I read about Chickamaw Farm in a May 2008 article in the Austin Chronicle as having U-pick organic…read moreblueberries. I love U-pick of any kind, so I was intrigued. The article said "call first!" - so I did, and talked to super-friendly owner Bill McCranie. He gave me the lowdown on how the blueberry crop looked, when would be the best time to come, and specific directions. On a beautiful June morning, we packed up the kids and headed out. It took less than an hour to get there from Central Austin, mostly along 290, about 15 miles past Elgin. After getting through the cattle gate, we were greeted by a big group of very friendly dogs (our kids were a bit afraid at first, but warmed up quickly). Bill came to meet us, gave us buckets and some good advice (don't touch the electrified fence wire, don't worry about the cows - they are friendly, watch for fire ants, etc.) and we got to work. There were TONS of berries the morning we were there, and the kids were thrilled. We ended up getting about $50 in blueberries (at $7 a pint) - as fresh as they come and totally organic. There is nothing like eating a just-picked blueberry right off the bush, still warm from the sun. It was a great outing, and a great way to support a sustainable, earth-friendly business. The posting by Hoa N. covers pretty much what you will need to bring, so I won't repeat it here, except to re-emphasize the "closed-toed shoes" advice. Bill would prefer you call first before heading out so that he can let you know if someone will be there to let you in. He'll also let you know if there is enough fruit out to make the trip worthwhile, and provide very specific directions. The farm isn't marked with any signage, so follow Bill's instructions carefully. Bill, spouse Nancy and family have great plans for their farm - they plan to add fishing and other activities as time and effort permits. We'll be going out there again for sure as they grow.

This farm is awesome. We went to pick blueberries this past weekend and got plenty, and more…read more The owners are welcoming and fantastic folks and the farm offers organic, sustainable products. Nothing beats picking fresh blueberries off the tree and eating as you go along. The property is beautiful and an overall great place to take the kids for a weekend out in nature. We're looking forward to going back and taking our son on a tractor ride, fishing for catfish or purchasing some grass fed beef!!

Awesome looking place, allot of family friendly fun just a short drive outside of austin. Looking…read moreforward to checking them out. Will be uodating with more pictures a d details once I do.

Awesome property with incredible produce!read more

A beautiful escape off the beaten path! Absolutely love the variety of flowers offered and their…read morevibrant colors. Lots of unique experiences on offer here so give them a call to see what suits your needs best. Viewing the farm is currently by appointment only, but you can buy grab-an-go bouquets from their little shop for a steal of a price - the quality is SO MUCH better than what you get in your local chain, not to mention they have bouquets that look nothing like what I've seen before. Come out and support this local gem!

My roommate and I are obsessed with fresh flowers so we went to Basecamp to see what they had in…read moretheir flower shop! My roommate and her boyfriend went last weekend and got the most stunning flowers. When we went inside the shop (very cute and extremely neat), they had so many options for bouquets even though we were there pretty late in the day! We bought 6 bouquets (she has amazing deals on her bouquets)!! Georgia is extremely kind and accommodating, as well. They have two options, the flower shop and pick your own! Thank you for letting two A&M students have an amazing start to their week!

What a charming little town Marble Falls is. The drive out to Sweet Berry Farm alone sets the tone…read morewith all the rolling hills and beautiful scenery. Even though we had chilly weather and a little rain, it didn't stop us one bit. We ended up picking close to seven pounds of fresh strawberries and they were so tasty and juicy. The whole experience of walking row by row and picking the perfect berry was so much fun. There's even a helpful little sign explaining how to pick the strawberries properly so they last longer. *Pro tip, leave a bit of the stem on the strawberry as you pick them, they stay fresh longer. We learned that after the fact, but we'll definitely do it right next time. The farm is huge, around 152 acres of expansive land, which was very green, open, and peaceful. It wasn't crowded at all the day we went, which made it even more enjoyable. The kids had a blast. They have a cute little train ride, a fun bouncing area, and plenty of space for the kiddies to run around. The goats were a big highlight for us. You can buy feed for 25 cents a tiny cup, and we went through four pretty quickly - you might want to grab more upfront because they close at 5 and we didn't get a chance to go back for more goat feed. The setup around the goat area was really nice and whimsical, and there's just so much open space to explore and walk and get fresh air. They also have a small gift shop with ice cream and little goodies, which was a nice touch after being out in the fields. Overall, it was such a peaceful, fun, and memorable day. Beautiful views, great atmosphere, and a perfect mix of activities for both kids and adults. We'll absolutely be back. Easily a five star experience.

