars that are pulled by a riding lawn mower. We didn't see a full size tractor ride however. If you come hungry, try their apple cider donuts, slushies and ice cream. All of it is really good!

Best place to pick apples in Northern Virginia. Have been coming here for more than twenty years…read more Great prices, nice folks and the cider is fantastic. Highly recommend.

Our friends invited us on their annual ritual of picking apples, buying apple butter and cider at…read moreRinker Orchards in Stephens City. Rinker is a 3rd generation family run apple orchard. I got to meet Mrs. Rinker who was checking in on the operation. Like many other families, we enjoyed a picnic lunch under a tree overlooking the orchard. The kids loved playing tag in the orchards. This a great family day trip and absolutely the best cider and apple butter I have ever tasted in my life. It's about an hour drive from Northern Virginia, but the apples were amazing - especially the golden delicious and Fuji. We are so fortunate to have such great produce here in VA like the peaches and apples. Its priceless to show your kids that you can pick fruit from the tree when its at the peak flavor. You cannot get that experience going to your local grocer.