It's an annual tradition for my daughters and I to go strawberry picking at Sweet Berry Farms. We…read morekept up with our tradition, braved the heat and visited this past weekend. Love that they don't charge entry fees! They provide you with a box for the berries and charge $3.75 per pound. My girls and I had so much fun picking the berries and eating them after! We also love the farm's homemade strawberry popsicles and ice cream - absolutely delicious. They also offer pick your own flowers, a bouncy area, a barrel train ride, and various arts and crafts activities for kids. There are also baby goats to feed! Fun for the whole family and an awesome day trip.

I came here with a few other friends for blackberry picking. We came right as the farm opened to…read morebeat the heat. It was about 78 degrees outside, felt like 82, and with some cloudiness it was tolerable though still definitely sweaty. I would recommend bringing hiking boots or rain boots as footwear, the grass was very dewy in the morning and our feet were soaked in water after tramping on the grass for about 15 minutes. The energy at the farm was infectious! Coming from inside the loop, we are starved for nature. The welcoming vibe and natural surroundings really made it feel like a wonderful nature getaway only 45 minutes from the bustling city. The workers were smiling and relaxed, and gave us friendly advice. You can bring your own buckets but they also provide a cute cardboard box that can hold 10 lbs of berries, for 3 dollars. I would say the box is quite worth it--it has a little wire hanger on the top so you can carry it with you as you pick and the farm people suggested bringing it back in the future. They said that others have returned with boxes from 2019! We had a bit of confusion initially with the parking. There is no drive way and you drive across grass to park at the small makeshift lot, marked by cones. Pay attention to road signs on Binford road however it is pretty straightforward and should not be a huge issue. The farm is not large and you can walk from the entrance to the last blackberry field in about 15 minutes. It is easy to search the fields for ripe berries. The workers suggested where to find berries as well. As of 6/7, I saw lots of red berries but only 2-3 flowers. Although the farm put up a notice saying they are picked out for tomorrow, I would say you could probably eke out a few more weekends of blackberries, seeing the abundance of red berries. The Berry quality is amazing!! The drupes are huge and juicy. Some berries are quite large. They are extremely sweet and delicious. We initially only planned on picking a pound or two, but picking is so much fun that we ended up with 4 lbs. with entry fee being 3 dollars, basket being 3 dollars, and the fruit being 7 dollars for a lb, I'd say it is a decent deal for a few hours of decompressing in nature plus high quality, juicy fruit that is incredibly fresh and sweet. We observed abundant insect life, including lots of interesting spiders and green heteropterans. I studied entomology in college and it felt like an insect field trip honestly. We will be back for fig and grape season!!! If you're looking for a fun way to get hands on and pull yourself away from your phone this summer, Neal's berry farm is the spot!

Located just off 290 and FM 2920 in Waller, this farm is open for the season in early May. You'll…read moreneed to refer to the website for the latest news. I had no idea that this farm existed until recently. The original owner's of Neal's Restaurant in Spring decided to get out of the restaurant business in 2009 and went into the farming business. The purpose of my visit was to pick blackberries. Farm admission is $2 for those 2 years and up. You have to pay $2 for a blackberry/fruit picking box, and you can bring it back the next time you visit. If you plan to cut vegetables and flowers, you'll need to bring your own scissors. Also don't forget to bring mosquito repellant. I barely saw any mosquitos but I got bitten. There were a lot of blackberries to pick, and they tasted good. You can even buy a plant to take home and grow yourself. You can cut as many zinnias that will fit in a solo cup for $3. I got kale, eggplant and zucchini too. I'm sad I missed peach season and fig season is coming up. There's a sink to wash your hand and a port-a-potty. The parking area was over grass, and it was organized. The people I encountered were friendly, but they are strict about closing time. The only reason why I didn't give this place an extra star was b/c there weren't activities like you would find at other farms and a picnic area (I saw tables so maybe it was closed off b/c of the pandemic.) Overall I had a great time and would highly recommend it.

Like fresh strawberries and blackberries? Like to show the kiddies that fruit is grown on farms…read moreand doesn't just come in plastic containers at HEB? Then get thee to Sweet Berry Farm. March-May is strawberries, while blackberries start in June. Sweet Berry Farm has two locations - one in Marble Falls, which I've never been to, and the other in Lexington, which is about hour east of Austin past Elgin. (The website has detailed maps to find the place.) The way it works is that you pay fifty cents for a cardboard box with a handle, and then you head into the fields, fill up your box as much as you like, and after you are done they weigh your box and you pay by the pound for the fruit you pick. Last week strawberries were $2.50 a pound - cheap and that is for the best strawberries you will every eat. Way better then store-bought ones. The Lexington location also sells homemade ice cream, which is definitely worth it, and there are usually some friendly goofy dogs hanging about for your kids to pet. We love taking the family out to Sweet Berry Farm - it's fun, you get yourself and the kids (if you have any) loaded up on healthy fruit, and the extras can go into smoothies or be frozen for later. And by the way, if you become a frequent flyer, you can bring your cardboard boxes back each time and save on having to buy new boxes each time. On the way home, if you aren't already sick from berry overload, you can stop in Elgin at any of the BBQ places that line 290 to eat or pick up some sausage before getting back to town. (Southside Market is a good choice for that.) Update: Went for strawberries recently and pickings were limited. I'd suggest calling first before heading out to see how things look.

I am giving this farm 5 stars for last year and 4 for this year so far. Only because i went on a…read moreSunday and it took me 1 hour to pick half a box....Maybe i should give myself 4 stars for being stupid and going on a Sunday! So i suggest going Friday or early Saturday morning. The strawberries are sweet and last year the blackberries where the size of....a 1/2 golf ball and very good jam maker...if anyone cares to make jam or homemade shortcake with a warm biscuit...yum now i am hungry for dessert. try them out as they are very friendly people and make homemade ice cream also which is quite a treat after picking in the sun.

Today was a good time had by all. 5 kids, ranging from 3-9 driving to the middle of nowhere to pick…read moreplump sweet juicy blackberries. It is definitely off the beaten path but very worth it. Can't beat $3 a pound plus a friendly welcome by the owners. Call ahead to scope out the conditions.

From the owner: Thomas family ranch is a small pick your own Blackberry farm. Our blackberries are available from…read moremid May through mid June and cost $3.00 per pound. We provide buckets to use while picking but you will need to bring containers to carry them home in. We recommend wearing shoes and socks, no sandals or flip flops, ants and sticker burrs are common. Call to check availability.

As BCS grows and diversifies, folks are getting better access to healthy food products, and…read morelearning to eat better. Oh this is still a burger and taco town, make no mistake about it. But places like this are a welcome addition for the healthy crowd to take advantage of. Its a hydroponic farm, possibly the first and only one, and yes they give tours. They also have deliveries of produce baskets which you can sign up for (check their website). I've tried some of their produce and can attest to its quality. Since they supply some local restaurants, and are at the farmers market in Bryan, you've probably tried their produce to. If not, give them a try. Eat healthy! Friendly staff.

From the owner: Earth Galley Farms serves the Bryan/College Station area by providing highly local, fresh foods…read morestraight to your doorstep! Through our basket delivery service, you can order a variety of local produce, meats, baked goods, jams, salsas and more with no commitment. It is our goal to integrate and immerse ourselves in the community by providing highly local foods directly to our customers, while simultaneously promoting and educating the public on sustainable environmental agricultural practices. Dedicated first and foremost to our customers, everything we provide is grown using the best organic practices available. Items that we do not grow or produce ourselves are sourced ONLY from local farmers, ranchers, and bakers. With our current food system being the massive "supply-web" that it is, most people have no clue as to where their food comes from, how old it is, or the methods in which it was produced. We want to bridge that gap and put power back in the hands of local farmers, ranchers and most importantly, you, the end consumer. Through education and forming a personal relationship with the local farmers, we can all help Bryan/College Station become a healthier, more sustainable community to live in. We care about our food, where it comes from, and how it is made!

First blueberry picking day of the season here at Chmielewski's…read more Check their website for the day before coming, to make sure they're open -- opening hours and days just depend on the conditions and blueberry readiness. There's a reasonable $1 admission for each person over 2yo, and right now the blueberries are $5/lb. There are also blackberries grown here, but I'm not sure if they're ready for picking- we only did blueberries. There is a little bit of shade, but most of the blueberry bushes are unshaded. Bring sun protection and water! The parking is right by the pay/checkout area, and the blueberry bushes are right there as well. No long walk to get to the picking area.

We really enjoyed blueberry picking at Chmielewski's.  It was easy and fun.  Great family activity,…read morefor kids and adults alike. The parking lot was right by the place where you pay and also right by the blueberry bushes.  You don't have to walk far!  There is some shade but most of the blueberry bushes aren't shaded, so you'll want to come prepared with sun protection. We went around 9-10 am, so it wasn't super hot yet & also it was easy to do social distancing because there weren't that many people there yet. Check the website before you go, as they update it depending on the latest conditions -- blueberry ripeness & availability.

It was a perfect day to visit Boogy Creek Farm. They had a great variety of vegetables grown, the…read morestaff was friendly, and my granddaughter had a wonderful time running around.

What a beautiful experience today at Boggy Creek Farm. I've been wanting to explore, visit, or…read morevolunteer here for so long. Fortunately today there was a community yoga class (Swift Fit Events), plus a succulent class (East side succulents). This allowed us the opportunity to explore and enjoy the property. We brought our mother along to enjoy, and she quickly made friends. There is a lovely market filled with fresh produce, plus other local goods. Everyone was friendly, and helpful. The restrooms are very accessible, and clean! So happy to have this precious gem in Austin! Thank You